Valued by the Only One That Matters
One thing I love so desperately about our God is how He gives us what we need at just the right moment. Today’s passage is one of those moments for me. I worry far too much about what others may think. I keep quiet because I don’t want to offend. I don’t want to have my words misunderstood. Then God brings me to a passage where He tells me not to worry about men who can only kill my body but not my soul. Should the worst be accomplished it truly would not be so bad. As Paul wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
We can spend our lives chasing after the approval of men and never find it. There are times when I feel this truth down in the farthest reaches of my soul. Try as I might, I will never be what everyone wants. I will never be enough for this world. My best falls short in someone’s eyes every time. We simply cannot win the heart of everyone, no matter how much effort we put into the attempt. We will never measure up to some people’s ideals. There will always be someone smarter, prettier, stronger, wealthier… fill in the blank of how Satan tells you that you fail to compare. Chasing after man’s approval will leave you chasing the wind and never satisfied. BUT GOD… The only one we should really fear or care about their opinion is the Lord. He is the one who decides our eternal fate. He is our Maker and our Savior. What we do or don’t do should be to please Him, and He notices. He cares. I love how our reading today ends: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows” (verses 6-7).
Maybe you were always the last one picked. Maybe you were thrown out, abandoned, forgotten, and abused. Maybe you gave it everything you had, and it still fell apart. None of that matters. You may not have been chosen by the world, but you were chosen by God. He sees you when no one else does. He notices every tear, every victory, every struggle. We are enough for the Creator of the Universe. We owe the world nothing. We owe God everything. The next time you find yourself stuck in the trap of worrying what a person thinks of you, remember what God thinks matters so much more.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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