One of my favorite things about watching the Olympics (other than watching the US dominate in swimming) is hearing the athletes’ personal stories. I love getting to know them a little better and what their personalities are like. One of my favorite stories is from the synchronized divers. The diver expressed how lost he got when he found his identity in winning medals and trying to represent the United States well in his sport. He said he realized the sport was much more fun when he found his identity and value in Christ. Now he doesn't feel obligated to measure up to anyone's standards. He found himself already celebrated in heaven and having received the greatest prize. (I’m paraphrasing).
We average, non-Olympians live by similar standards except we don’t deal in golds, silvers and bronzes. While our lives are measured by jobs, spouses, children, money, houses, cars and “happiness,” we are still left with the same empty defeat when we don’t measure up in our own minds or even the minds of others. Let’s face it; we all have felt the invisible measuring stick in our lives. We all have felt the internal pressure to be like someone else or to strive to be as good as someone else. We live in this strange world where things need to be accomplished by a certain age and if they aren’t, people question you like you’re an alien. You know what I’m talking about. In the south, the most common alien-inducing look pertains to why you’re not married or why on Earth you don’t have children yet. As if there was a deadline as to the timeframe of your betrothal or that you didn’t reproduce within the first 6 months/6 years of your marriage. Human expectations remain no matter what region of the country you find yourself in. The funny thing is, they are hardly ever complimentary. Geez!
What I’m saying is that we will never measure up in this world. But I have great news: our identity is not defined by the things we have or don’t have in this world or even the happiness we have obtained through our own efforts. Our value isn’t set by our possessions or how quickly we achieve our goals. It is quite simply... given. God declared our value. Think about supply-and-demand…an item’s cost is based on what the consumer is willing to pay for it. Ask yourself what God was willing to pay for YOU.
God was willing to pay with his one and only son to save you. I quote John 3:16: He loved the world SO MUCH the he gave his only son so that you, who believes in him, would not perish but have eternal life. What does this mean... His perfection for our sinfulness, his hope for our hopelessness, and his right standing with God for our enemy status. This, my friend is your value, your identity, your worth. Your value and identity comes from Jesus. Your value is the immense love placed in you by God. With his love we are able to give love and hope freely to his creation regardless of age, race, status or gender. When we finally realize that our lives are not measured by the size of house we build or the number of cars we sell but instead measured by the amount of love God has for us and placed in us, we are finally able to live our lives as a loved child eager to include everyone in on the big secret. Go, be filled with the love of God and share it with everyone just like an impatiently delighted, giddy child.
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