Our value not only makes us precious to God, but it also makes us usable for amazing purposes in His kingdom that we would have never imagined. You see, real value is in the eye of the beholder, and Christ is the Beholder of us all. Nothing we have ever done or endured has lessened our value in Christ. Like the disciples, Jesus values each of us, no matter what.
He loved them simply because they were His. Jesus wanted them to understand He saw beyond their imperfections, sins and fears, and beheld them as valuable, no matter what anyone else thought. He assured them God's love for them was immeasurably more. Jesus shared with His disciples how God loved the little sparrows, even though they were worthless in the eyes of the world. In biblical times, sparrows had little value, other than being cheap food for the poor.
To calm their fears, He offered encouragement of their worth with the story about sparrows. In Luke Chapter 12, Jesus knew He and His disciples would soon be judged and persecuted. Years not realizing how precious I was to Jesus.Īpparently the disciples wondered about these things, too. My love alone gave her value, and no one else's opinions would change that.Īs I stood in the aftermath of my kids shunning my doll, my thoughts wandered back to the years I spent questioning my own value - years wondering if the sins of my past or the failures of my present had stolen my value in God's eyes. Yet because she was valuable to me, I saw beyond her imperfections. They saw tangled, fuzzy red hair that had been pressed against the side of a box for 30 years and a faded dress that was stained and ripped. They saw an outdated toy covered in scuffmarks with missing eyelashes and oversized bulging eyes. We all shared a laugh, but as I gently tucked my doll back into her box, I caught a glimpse of what they really saw.
She kind of looks scary." Little Michael was too stunned for words. Then Kaitlyn said sheepishly, "Yeah Mommy. When pulled, it wound all the strands of hair back into her head, transforming her long locks into a short bob.Īs I shared how beautiful and special this doll was to me, Kaitlyn said, "AMy eyes lit up with excitement as I shared with them that I still had her! I scurried to the closet, dug out the box and held up the doll with pride, thrilled to share a piece of my childhood with my children.Īfter a few seconds of awkward silence, Morgan spoke up with child-like honesty: "Mom, she is ugly!" But her greatest feature was the cord in her back. She had big chocolate brown eyes, silky hair and a long ponytail that cascaded down her little pink ruffled dress.
I remembered running excitedly down the stairs on Christmas morning to see my new doll sitting in front of the tree. When my daughter expressed a desire for a new baby doll, memories from long ago came to mind. Years ago on a cold winter morning, my young children and I were sitting around the kitchen table chatting about the gifts they wanted for Christmas. Don't be afraid you are worth more than many sparrows." Luke 12:6-7 (NIV)Īll they saw was a piece of useless junk. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
0 kommentar(er)
