“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” ~ Matthew 16:26
The status quo is unacceptable. This is the battle cry of our culture. We cannot stay where we are, or we will be left behind. If we keep on doing the same old things in the same old way, we will be overtaken by the competition. This battle cry is why we work long hours struggling and striving to climb the success ladder.
The status quo is unacceptable. This is why our culture fights so much and cries so frequently. We have pierced ourselves with many griefs—and for what? What do we hope to gain? A promotion? Another degree? A “like” on social media? Is that it? Is that all there is?
The truth is we are more than our job titles, our academic achievements, and our social media pages. Our worth is not tied to our salary. Our significance is not established by the reputation of our alma mater. None of these can make us acceptable, valuable, or worthy in God’s sight.
Our value cannot be captured in a flash—even in the most glamorous of pictures. We are flesh and blood, but more than that, we have minds and hearts, hopes and dreams, ideas and emotions. We are spiritual beings. We have souls. So often in our culture we are just a number—one among many others. We are only valuable if we set ourselves apart in some way. But that is not how our God sees us. That’s not how he treats us. Look to Christ and you will discover your value to God.
Jesus loved you enough to leave the comfort and glory of heaven and come down to earth. He took on flesh and blood, because the status quo was unacceptable to him. Sin kills for eternity. So he lived the perfect life that you could not—no matter how hard you worked, no matter what you learned, no matter how well you presented yourself. He died the death your sins deserved, so that he could rescue your soul.
We are redeemed by the precious blood of the Son of God. We have been set apart by the Holy Spirit. We are children of God. We are more than what we know, because we are known by God. We are more than a pretty picture, because we have been washed clean in Baptism. Jesus has made us radiant—without spot, wrinkle, or blemish. We have a new battle cry: In the Son of God, I am accepted.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, lift my eyes to the price your Son paid on the cross for all my sins. Renew my mind to see how much you love and value my soul. Refresh my heart that I may glorify and praise you in all I do. Amen.
Living Hope Church 