What Are You Worth?

I recently returned from a weekend away at beautiful Lake Tahoe with an even more beautiful group of women.  I shared something during our weekend together  that God dropped in my heart while I was preparing what I would be sharing with them and I’d love to share it with you as well.

This truth nugget comes from a story in the Bible that I don’t recall ever spending a lot of time focusing on over the years and had my brother not done some sort of college video project with a ministry group that went by this name, I don’t know that I would have even recognized it.

In 2 Samuel Chapter 9, we hear about a man who greatly struggled with his worth…

1 One day David asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family? If so, I’d like to show him some kindness in honor of Jonathan.” 2 It happened that a servant from Saul’s household named Ziba was there. They called him into David’s presence. The king asked him, “Are you Ziba?”  “Yes sir,” he replied.  3 The king asked, “Is there anyone left from the family of Saul to whom I can show some godly kindness?” Ziba told the king, “Yes, there is Jonathan’s son, lame in both feet.” 4 “Where is he?” “He’s living at the home of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.” 5 King David didn’t lose a minute. He sent and got him from the home of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar. 6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan (who was the son of Saul), came before David, he bowed deeply, abasing himself, honoring David.  David spoke his name: “Mephibosheth.” “Yes sir?” 7 “Don’t be frightened,” said David. “I’d like to do something special for you in memory of your father Jonathan. To begin with, I’m returning to you all the properties of your grandfather Saul. Furthermore, from now on you’ll take all your meals at my table.”8 Shuffling and stammering, not looking him in the eye, Mephibosheth said, “Who am I that you pay attention to a stray dog like me?” 9-10 David then called in Ziba, Saul’s right-hand man, and told him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and his family, I’ve handed over to your master’s grandson. You and your sons and your servants will work his land and bring in the produce, provisions for your master’s grandson. Mephibosheth himself, your master’s grandson, from now on will take all his meals at my table.” Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11-12 “All that my master the king has ordered his servant,” answered Ziba, “your servant will surely do.” And Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, just like one of the royal family. Mephibosheth also had a small son named Mica. All who were part of Ziba’s household were now the servants of Mephibosheth. 13 Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, taking all his meals at the king’s table. He was lame in both feet.

I don’t have two lame feet but I can definitely identify with Mephibosheth’s feelings of inferiority, of feeling not good enough, unworthy, an outcast… We see clearly what Mephibosheth thought of his worth, he thought of himself as a dog, not even worthy to sit at the King’s table.  He felt no value, no worth, He didn’t really have much of a life.  Society had conspired to convince Mephibosheth that he was of no value, that his life was worthless.  It kinda seems like society conspires to tell you and I the same thing.

He merely existed and here comes the King.  King David sought out Mephibosheth, he gave him income and family and honor and belonging and all the things you and I long for.  He was invited to the table and adopted as family, he was shown that he was of great value.

In an instant Mephibosheth had gone from eating like a dog to eating at the King’s table.  What made the difference?  

He had not changed, he was still the same person, he was still crippled, he still could not take up a trade, he could still not go wield a sword to defend his family.  In the eyes of the world he was still worthless.  BUT in the eyes of the King he was more and that made all the difference in Mephibosheth’s life.

This world speaks loudly and it may have told you, you were of no value.  Maybe you’ve had people in your life that have spoken words of destruction over you and you’ve believed the lies.

It may sound something like this…

• One of my personal favorites, You have such a pretty face, if you’d just lose some weight.

• Success means ______ ($,position), so if you don’t have that you’re a failure.

• Maybe you’ve gotten the message that you won’t be loved if you don’t perform well.  So you constantly work hard and strive so you can be loved.

Or do you tell yourself things like…

• I’m not talented enough.
• I’m not pretty enough.
• I’m not bold enough.
• I’m not smart enough
• I’m too loud
• I’m too quiet, and the list goes on and on…

And you find yourself struggling, tired from trying, tired of hiding and you’re not feeling you bring a whole lot of value to the table.

Well I want to tell you just as God told me while preparing to share His heart with some ladies from Foresthill, California…

You don’t get to decide your value. Its been determined for you and in the eyes of the King, you are worth the very life of His son.

1 Peter 1:18-19 New Living Translation (NLT)

18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

So, how much are you worth?  

You are more valuable than gold or silver, than all the riches in the world.  God looked down on you and on me, he saw us eating from that dog bowl of sin, of listening to the voices around us that try to tell us we’re worthless and God said, “Enough”.

He went to the cross for you, He paid the price with His body and blood to set us free.  He exchanged His righteousness and His perfection and His sinlessness, for our unrighteousness, and our imperfections and our sins.

He made us worthy. He has called you to the table.  

Some of us may be struggling to leave the dog bowl and join Him at the table because we don’t feel we are worthy, but our feelings are not facts and the truth of the matter is this, Jesus has chosen you.  You are the apple of His eye and when He looks at you, He sees great value. 

Jesus has a place for you at His table and paid the ultimate price so you could take a seat.  He is inviting you to join Him, to take His word on your worth, to leave that dog bowl and join in with the rest of the family at the table.

At one of my dearest friends weddings, I had the honor of singing a song and the last line of the song, which is my favorite, says, “If beauty is all in the eye of the beholder then I am beholding true beauty.”

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and regardless of how you may feel today, when God looks at you, He beholds beauty.

God gets to choose who He loves and He chooses you, over and over again.

You may feel unloveable, unworthy, uncapable, but HE chooses you and the TRUTH of the matter is this…You are of priceless worth!!