Estimated reading time: 4 minute(s)

Note: The following thoughts are not really well-formed, nor necessarily “going anywhere”. I am mostly working them out as I type.

In the season of life I am currently in, it’s been quite obvious to me that we, people, are flawed. Even the best of us. There’s a deep-rooted—at the core of us—tendency… but more than a tendency… to (at best) choose selfishly, if not actually intending harm for others around us. (Or, the malice can be aimed at one specially chosen person, rather than randomly.)

But the other side of the coin is that there are often great examples of sacrificial love for others. Jesus said there’s no greater love than to lay down your life for someone else. I’ve seen it. I don’t mean necessarily giving up your physical, living-and-breathing life. There are other ways to “lay down your life”. And some (many?) people do that, too.

In a brief conversation recently with someone whom I perceived to be another Jesus follower (a person that I do not know, just interacted with briefly) I took note of the care which he showed for me. (And, I was extending him the same care.) That seems so rare… (sorry for the unintended rhyming) 🙂 I do think that most people are good at caring about or for friends, for the most part. And I also think that a lot of Christians (with the best intentions) do “care” about other people, but often it is more out of obligation to “be Christian” than actually placing value on the person being cared about (or for).

And that’s it right there.

We are all flawed, but we possess intrinsic value because God values us.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Eph 1:4-5

So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Rom 5:11 (But read verses 6-10 also)

And, of course:

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.John 3:16 (The Tim Tebow verse!)😉

There are so many verses, stories, quotes, etc. from Scripture that clearly show that you and I have value to God who made us. Not because of a special talent, or ability, but simply by our existence. That’s really, really not the “way of the world”.

Scary video time! This video of George Bernard Shaw (below) would be an example of valuing people only for “what they do for you”… (Closed-caption will help.)

Sir, or Madam, would you be kind enough to justify your existence? Most people won’t say those words, but I think our actions might tend to suggest that is how some (most?) people see the others around them.

But with Jesus it’s different. Everyone matters. One of my favorite things about him is how he would stop what he was doing to focus on one person whom the crowd was ignoring. Scripture is clear that each one of us has value to him. Each one.

So when we treat each other like he sees us, life is different. If we see every other person around us as a prized creation of the Creator, doesn’t that affect how you treat them? Do you cut them off in traffic? Do you forgive them when they do that to you (perhaps even accidentally?) Do you fight and claw to get whatever it is you think you need, or do you gladly and willingly consider the person next to you first?

We tried something in our home recently… the girls were not being kind to each other, so I said, “Wait wait wait!! What if your sister was a queen? Would you talk to her that way? Or treat her that way?” The response was a silly, “Nooooo!” Then I continued, “She is a queen! Or, at least, a princess. A daughter of The King, God. Each of you are! So while we’re playing and cleaning up, make sure to see your sister(s) as a Queen, and treat her accordingly.”

They had so much fun with that, and the whole atmosphere in that room changed. There was fun, kindness, respect, laughter, and actually, they got the clean up job done a lot more quickly, too.

You have value. And so does EVERYONE else around you. That value is because we are made by (and valued by) the One who truly has all value, worth, glory, whatever word you might choose. He values us, simply because he made us. We are his prized possession—each one of us—whether we know it or not.

If we could see that, know that, live that… life would definitely be different.

I will continue to intentionally view the world (and you) that way. And teach my kids to do the same. Hope you’ll join me.