Encouragement

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Comments from people in response to this question would vary, but here are a few:
1) "I ain't nobody's nothin"
2) "I don't know"
3) "I don't care"
4) "We'll see....time will tell"
5) "Maybe someday I'll be worth something"

Years ago, I read that if a body was reduced to its chemical contents,
it might be worth 98 cents. With inflation that has probably increased....
but it takes more than inflation to increase your worth!

Who 'owns you' gives value (or lack of value).
"Who am I" is important, but "Whose am I" is moreso!

I'll always be grateful for the 1st sermon I heard during my freshman year at the
University of Oklahoma in 1946.

'Preacher' Hallock (Pastor, First Baptist Church, Norman, Oklahoma) shared with us BSU students, the subject of 'You're on your own with God'. (I Cor. 6:19-20)

"What? Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's."

I was away from home for the 1st time and was very lonely.
The freshman class of 1946 @ OU was the largest ever.
My older brother (Bryce) had planned to enroll with me as a freshman.
Though he was 4 yrs. older than I, he had served in the Army for 4 yrs. during WWII.

But when Bryce came home, he felt that he and his girlfriend had been apart long enough, so they married and he went to work for White's Auto Stores.

Though I was disappointed at the time, he and Jean had a long and wonderful marriage with 3 precious children, 7 gr'children (and great gr'children even) before Bryce's death in 2001.

The church family, the BSU (Baptist Student Union) and fellow students helped me to see that I was not alone....and that God was with me. I began to get better acquainted with my best friend, Jesus and that my worth as an individual was great, but was more effective when I joined with others 'on mission'.

Now it's 2007 and I am retired from full-time pastoring, but not from serving the Lord.
However it is a little more difficult trying to 'sense my worth' at 79 yrs. of age...
than earlier in my ministry. But...same God, same calling, same worth!

The Scriptures still say: "Christ in me, the Hope".
(Notice I said 'me'....not 'you' for YOU have to make it personal.)

1) In 'The Sermon on the Mount' in Matt. 5-7, Jesus proclaims our worth...
by calling us 'salt of the earth'.

This old world is spoiled and soiled by sin.
We must permeate it with the Love of God in Christ.
He also calls us 'the light of the world'.
In Jesus' eyes, we have much worth when we let our light shine.

In Ch. 5:43-47, he calls us 'lovers of our neighbors' and even our 'enemies'.
In verse 48, He says, "Be perfect (complete) like your Father in Heaven".

In Matt. 6 we are to be 'prayers for the reign of God to come on earth as it is in Heaven'.
We will be good 'forgivers' and not hypocrites.
We will lay up treasures in Heaven.
We will build our homes on Jesus, the Solid Rock.
We will bring forth fruit, worthy of repentance (indicating that we've been saved).
We will take all God gives...and give all that God asks.

2) Let us see our worth in the rest of the Bible:
We are created by God (Genesis 1:26; 3:7; Ps. 119:73)
We are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26, 27)
We are created a little lower than the angels. (Ps. 8:5 and Heb. 2:7)
We are created above all other creatures. (Deut. 4:32 and Ps. 139:4)
We are forgiven much and are to forgive others, even as we have been forgiven.
(I John 4:9-10)

3) We see our worth in the work of the Holy Spirit within us.
(I Cor. 6:19-20; John 16:7-11)
The Holy Spirit enables us to witness. (Acts 1:8)
The Holy Spirit gives assurance that we are saved. (Romans 8:16)
The Holy Spirit seals us (II Cor. 1:22) and is the 'earnest' of our adoption. (II Cor. 1:22)
The Holy Spirit guides us in time of need and is our best Teacher. (John 16:13)
The Holy Spirit gives comfort. (John 14:16, 26)

The Greek word for comfort is 'Paraclete' meaning....
'the One Called along side to walk and talk with us and show us the way'.

4) Other gifts of The Holy Spirit are:
Hope (Rom.15:13)
Liberty (II Cor. 3:17)
Strength (Eph. 3:16)

CONCLUSION:
Two poems that speak to our worth are:
"Every hour in which you live, God is renewing the invitation to you.
He puts the perfume in the flowers with the hope that you will someday ask 'Why'.
He puts the rainbow in the cloud for you to see His artistic Hand.
He puts the smile in the child's cheek....
the song in the throat of the bird.....
and glistening diamonds on every blade of grass in every morning dew."

"There is never a rose in all the world but makes some green spray sweeter.
There is never a wind in all the sky but makes some bird's wings fleeter.
No robin but may thrill some heart....his dawn light gladness voicing.
God give us all some small (or large) sweet way to set the world rejoicing."

Jesus loved us all when He died on The Cross....for the least, the lost, and for the last.
In final analysis, The Cross gives us our greatest worth....
and as His children, we are worth much as we show forth His love to others.

Also please remember:
"Earth to earth was not spoken of the soul". (Eccl. 12:7)
Your soul is Eternal, so YOU are Eternal in worth....
and Heaven can be your Eternal Home.

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