Earlier today I attended the graveside service for my Aunt who passed away after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. While I am heart-broken at her passing, I am also reminded to be thankful to God for the gift of life and for blessing my life with my Aunt Linda. It was good to spend time with family. My relatives are spread all over the country and beyond. Consequently, we do not often get to spend time with each other. I could not help but consider this afternoon as we met after the service and shared a meal and a time of visiting with each other how this event has brought so many of us together to celebrate my Aunt’s life and to celebrate the promises of God. As I thought about all that I have to be thankful for, it made me appreciate all that God has done to bless my life. This got me thinking about what the Bible says about how God values us.
One clear passage that talks about how God values us is Luke 12:6-7, 24. “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows…Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!”
I love the picture these words of Jesus paint of a God that cares about the birds. Not just the exotic birds, but the common sparrows and ravens. I love the repeated concept that we are far more valuable to God than birds. God has created us in his image, and he loves us and values us.
What do you value? Your family? Your job? A hobby? Your home? Your car? It is interesting to notice how the things we value get a lot of our attention. It is natural. When we value someone or something, we pour time and energy into that relationship.
God values us! He poured his time and energy into us by sending Jesus into this world to love us by dying for us so that we can receive the gift of salvation. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
God didn’t just say that he values us and loves us, he showed us that he values us, and this is a truth that will ignite hope in the hopeless. We have a beautiful promise of eternal life if we believe in Jesus! It is because of this that I was able to experience peace and joy today in the midst of a funeral for my Aunt. I know that she believed in Jesus, therefore I believe I will see her again and spend eternity with her. Yes, there are questions about pain and suffering and heartache that are not easy to ponder. There are moments when I feel tension more than peace and pain more than joy, but there is an unmistakable, and unquenchable hope I have because God has promised me eternal life with him if I believe in Jesus as my Savior. Jesus did not just die on a cross… three days later he rose from the dead, conquering death and the grave and proving that there is nothing he cannot do!
There is an unmistakable peace I have and a true and lasting hope I have when I consider the God I serve. He values me highly! He even has the hairs of my head all numbered. He loves me enough to redeem me and give me hope for eternity. God values us enough to want a relationship with us. Jesus made it possible for us to have a relationship with God. The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit of God comes and lives in us when we believe in Jesus. I hope that you have a relationship with God. Furthermore, if you do have a relationship with God, I hope that it is something that you value! Finally, just as God values every human being, we too ought to value our fellow human beings. Remember, the things we value get our attention. God has certainly valued us enough to give us his attention.