{"id":650,"date":"2024-03-07T13:31:05","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T19:31:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/reflectionsintheknight\/?p=650"},"modified":"2024-03-07T13:31:05","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T19:31:05","slug":"what-am-i-worth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/reflectionsintheknight\/2024\/03\/what-am-i-worth\/","title":{"rendered":"What Am I Worth?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
What Am I Worth?<\/strong><\/p>\n
We are constantly bombarded by the question on social media, TV, and radio, \u201cWhat are you worth?\u201d Girls have been comparing themselves to Barbi, the latest pop star or the most-watched influencer, for years. Boys compare themselves to their favorite athletes, movie stars, or ultimate fighters. Even older men and women aren\u2019t exempt from the comparison game. \u201cAm I as pretty, strong, desirable as_____?\u201d (fill in the blank with a known name here). So, what are you really worth?<\/p>\nWhat am I worth? Is it How I look that makes the biggest difference?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Physical Worth<\/strong><\/p>\n
If I were a slave in 1850 America, my adjusted approximate worth would be $40,000. If I were simply a cadaver, my body parts would be worth $5,000 on the open market. And if you took all the refined minerals out of my body (zinc, copper, silicon, etc.) I\u2019d be worth $1. So, measuring someone\u2019s worth must be figured by more than just their physical worth.<\/p>\nWhat am I worth? Is it my wealth that tells what I\u2019m really worth?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Financial Worth<\/strong><\/p>\n
If I were Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, or Elon Musk, I\u2019d be measured in my bank account. The median net worth of an American is $192,700, but the median net worth of someone in Zambia is $3,761. Does that make an American worth 51.25 times more than someone from Zambia?<\/p>\nWhat am I worth? Is it how smart I am that shows everyone my real worth?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Mental Worth<\/strong><\/p>\n
Surely, the \u201cbrain drain\u201d and mental giants like Oppenheimer, Einstein, and Isaac Newton were worth more than you or me. So, how would we measure that? Possibly financially? Well, a top university professor (of which all three were) is $160,000 a year today. Okay, how about we measure physical worth? Hmm\u2026 Their physical worth was exactly the same as yours and mine. All right, what about notoriety? These scientists were widely unknown until they made world-changing discoveries, and even then, many people wouldn\u2019t have been able to pick them out on the street until their pictures were splashed across the media of the day.<\/p>\n
So, How Do I Measure My Worth?<\/strong><\/p>\n
Let\u2019s look at what Jesus had to say about our real worth. In Luke 12: 24 He said, \u201cConsider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!<\/em>\u201d Jesus is saying that a human is worth more than an average animal who lives off the land. Worth is not about the financial or mental. Maybe it\u2019s about personal beauty. What else does He have to say? \u201cTruly I say to you, among those born of women, there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 11:11) Hmm\u2026 John the Baptist was not known for his beauty regime. So, no, it\u2019s not physical looks. Wait, the verse goes on. What else does Jesus say about John? \u201cYet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.<\/em>\u201d Wait, wait, wait\u2026 I thought John was worth a lot in Jesus\u2019s eyes, and now He\u2019s saying John is worth less than someone who was dead.<\/p>\nEveryone is born with worth. Every. Single. Person. There is no such thing as being worthless. The problem is many don\u2019t take the time to find out where they really fit in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
What\u2019s Real Worth<\/strong><\/p>\n
If real worth has to do with wealth, beauty, or intellect, then Solomon had it all. He was the Biblical trifecta\u2014Good looks, brilliant mind, and the richest king of his day. Yet, he turned his back on God and followed the gods of his wives toward the end. We get a real hint in what Jesus claims as \u201creal worth\u201d in the second half of Matthew 11. He said, \u201c\u2026the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater\u2026<\/em>\u201d Let\u2019s look at that. Does Jesus mean you\u2019re worth something only when you\u2019re dead? No. So what\u2019s the hint?<\/p>\n
Real Worth<\/strong><\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026in the kingdom of heaven\u2026\u201d<\/em> To make it into the kingdom of heaven means you must be worthy of heaven. In a word, a saint. He\u2019s saying that real worth is only measured in your goodness, your faithfulness to God, and your ability to assist others in need. This is great<\/em> news for all of us! It means I have worth<\/em> if help my neighbor but only have my GED. It means I have worth<\/em> if I live in subsidized housing yet find the time to help someone who came here from a foreign country. It means I have worth<\/em> if I live in an assisted living facility, and all I can physically do is pray for my friends, family, and those in need.<\/p>\n
Real worth isn\u2019t what we own, look like, or how smart we are. No, real worth is measured by the size of our hearts, by how much we give in compassion and time to others in need, and by how we use the graces and gifts God has given us. So, the next time you look in the mirror, ask yourself, \u201cWhat am I really worth?\u201d Then, judge yourself according to what God says\u2014not social media.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We are constantly bombarded by the question on social media, TV, and radio, \u201cWhat are you worth?\u201d Girls have been comparing themselves to Barbi, the latest pop star or the most-watched influencer, for years. Boys compare themselves to their favorite athletes, movie stars, or ultimate fighters. Even older men and women aren\u2019t exempt from the comparison game. \u201cAm I as pretty, strong, desirable as_____?\u201d (fill in the blank with a known name here). So, what are you really worth?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5429,"featured_media":662,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,1],"tags":[491,485,488,482],"class_list":["post-650","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspirational","category-uncategorized","tag-real-worth","tag-self-worth","tag-why-im-here","tag-worth"],"yoast_head":"\n
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