Everything has its value. A gold coin is coveted for it value. A nice car, house and lovely kids give us status and value. We appreciate beautiful things and great experiences. We value the opinion of others and value their worth. What about our own value? How easy is it to feel appreciated and valued for your thoughts and opinions and just who you are?

It certainly has not been easy this last year. Mental health issues are constantly debated. The slogan “its ok to not be ok” is found in social media, in magazines and expressed on the television. But is it? When you are told what to do, where to stay and how to behave, our own value seems somehow diminished. Like we can’t decide for ourselves how to think. It seems our opinion is not valued.

It is no secret to those I have confided in that I have struggled and still do, this last year. My whole life has changed, like so many of us. My working life has been full of adapting, not just working from home, but also be stuck in the wrong time zone. When you are the only one in a timezone between the 2 you work in, the demands are very high. Working afternoon/evenings/nights and try and keep some sense of normality is very hard. From being on the road and alone to being stuck in the house with other people equally impacted is very hard. Furlough became a word that has meant being home, getting paid and not being able to contribute to society. It gives its own pressures and somehow feels like you are not valued (not me, but Geert and Melody) Even though it feels there is some light at the end of the tunnel, damage has already been done.

It seems I have put my value on who I am, rather than what I am worth. I have taken all these negative happenings in my own world and attributed that to myself as somehow a negative reflection. And I know we are blessed compared to those who have lost jobs, homes, lives and loved ones.

So it has me pondering. Where do I get my worth from?

In the Bible in Jeremiah 1 the beautiful verse is written that goes as follows: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” This speaks from an incredible intimacy. He puts value on us that is measured from the moment of conception and He wants what is best for us. Or Isaiah 43 where it says: “You are precious in my eyes” Throughout the Bible you can find all these versus that show how much God loves us individually and values us beyond measure. He values us and I am allowed to find my value in Him.

My feelings can’t be trusted, my self worth is often dented by happenings around me. But God loves me and puts so much value on me as His Child that He was willing to lay down His life for me. He was willing to restore the relationship between humans and Him in order to have us in His presence for eternity. I am learning each day to put my value in that. To not trust my own opinion, but to believe Gods opinion of me when He tells me I have value beyond measure.

There is light at the end of this tunnel. Life will return to some new normal. But the life lessons given to me in this dark world will stay with me forever. And I hope it will stay with you also.

“You are valuable because you exist. Not because of what you do or what you have done, but simply because you are.” — Max Lucado