Useless... Yet Valuable

Romans 5:6-8

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

We live in a world that places value on people and things based on their usefulness. In sports, the Most Valuable Player award goes to the player who helps their team win the most. A valuable player is one who is useful/helpful to their team.

We purchase items based on their usefulness. An expensive car is one that is useful in many ways: speed, safety, comfort, aesthetic appeal, status, etc... If a car is not useful in those ways, it will be seen as less valuable.

But God did this crazy thing: He saw us all, completely helpless... useless to His kingdom and harmful to ourselves and others... He saw us there, the least valuable players by earthly value systems, and that's when He died for us.

Take a moment to look at your price tag. It reads "the blood of God's only Son". Now realize somebody paid that price for you. You are literally worth the most valuable thing that will ever exist! and you were that valuable, not when you were helpful to God, but actually when you were completely useless to Him. Breath that in.

He didn't die for you when you were a good person or when you helped Him with something. In fact, Jesus never died for a good person, ever. He only died for sinners. So why would we ever determine our worth by what we do or don't do? good or bad? No your value is not attached to your usefulness to God, in any way. You are valuable simply because He chose to love you. Plain and simple.

And as we approach the dreams and goals God has put in our hearts for us to do... many of which will seem more useful to Him... let us never forget that our true value will have nothing to do with fulfilling those things. Let us always remember that our value (the blood of Christ) was bestowed on us in the middle of our shame... In the middle of our darkest, most lost, most useless hour. Let us always remember, like the Apostle Paul, that Christ died for sinners, of whom I am chief.

When we do that, we open our lungs up to breathe the goodness of God. We open up our hearts to live by faith again... Faith that His righteousness is enough for us. Faith that Jesus was the Most Valuable Person that has ever lived, and now because He died for us, so are we. I encourage you, follow this rule:

Colossians 1:6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,

You received Him as a pauper in righteousness. You received Him as one, useless for any good thing in yourself. As you received Him, so walk in Him. Walk as though you are the pinnacle of value, while in yourself, completely useless for any good thing. That is a place of faith. And in that place and that place alone, the goodness of God (not you) can shine through bright as day. God's helpfulness and God's usefulness will be a bright light to everyone in your life, including yourself. This is the place of freedom in Christ. And I encourage you to walk in it.