Self worth not found in possessions

We are bombarded daily with news about Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Kevin Federline, Lindsay Lohan and Brad Pitt, just to name a few.

We are told of their upcoming prison sentences, custody battles, drug problems, etc. We see them plastered on tabloid magazines and television, and we are treated to every juicy bit of gossip that the paparazzi can dig up on them. Why? Because scandals sell magazines and ad space on television shows. The primary target — youth in their teens and 20s.The reason is because they know that youth in particular are very concerned with their images.

It seems much easier to look at the problems of other people than it is to deal with our own problems; however, enjoying watching someone go through a divorce, rehab or a child custody situation will never fix your own problems. It will just shift your focus for a while.

The real issue is in what people find their self worth. In the Bible, Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.”

If God made us as replicas of himself, then why would we think we were of no value? The truth is, we are priceless. Just like you could not put a price on the Mona Lisa, the Statue of Liberty or the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, you cannot put a price tag on yourself.

But people do that very thing every day.

When I worked in a retail store selling computers, I would only make money on commission, depending on what I sold. It was a ruthless job, especially when there was only one customer and three sales associates. I remember distinctly the day a man walked in with dirt on his face and rips in his overalls that must have been 100 years old. As he walked up to a computer, I saw in the corner of my eye that neither of the other sales associates were even moving toward the man to see if he needed any help. Well, I had made up my mind that I was going to treat every customer the same, no matter what he or she looked like. As I approached the man, we quickly struck up a conversation and I found out he raised chickens for a living. That explained the white stains on his overalls. He then asked me which computer was the best.

After showing him our best machine with the most features, he looked at me and said that he would take 10 of them. He purchased $30,000 of merchandise, all because I didn’t judge the man by what he was wearing.

I thank God that when he sees me he doesn’t care what car I drive or how fancy my house is. How would that impress a man who walks around on streets made of gold? God looks at me and you and he is asking, “Will you sell out to me?” I sold out to God 22 years ago, and it was the best decision I have ever made. That’s because no matter how my friends, neighbors, family or people on the streets of Palmer see me, I always know God will see me as his child, and he thinks a whole lot about me.

I recently read that Britney Spears spends $500,000 per month on clothes, restaurants and other meaningless things. She makes in a year what almost no one will make in a lifetime, and yet that could not stop her from having a breakdown that has left her torn from her own children. At one point she was voted one of the most beautiful women alive, and yet she overindulged in alcohol and shaved off all her hair. While bald might work for Howie Mandel, it’s not exactly in style for women. She’s looking for her image in every place except from the person who created her.

The best thing you could ever do to regain your self worth is find a quiet spot and pray to God: “Lord, my life doesn’t have the fulfillment that I want. Please come fill the void in my life. I surrender my life into your hands. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Jesse Miller is the youth pastor at Family Christian Center in Palmer and can be reached at silverhonda84@hotmail.com.