You’re Worth It!

When I was a teenager I had a foot loathing sickness.  I hated for people to look at my feet!  In all of my insecurities that go hand in hand with the teenage years, in my mind my most inferior part of me were my feet!  I felt like everything else would do but if someone would get a glimpse of my feet then they would know my weakness!   They would see my ugliness!  My famous line was “Don’t look at my feet”!!!  And I am very serious when I say this!  If one of my friends would come over unexpectedly and I was bare foot, as we visited I would sit with my toes curled in so that they could not view them and if for any reason I saw their eyes even begin to look in the direction of my feet a fear would come over me and I would yell out, “Don’t look at my feet!!!!”  I felt like everyone else in the world had prettier feet than me and that if someone saw them it would change their mind about how they felt about me, that it would change their thoughts towards me and that was something I was not prepared to deal with!  In my mind allowing someone to look at my feet made me feel so vulnerable!  I hated that feeling!

Isn’t it funny how we are as humans?!!  We can be just fine.  Not a care in the world and then when somehow, something or someone touches or uncovers an area of our lives we are uncomfortable with…..watch out!!!  Don’t look at my feet!!!!  Like someone just uncovered the atomic bomb!  Don’t touch that!!!!  Don’t look at my feet!!!!

We have this crazy and distorted idea about worth!  We use a complete different scale to calculate worth than Jesus does!  I have to admit I have loved and served God for quite a few years now and I have heard, read and taught the message of the
cross many times.  How Christ shed his blood and died to save sinners like you and me but I never really understood
the cost and the price he paid for “ME” until a couple of years ago. It’s so easy to see how someone else could be worth it.  But when you have to look at yourself and your ugly feet and the sacrifice made for you.  It’s a completely different story.  Because it’s you!!!  You know how ugly your feet are!!!!  I know how ugly my feet are!!!  Because it comes back down to that reasoning that we have inside of us!!  I’m not worth it in my estimation of value!

Luke 15:3-10

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts
it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Look at Jesus’ reasoning!!!  He is willing to stop what he is doing, stop right in his tracks.  He is willing to leave the other 99 in search of 1!  And when he finds that 1, he places it on his shoulders and rejoices saying,“Rejoice with me for I have found my sheep which was lost!”

Luke 15:20-24

20 So he got up and went to his father.”But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. b‘ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the
best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

When the prodigal’s son began to calculate his worth he said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”  Sound familiar?  Our estimation of worth is based completely on what we do,  our deeds, our success, our good works, our faults and failures.  This son considered his worth to be gone based upon all that he had done!  Yet, look at the response of his father when he comes home!  Pretty amazing, isn’t it?  Remember today that Jesus thinks you’re worth it!!  Your worth has nothing to do with what you do!!!  It has everything to do with who you
are!!!  You are His!