The Treasure That Is You

As I reflect on all the years I have spent in people-helping professions….counseling, pastoral work, coaching, and other endeavors, there is something that has been a consistent theme.

Most people have a low opinion of themselves.

It’s true.

They may try to hide that by appearing arrogant or feigning superiority. They may couch it in terms of trying to stay humble or under the pretense of modesty. Many of them hide behind education, wealth, or even acts of service.

But when you get a glimpse behind the curtain you will often find shame and unresolved guilt; self-hatred and contempt……and a consistent undercurrent of negative self-talk. Truly, a lot of people will beat themselves up long before they allow themselves to be at peace with who they are.

I get it. I really do. After all, we know all our “stuff.” We know all about the times we made a fool of ourselves or stuck our foot in our mouth. We intimately know about all the awful things we have thought about or fantasized over, whether that be lustful or angry; bitter or envious. Certainly, we were there in our worst moments….the moments we KNOW would lead to our rejection, if only people knew.

Some people feel worthless because they have been treated as such. They were told, repeatedly, that they were “less than” or “trash” or “never going to amount to anything.” After a while, they believed those messages. After all, if that’s all we hear….why wouldn’t we?

I can understand the Psalmist, when he wrote in bewilderment, “What is man that you are mindful of him?” I have often wondered about the same thing.

And yet….scripture insists that we are a treasure to God….the Creator……the One who made us.

And that is baffling to me. I mean, IF there is a Creator. IF He is all-powerful and all-knowing…..IF He is infinite…….then how can He possibly value us? More directly, how can He value ME?

If He is all-powerful, then how can He view me as even worth His time?

If He is all-knowing, then how can He love me when He knows everything about me; all I’ve ever done, all my horrible thoughts or desires, all the ways I have hurt others?

If He is infinite, how can He view me as a treasure when He has been around to see so many others far greater and more important than I?

And yet….the consistent story we find in scripture is that we are a treasure to God. That He pursues us because He values us. That He is quick to forgive us, even when we choose evil. That He passionately desires relationship with us and will go to great lengths for that to happen.

I mean, the point of the Gospel message is that God SO loved humankind that He sent His only Son to die for us, as a sacrifice to pay the debt we owed Him for our sin.

The reason?

So, we could be in relationship with Him forever…….because He treasures us. And the kicker? He did that “while we were yet sinners.”  I mean, He came after us when we were still His mortal enemies.

This truth flies in the face of our self-talk. The messages of condemnation we batter ourselves with. The shame that says, “It’s not just that I’ve DONE something bad…..I AM something bad.”

All I gotta say is……..somebody’s lying.

Either the message of scripture is false, or we are lying to ourselves. They can’t both be true. And if scripture is lying, then that would undermine our entire belief in a Creator God who loves His creation.

Honestly, if we reject the doctrine of our value to God, it begins to undermine our entire belief system.

So, we are left with a true conundrum: Either we must question our belief in the God of the Bible, or we must question our self-concept. We must either abandon the belief that there is a God who treasures us, or we must learn how to receive His love and, at a heart level, allow ourselves to be loved and treasured by Him.

And if we choose the latter, then we must stop condemning ourselves……cease and desist from beating ourselves up….we must allow ourselves to receive His love and to humbly accept our worth.

It really comes down to that kind of choice.

Simple to understand……excruciatingly difficult to execute.

Now, WHY does God value us? Why does He love us so much?

Humans have pondered that a lot over the centuries.

Is it because He created us in His image and we are a reflection of Him?

Is it simply because God created us and that He is perfectly loving?

Dallas Willard wrote about how humans are precious because they can freely love God and be faithful to Him, and that they can choose good and be committed to that good in the world.

Some write that we are valuable to God because He is a relational God and created us to be in relationship with Him.

Whatever the reason….and that may be a deeper discussion for another day…….the point is that unless we believe the scriptures are lying, then we must acknowledge that we are a treasure to our Creator. That we are valuable. And, if that is true, then we need to honestly re-evaluate how we view ourselves, not with arrogance, but with gratitude.

Perhaps the real invitation is not to suddenly feel valuable or to finally see yourself the way God does. Maybe it begins with something smaller. A willingness to question the voice that has always told you that you are less. A willingness to consider that the God who knows you completely has not turned away. That your worth was never something you earned or lost, but something spoken over you long before you understood it. And perhaps, slowly, over time, you could learn to live as if that were true….not perfectly, but honestly…. allowing grace to speak louder than the old accusations.

Because if the One who made you calls you treasured, it may be time to stop arguing and simply listen.

Have a magnificent day, my valuable friends.