2 Corinthians 11:20 - You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of you, and slaps you in the face.
How often do we allow people to tear us down? How many times do we justify their actions (as if it's our responsibility to do so) by making excuses for them? We see it a lot in domestic violence cases, but it happens in everyday life to everyone.
I had a friend that had certain interests that we didn't share. In his mind, it made me less of a man if I wasn't into these "manly" things like hunting and fishing and going out every Friday and Saturday night to drink. He believed that being different meant being less. And he let me know it too. For a long time I put up with it, but as I drew closer to Christ during that time, I came to understand my real worth a little bit better.
My worth wasn't founded in what the world deemed appropriate. I've never been fishing or hunting in my life, and have no interest to do so. But how does that make me less of a person? The truth is, it doesn't.
I was deemed important and worthy by my Lord and Savior. He determined that long before I was even born. Before I was formed in my mother's womb, He knew me and set me apart (Jeremiah 1:5). And as though it wasn't enough for Him to tell me how much He loved me, He took it upon Himself to show me when He went to the cross to die for me. Wow...
Whenever I have struggled to find and know my worth, all I have to do is to remember that He died for me, so that He could show me just how much I meant to Him. That's what I call finding your worth. It is impossible for me to deny how much He loves me. I could never justify telling myself that God must not love me.
Jud Wilhite, in his fantastic book Pursued said, "Basically what you are saying when you say God cant forgive you is, 'God, you are going to have to pay a higher price for me'" (Pg. 102). There is no higher price that could have been paid for God to demonstrate how much He loves us, and how valuable we are to Him.
I remember during a study once, we were in the book of Genesis and discussing Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22). One of the questions asked by our group leader, was whether we thought we would be willing to sacrifice one of our kids if God commanded it. I don't have kids, but I still thought about it, and said I don't think I could. I believe that would have been too high a price to pay.
Let's be honest, here. It is asking an awful lot isn't it? To require a sacrifice of that magnitude in order to save and redeem a very large group of people that may or may not love you back. God didn't hesitate to show us how much we are worth to Him. We just have to believe it.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the sacrifice You gave to redeem and save me from a life and eternity apart from You. I could never repay what You have done for me; none of us could. I am grateful that You don't want repayment - just love. Thank You for showing me that my value and worth are found in the blood of Jesus Christ. I pray for those that don't know their worth. Those that are allowing others to tear them down regularly because they don't understand that they do indeed have value that is infinitely greater than anything this world can put a price on. My prayer is that they will take just a minute to look inside their heart and feel You speaking to them in Your still soft voice. I pray they will respond to the prompting of Your Holy Spirit and accept Your free gift that You have offered to all of us, and live the life of high value that You have always had planned for them. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
God Bless!!!
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