God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 1 Corinthians 1:28
Carlie grinned as she counted the change from all the stuff she had sold at the yearly neighborhood garage sale. She could hardly believe how strangers had raced from all over town to show up at the sale and hand her money for toys and books she no longer needed. But her excitement melted when she saw that she still had a big box of things to carry home. Carlie had brought a table full of sale items, but most of it hadn't sold.
Carlie had a problem. She didn't want that stuff. Worse than that, others didn't want that stuff, even when it was priced at just pennies.
Carlie took her leftovers home. But then she tossed them out with the trash.
Most of us have times when we feel like garage-sale leftovers. When we let other people tell us our value, we feel like we're worth even less than small change. When we compare ourselves to people around us, we can wind up feeling puny and weak, ugly and unappealing, even dumb and dumber. We feel like stuff that no one wants-useless to ourselves, to others, and to God.
When you feel that way, don't despair. You're no garage-sale leftover. You're worth far more than the pennies a worn-out toy might fetch. In fact, a huge price far bigger than any amount of money has already been paid for you. Your life has been bought by the valuable blood of Jesus Christ.
Christ died on the cross to bring you to God. And his death means there's no doubt about your incredibly high value. If you want to figure out how much you're really worth, you need to figure out how much Christ's life was worth. First Peter 1:18-19 gives you a hint: "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."
You might still feel worthless. But the fact is, you're not. You are exceedingly valuable. You are worth Jesus! Ponder that-and when you do, it will radically change how you see yourself. You're no junk!
TALK: So what are you worth? What does Christ's death have to do with your incredible worth?
PRAY: God, sometimes we don't feel very valuable. Thanks for showing us our real worth through Christ's death on the cross.
ACT: Share with someone today the fact that he or she is worth the life of Jesus.
