You may have heard this story before. It bears repeating. May it touch your soul as it does mine.
“A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill.
In the room of 200 he asked, ‘Who would like this $20 bill?’
Hands started going up.
He said, ‘I am going to give it to someone, but first let me do this.’ He proceeded to crumple up the bill. He then asked, ‘Who still wants it?’
Still the hands went up in the air.
‘Well,’ he replied, ‘what if I do this?’ And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty.
‘Now who still wants it?’ he asked.
Again the hands went into the air.
‘My friends, ‘ he continued, ‘we have all learned a valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
‘Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We sometimes feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what happens to you, you will never lose your value–dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to God (your Creator) and to those who love you.’
The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or whom we know, but by WHO WE ARE.
To the whole world, each of us is a ‘nobody’–but to somebody, each of us is the whole world.
Reflect:
–How can you relate to this story? Please comment.
Renew:
–“Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth.” –Proverbs 16:13 NIV84
–“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.” –Proverbs 31:1-2
–“And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” –Matthew 10:30-31 NIV84
Recharge:
–Name three people you will encourage this week and let them know how much you value and appreciate them.
Danya Jordan