Our world can feel mighty big. There are billions of humans with a unique story covering this planet. It's easy to feel that we are insignificant when we compare ourselves to others. Social media has grown this idea that I can't compare myself to others; I'm not good enough, talented enough, rich enough, successful enough, fit enough, a good enough parent, cook, and on the list goes! From a young age, we are inundated with unrealistic images of perfection perpetuating the idea that we should bow out before we even begin because we have nothing unique to offer our world.
This goes entirely against the message of the Gospel, and it is a lie the evil one uses to take us out of the game. Each and every life matters to God. We are all 'fearfully and wonderfully made' as his Word tells us (Psalm 139:14). You are profoundly important not because of what you can do but because of who you are! You are a child of God (John 1:12-13). The world wants us to believe that production equals value, but God's economy is entirely different. God says identity defines our worth; the best news is that, thankfully, as his Creation, our identity is secure!
God calls us to live as a living sacrifice to him (Romans 12:1), which means we don't have to offer him perfection. We just have to make ourselves available to him. Thank God perfection is not a qualifier for him to work! We'd all be doomed, most of all me. My sin haunts me, but God's grace covers me. It's a miraculous cycle that keeps me on my knees, thanking God that he can do great things with what little I have to offer. You matter more than you could ever imagine to your Father God.
1. We Know We Matter Because Jesus Died for Us
What would you die for? To save your car? Your kids' toys? For the ants? Most likely, you would not die for those things because they don't matter enough to give your life for. We die for things that matter, or we would deem our death to be in vain. That list gets even shorter when we consider giving up our child to die on behalf of another. Do we believe that Jesus died in vain? That his death lacks purpose because we are inconsequential?
When we doubt our worth, we doubt God's Word and the work that he did on the cross. John 3:16 clearly tells us that God so loved us that he gave his Son so we would live eternally with Him! The cross is a mystery. How death, in this case, means life for me is something I continuously struggle to fully comprehend, but I do know that death is not something any living thing approaches flippantly. Death is scary. It's final. It entails suffering and loss. It's meaningful and serious. While I don't understand all of how God works, I know that giving your life for someone else is the ultimate love act here on Earth.
We can rest assured that God made us to love us because he engaged in the ultimate act of love by sacrificing himself on the cross.
2. We Know We Matter Because God Tells Us He Has Plans For Us
Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favorite verses. It tells us clearly that God has planned a hope-filled future for us! He desires to see us prosper! Psalm 27:13 tells us that we can expect to see God's goodness here in the land of the living. Matthew 6:10 declares that God wants to bring Heaven down to Earth through us! All of these Scriptures and so many more shout the truth that God has good plans for his Creation.
Unfortunately, because of the power of sin that has infiltrated the Earth, we must choose to partner with God in order to see his goodness unfold in our lives for his glory, but the invitation to enjoy his goodness now extends to everyone. Once we are his, nothing can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:31).
Don't let shame, past mistakes, or self-doubt take you out of God's plan for your life. None of those things are too great for God to overcome! He is able to do more than we could ask, think, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). It's pride that says we are too broken to be used. God is able! He has a plan for you. Trust him and watch him work miracles in your life over and over again.
3. We Know We Matter Because We Are All a Part of the Body of Christ
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 explains that we are each a part of the body of Christ. We all have a unique role to play that complement each other. We are called to work in unity through the Spirit. Just as we all have different roles, no role is less valuable! My work as a stay-at-home mom can feel insignificant, but if I was not faithful to serve my children, then how would their God-ordained futures be impacted? My husband works in Information Technology. While this job may not feel as holy as being a Pastor, if he does not rely on the Spirit to guide him at work, he would miss out on the chance to be a light to his co-workers.
Our job is to be faithful and obedient to the call of God in our lives. Success in any specific terms is God's job and is out of our hands. Remember, you matter because of who you are, not what you do. Even if you stay home alone and do nothing all day, you matter to God because you are his. You may get bored and miss out on your potential, but you are still inherently valuable because you were created in the image of God, born out of his great love for us.
No role is too small because your just being is the gift. Your presence is what God and those who love you long for. As a Mom, I am constantly baffled at how much my kids just want me to be around them. It doesn't even matter if I'm impatient or overwhelmed; they still want to be with me. When they are scared at night, trying to go to bed in the dark, one thing that offers them comfort is just me sitting in their room with them. Their safety or sleep conditions haven't actually changed with me there, but my being there changes everything for them. That's how it works with God. You being there changes everything. He made you because he wants to know you. Just existing as his child is enough.
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Originally published Tuesday, 19 March 2024.
