Stepped On But Still Precious

Friday, October 21, 2005

I am holding a $20 bill in my hand. I don't get to do that very often, so this is a very special moment. If you were sitting here with me and I offered this $20 to you, would you take it? I think you would. Now you're going to have to use your imagination to picture what I'm about to do, but here goes. I am now crumpling that nice $20 bill and I am crushing it into a little wad. You still want this bill if I could offer it to you right here? OK - now I am beating on this wadded up bill - and now I am stomping on it with my foot. Now, if I still offered to give you this $20, would you still take it? Even though it's been beat up, crushed, stomped on? Well, of course you would.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Stepped On But Still Precious."

And that's the point, isn't it? No matter how abused and beat up that $20 is, it's still worth just as much, and so are you.

There's someone listening today who's been treated like I just treated this currency. You feel beat up, mishandled, treated badly, you've been crushed, and trampled on. And when someone's been treated like that, they begin to believe a lie - that they aren't worth much. If they were, why would anyone treat them like that? When you think you're worthless, you start making choices based on that - throwing yourself away, settling for junk, doing anything for a little love. But the truth is, you're just like my beat-up $20 bill. No matter how you've been treated, you're still just as valuable. You're still precious because no one on earth gave you your worth - God did. So no one on earth can take it away.

We've got to go to God's Book to get the real truth about your value. And when we do, we find three worth-givers that cannot be taken from you. First, your worth is based on your being made in God's image. In Genesis 1:27, the Bible says, "God created man in His own image." God made you as a reflection of Himself, so don't tell me you're not worth much!

Secondly, your worth is based on your being God's one-of-a-kind masterpiece. In Psalm 139:13, David says to God, "You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful." When you believe you're not worth much, you're insulting the One who designed you. From the moment the egg and the sperm came together to start your life, you have been God's unique creation. If you don't believe it, look at your fingerprints. There's no one else like you.

But most importantly, you are infinitely valuable because God paid for you with the life of His Son! Our word for today from the Word of God, Galatians 2:20 says, "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." I want to invite you to walk with me right now up a hill near Jerusalem called Skull Hill. At the top, imagine there's this blood-stained cross. That's where God's one and only Son thought you were so precious that He poured out His life for every wrong thing you have ever done. Why? Because that's the only way you could ever be forgiven of your sins - the only way you could ever have the love relationship with Him you were made for - the only way you could be with Him in heaven forever.

The children are so right when they sing that little song "Jesus loves me, this I know." He really does love you. And you can never experience how much you're worth until you experience the One who gave you your worth. And that's what Jesus has come to give you today. He stands ready to enter your life upon your invitation, to begin that love relationship He gave His life to give you. It's your move now. Beginning a relationship with Jesus Christ means you tell Him, "Jesus, I'm sorry for all the sin of my life. I knew this isn't the way You made me to live. I'm ready to do it Your way now. I really need You, and I'm giving myself to You today. You died for me. I want to live for You."

I've tried to briefly lay out how you get started with Jesus in a little booklet I wrote called Yours For Life. I can't send you a $20 bill, but I'd love to send you this booklet if you think it would help. There's no obligation. There's no strings attached. Just ask for it at this website - yoursforlife.net. Or call toll-free at 877-741-1200.

The life you were made for, the love you were made for, begins when you let Jesus into your life because no one loves you like He does.