12-29-2014

Good Morning All,

          Luke 12:7; “Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

        “Was it worth it?”  This question is often asked and not always in the best circumstances.  It often is asked by parents of children who get into trouble for something they did.  It is asked by teachers and coaches for the same reason.  Sometimes friends ask it as a way of conveying that there was a cost, perhaps a high cost, for some perceived benefit.  It may have been the breaking of a date with one person in order to go with another.  It might have been trying to take something we weren’t entitled to have.  Whatever the event, eventually the facts would come out and someone will inevitably ask that question; “Was it worth it?”

     Was it worth it?  There may have been times in your life when you asked that question of yourself.  Maybe you placed a great value on that promotion at work, that piece of land to own, that “extra” loving relationship.  Was it worth it?  Was the pain and suffering worth it?  In the long run; it never is.  Not only does it cause pain to those around us, it can destroy our self-image and our self-worth.  Sometimes events in the past can cause us to decide that it wasn’t worth it and now we aren’t worth it either.  We are at that point where we have no value to anyone, anywhere.  At least this is what the devil, the world and our own sinful nature wants you feel like.  They want you to think that you are worthless so that any decision that you make from now on will be based your own poor self-worth.

    Yet you are worth it.  God values you deeply.  He values you enough to send his Son to die for you in order to redeem you from the price of sin and to remove the guilt that the devil and the world can hold over you.  Jesus died for you; was it worth it?  It is according to God and his love.  You are worth it.  God values you enough to leave behind his glory and power to be born into a world of pain and poverty, to live and die as the payment for your sins, for your failures.  He rose from the dead and left the tomb empty as a sign that we will do the same someday.  All because God says you are worth it. 

    The devil and our sinful nature will try to keep you down, to try and drag up past failures to make you question your value, your value before God and your own personal value.  Yet never doubt how much God values you.  Never doubt how much God loves you.  Are you worth it?  The spread arms of the loving Savior says so.

Gracious God, to you alone belong all glory and honor.  We give you thanks for the blessings of today.  We give you thanks for the value that you place on us.  Help us to know this value and to hold that value for ourself and for each other.  Help us to lift up our brothers and sisters through your grace and mercy.  Use us to show the world just how much you truly value your children  Move us to bring others to the knowledge of the value you place on them.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret