It took me a long tyme to figure out that looking to other
people in regard to my self-worth is both futile and foolish. I mean the idea that anyone on this Earth can
calculate my value is simply ridiculous.
That would be like taking the Mona Lisa into a kindergarten class and
asking the kids how much money they would give for it. Chances are their responses would sound like
something out of a Charlie Brown cartoon where everything – including Lucy’s
psychiatric advice – costs five cents. They wouldn’t have any idea as to the value of da Vinci’s painting.
Isn’t that an interesting thought? That which is priceless to a bunch of adults
is worthless to a bunch of kids. To adults
the Mona Lisa is an incredible piece of history that deserves to revered and
preserved, but to kids it’s just some lady in a picture. Something is only of value if someone is
willing to pay for it.
A baseball signed by Babe Ruth is simply a baseball with
some ink on it until someone offers to pay a sum of money for it. The fact that
a talented, one tyme famous man happened hold or hit the ball does not change
the fact that it’s just a ball. The
change occurs when feelings are applied.
Perhaps the baseball reminds a man of a day he spent with his dad at
Yankee Stadium so he buys it as a way to hold on to a fond memory. Or maybe a lady buys the ball because Babe
Ruth was her grandfather’s favorite player and it reminds her of the bed tyme stories
he used to tell her. Whatever the reason
for the purchase, the only value it really holds is in the emotion of it. I mean
let’s be honest, even after someone pays a crazy amount of money for it; it’s
still just a baseball with ink on it.
The truth of the matter is everything is worthless until
someone adds value to it. This is true
for people as well. The difference is, while everybody puts value on something,
there’s One that put a value on every person. Jesus. Jesus was willing to pay a price for each of
us. And it wasn’t just any price. No, He paid an unfathomable price for us – a price
so great that no one else could begin to afford or would even be willing to pay
if they could!
It’s impossible for any of us to understand the amount of love
that it took to pay such a price, perhaps that’s why we tend to look to the
people around us to appraise our value. I
mean really, when someone puts a clearance sticker on us it hurts, but it’s a
lot easier to believe than “Priceless”. But
just because we tend to believe the bad stuff does not make it true. What is true?
Jesus loves me this I know
The price He paid, it tells me so
And no one else can ever see
The price He paid, it tells me so
And no one else can ever see
The way that Jesus values me
So, now that I figured it out does that mean I’m cured? Does it mean that I no longer attempt to find
my self worth in the opinions of others?
Well…do you remember how your math teachers made you attempt problem
after problem once they gave you the formula for the equation? It takes practice! Just because you know how to solve the problem
doesn’t mean you always get it right!
No, because of some unfortunate programming in my brain there’s a chance that this struggle will always be with me, but the more I apply the “Jesus Love Me” formula to my equation of life, the more I get the answers right.
So, the next tyme you need to be reminded of your value,
just remember that hard as some may try, no one can take away the gift that
Jesus bought for you. Just enjoy your ‘priceless tag’ and help others realize
that they wear one too!
-L.D. Kirklin-
