The Value of You

 The Value of You

Sunday, January 30, 2022

In our quest for critical questions in the Bible, we have seen verses from the opening chapters of Genesis and from Psalm 8 (repeated in similar form in a few other places). This time, we look at the value of humans, that is, the value of you.

It’s funny isn’t it, that some people have no trouble with this question: Am I valuable in the sight of God? They knew it was true the day they were born. They’re pretty doggone sure that God couldn’t live without them. They have no trouble with their value. I don’t think our passage is addressed to them. They wouldn’t get it. Rather, it is addressed to those who are as low as the underbelly of a snake, those who are not surprised when the clouds cover the sun, and are shocked when something turns out better than expected. Matthew 6:25-34 speaks to this latter group, asking a cluster of questions of them about comparative worth: “Are you not of more value than the birds of the air (birds which God feeds)?" “If God so clothes the grass of the field (lilies), will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” 

Three times in this passage God says, “Don’t be anxious!” “Don’t be anxious!” “Don’t be anxious!” The “valuable” man isn’t anxious. He always knows everything is golden. It’s the “low” person; the “looked-over;” the “over-looked.” They’re the ones who are quite sure that they have many things about which to worry. And they’re good at it!

We wouldn’t say that God does the worrying for us. We would rather say He does the “caring” for us. He cares for us, whether we are winners or losers. He cares enough to protect. He cares enough to provide. He cares about the things that you care about: aches and pains; bills and bad tires; schedules and appointments. He cares about those things, and so much more - things that we should care about as well, but not be anxious about; not worry about. 

The beginning of the passage (found at  the link above, at the Matthew 6 reference) says “don’t be anxious about your life.” That’s very broad, and certainly covers a lot of things, though mentioned specifically are food and clothes. It covers success and failure; jobs with no gain, and job s lost; illness and loneliness - all those things and more. God cares about these, and He will take care. Further, don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God’s got that too. We don’t know what tomorrow holds (probably trouble, say some). But God cares more about your tomorrows more than you. And He’s not worried.