The Price we put on People

In the last few weeks I have been able to watch my two oldest grand kids, Ty & Emma, participate in basketball & soccer. What a joy it is for this grandpa, as it is for all grandpas and grandmas, to be able to watch our little ones as they seek to impress us & show off their shooting & passing skills. Ty & Emma are already learning that their worth to the team depends on just how well thy play the game. The more points they score the more appreciated they are by teammates, coaches and we as parents and grandparents. It's too bad we cannot simply find value in our children and grandchildren for them simply being them.
Just last night an old dear saint of the church passed away. She had been in the Nursing Home for several years and with each passing month her physical & mental health diminished with time. To our corporate world and to much of our Godless society her value was limited. What did she have too offer in a constructive way anymore? Shame on us! But who of you out there does not find your value in the way other people look at you, perceive you, respect you? When we allow our own self esteem to go on this roller coaster ride, we find ourselves craving appreciation so that we feel of value to others and on the other hand our self esteem is easily shot down by one cruel word from our boss or a so called friend.
But now listen to what Jesus says about our worth & value, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not reap or store away in barns and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. (Listen closely to this next part) Are YOU not much more VALUABLE then they?" Friends, our true value (and I'm not talking about the hardware store here) is found in the loving eyes of our Farther God. He values you and I enough to have given to us His only Son, Jesus, to die upon the cross for our mistakes and to raise us up with Him through the power of the Resurrection!
This Easter, remember that amidst this cruel world bent on beating you and your self-esteem down, forget what they say and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christ loves you with all of His heart just as you are!
May the Joy and Hope of Easter embolden you in your faith! Pastor Rick Koch Dutchtown