The Value of People

A little while ago, I had one of those days. I had some things to accomplish, and although I tried, none of them got done. More over, a few other things happened, and, for a while, all I saw was black. The voice inside my head was making sure I knew how unimportant I was, and how little worth, and value, I had. I was pretty bummed to say the least.

The  only thing right I did was to bring my perception of myself to my Father. And I got two messages in response. The first was a picture of a cross. The second was a Bible passage: Romans 8:31-39.

In the Romans passage, Paul asserts that God is for us. Then, he asks four questions.

1. If God chose to send Jesus to the Cross, is there any good thing he won't provide for us. The question is rhetorical. He has already given us the best, and most important. Everything else we need is a no brainer.

2. Is there anyone, who can accuse us of wrong doing? From one perspective, the world accuses us. We accuse ourselves. From another perspective, God justifies us. Yes, we have failed. Yes, we have done wrong. But God has acted. He has wiped the slate clean. We can give our allegiance to him, and start over. And over. And over.

3. Is there anyone who can condemn us? Paul reminds us that Jesus died. Moreover, Jesus rose. Moreover, Jesus is now with the Father interceding for us. If someone points out how terrible we are, how we only deserve punishment and death, Jesus leans over to the Father: "I died for that person. I paid that person's punishment in full. There is no grounds for condemnation anymore. He\she is a child of the King."

4. Is there anything that can separate us from his love? Is there anything that can force, or persuade, him not to love us? Is there anything in life that says, "God does not love you anymore"? Paul included a couple of lists of things that might make someone think: "This thing that happened must mean that God does not love me anymore." But God has already given up the most important, most precious, thing he had -- his Son, Jesus -- to safeguard us. Surrendering Jesus to the Cross demonstrates God's love, and complete commitment to achieve the best for mankind. He invites everyone to be part of his immediate family. He proclaims the worth, and value, of everyone by this amazing sacrifice.

So, whenever you have a bummer of a day, remind yourself of these things. They show how important you really are.