Christ: the Source of Personal Value
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16, NKJV.
When it comes to feeling really valuable, Christians have a big advantage. The world may tell you you're valuable, but that doesn't mean you'll feel that way. If you doubt your worth, humanistic theory says you must simply pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. For emotional and other support it offers encounter groups, therapy sessions, weekend serendipity workshops, and all types of human-made gimmicks to help you believe in yourself.
But what do you do when no matter how you try to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, you just keep tripping? You've gone to a color analyst, lost 15 pounds, built muscle, and restyled your hair—and you still don't look like Miss or Mr. America. Although you avoid critical and sarcastic comments in order to keep your self-esteem high, still at times you feel rejected anyway. No matter how many skills you develop, you quake when asked to do something new. And as hard as you try, you still yield to temptations and feel bad about doing what you know you shouldn't.
True self-worth is where Christianity parts company with humanistic theories. It has to do with a person's real value, not perceived value!
The fact is, you can feel valuable even though everything in your life seems to be in shambles if you will only believe that God made you. He created you, and not one other person in the entire universe is exactly like you. You are special—known by God from the moment of your conception.
In addition, God said no when Satan condemned you to die because you sinned. Instead, God's Son died in your place so you could live. And do you realize that Jesus would have died for you even if you were the only one who had ever sinned?
God has a plan for your life: a work for you to do that no one else can do, and a plan for you to be with Him forever.
Having Christ is a big advantage when it comes to feeling good about yourself. Don't ever forget who you really are!
Think about this statement by Ellen White: "The price paid for our redemption, the infinite sacrifice of our heavenly Father in giving His Son to die for us, should give us exalted conceptions of what we may become through Christ" (Steps to Christ, p. 15).
When it comes to feeling really valuable, Christians have a big advantage. The world may tell you you're valuable, but that doesn't mean you'll feel that way. If you doubt your worth, humanistic theory says you must simply pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. For emotional and other support it offers encounter groups, therapy sessions, weekend serendipity workshops, and all types of human-made gimmicks to help you believe in yourself.
But what do you do when no matter how you try to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, you just keep tripping? You've gone to a color analyst, lost 15 pounds, built muscle, and restyled your hair—and you still don't look like Miss or Mr. America. Although you avoid critical and sarcastic comments in order to keep your self-esteem high, still at times you feel rejected anyway. No matter how many skills you develop, you quake when asked to do something new. And as hard as you try, you still yield to temptations and feel bad about doing what you know you shouldn't.
True self-worth is where Christianity parts company with humanistic theories. It has to do with a person's real value, not perceived value!
The fact is, you can feel valuable even though everything in your life seems to be in shambles if you will only believe that God made you. He created you, and not one other person in the entire universe is exactly like you. You are special—known by God from the moment of your conception.
In addition, God said no when Satan condemned you to die because you sinned. Instead, God's Son died in your place so you could live. And do you realize that Jesus would have died for you even if you were the only one who had ever sinned?
God has a plan for your life: a work for you to do that no one else can do, and a plan for you to be with Him forever.
Having Christ is a big advantage when it comes to feeling good about yourself. Don't ever forget who you really are!
Think about this statement by Ellen White: "The price paid for our redemption, the infinite sacrifice of our heavenly Father in giving His Son to die for us, should give us exalted conceptions of what we may become through Christ" (Steps to Christ, p. 15).
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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