Are We Worth It?

Recently I got glimpse of how much God loves us…. another peek at how precious we are to the Lord…. another tiny understanding of why God decided to give his life to save us from sin and death…. another reminder of why God thinks the world of us. While talking and praying with a good man suffering from a serious sickness, God revealed a bit of how much he loves this man, how precious he is to the Lord.

At the same time, this suffering man of God is struggling to believe how precious he is to our Lord. He’s an excellent man… not perfect, but a really good and loving man… a kind man…. it’s a privilege to know him. I hope today he experienced a bit more the truth of his great dignity, his great worth before God. Hey, if I smile when I see this man, how much more does the Lord gaze on this man with love and tenderness.

Too often we can primarily view ourselves as failed human beings, of limited value, even unlovable to God. Yet, why would Jesus suffer and die to save a people who are fundamentally of no value? Really, if we are just the “bums” we sometimes consider ourselves, then why would God bother? Think about it. 

Why do we too often consider ourselves as unlovable? Why do we think this way? Well sin can certainly taint how we see ourselves and we all have a history of sin and sorrow.  And the devil, “the father of lies”, constantly reminds us of this history and tells us we’re of no value. The devil is a clever liar, mixing a bit of truth in his pronouncements, so that they seem believable…… 75% truth and 25% lies still equals a lie. Satan whispers in our ears, “you are no good…. you have screwed up too many times…. God doesn’t answer your prayers … God is so disgusted with you…. your sickness is the just reward for your lousy life…. you’re just unlovable ….. bla,bla,bla.” And like dopes we buy the pack of lies. 

St. John Paul II taught us that we need each other to help us know the truth about ourselves. Sure we know a lot about ourselves, but we need each other to more fully know our self. We have many blind spots when we’re looking at ourselves. We need each other. When we find a faithful friend, a good friend, a truthful friend… we need to pay attention to that person. 

So, we’re in the great Easter season. Jesus suffered and died and rose from the dead for you and me, for each of us, not some of us… all of us. He did it because he loves us. We are the greatest value to him. We are the “pearl of great price” to the Lord. Jesus sold all, his very life, to bring us home with him. Let’s accept this beautiful gift of love from God. We are truly precious in his sight…each of us. May our wonderful savior bring healing and wholeness to this good man and to each of us. Yes, this is the Good News.