We Are Valuable
Each and every human being is of inestimable intrinsic value because God had His Unique Son, Jesus, die for us (Jn 3:16). This is why C. S. Lewis could say, “There are no ordinary people” and why Francis Schaeffer declared, “In God’s sight there are no little people and not little places. Only one thing is important: to be consecrated persons in God’s place for us, at each moment.” Nothing we do or don’t do can add to or subtract from our intrinsic value. In this inherent sense, there are no ordinary or little people. Each person is important and should be treated as valuable (Ps 139:13-17, NASB). We intuitively grasp, at least to some degree, that people should be treated as important (Gen 9:6). Hence, we view murder as a very serious crime and have a wide variety of government programs to help feed, care for, educate, and protect individuals.
On the other hand, an outshining of our worth can be displayed publicly when we dedicate ourselves to God, keep choosing to be guided by Him, and seek His plan for us instead of some other view of success (2 Cor 3:18, CEV). As Oswald Chambers put it, “My worth to God in public is what I am in private.” We let the Lord paint on the canvas of our lives and display us, as He sees fit, to what should be an appreciative audience. As Nathaniel Hawthorne said, “Every individual has a place to fill in the world, and is important, in some respect, whether he chooses to be so or not.”
Do we treat ourselves and others as being valuable? If not, why not? At the very least, this is a failure of love. Since the result of being directed by God’s Spirit is love (Gal 5:22), we can enrich our love by further yielding to Him. In this way, we come to more fully cherish ourselves and others because the Spirit guides us into the truth (Jn 14:17, 26). That each person is of great value is part of His truth.
Comforting others is costly but worth it.