Value- noun: worth, merit or importance.
verb: to consider with respect to worth, excellence, usefulness, importance
Over the last few months, I've been learning what it means to have value. My friend Kelly and I talk of it often. We both have such a desire in our hearts to serve the people around us and feel as if it is a calling in our lives. We do this in different ways, but the purpose remains the same. To speak value into their lives so they walk away from our interactions encouraged and uplifted.
A little back story:
Kelly and I came to know each other through our Scentsy businesses, but through God's divine nature, have come to a place of unique and precious friendship. In fact, if someone were to listen to our phone calls and the 90 mile a minute, talk over but still understand each other, completely random conversations, they'd need a nap and be convinced we needed serious help. :) But that's what I love about our friendship. Even though we live states apart, we're the best of friends with an understanding of the other's level of crazy and we don't judge each other for it. We can agree to disagree and love each other when it's needed most. While we talk of many things including family and business, we tend to somehow always come back to learning and talking of new ways we can be lights in the lives of those around us. This is how the conversations of value began.
Learning what Value means:
The idea of value and what it means for my life came full circle just a couple short weeks ago. I'd been asked to speak at a Scensty event in Little Rock in front of close to 800 people. I was terrified. Kelly and I talked so many times about what we'd talk about and how we'd like to come across as she was also speaking at an event in Ohio. She was also terrified. We wanted what we spoke about not only to be useful in the businesses of those we were speaking to, but we also both desired to instill value in some way.
After the event, I had such immense pride for conquering such a huge fear and it's amazing what power can fill one's spirit when that happens. When I came home, we talked about our experiences and once again, the conversation came back to value. I desire so much to be of value in other's lives and have been spending much time in prayer about what that truly means.
It was during that conversation that I heard God speak to my heart and tell me what being of true value means and that's really what I want to share with you in this post. This is what He said...
We are people born in His image. Every single one of us. We are born sinful, but through His grace, we have life. In ourselves, we have no value, but it is through our relationship and love for our Heavenly Father that our value is found. You see, He fills us with value the moment we seek His place in our lives. Here's the important part, so pay attention! :)
We are not filled with value so that WE can be awesome. It is not for us to show the world how great WE are. I am not filled with value so that I can be great. We are filled with value so that THROUGH us, God can be awesome. We are filled with value so that THROUGH us, God can show how great HE is. How incredible is this?
The fact is, in ourselves, we often feel like we're not good enough. We may not feel smart enough, brave enough or capable enough. Some times, our past tries to define who we are and tell us that we aren't valuable and we have nothing to give. In ourselves, we don't have anything to offer, but it is through our amazing Savior, that every single one of us have immense value and the purpose of that value is to give it away.
YOU, yes YOU, are valuable! You have value because you are filled with value to be spoken or shown into the people around you. Not to hold inside. Not to make yourself great, not so you can be awesome, but to give it away in that doing so, God can show just how awesome He is.
So I challenge us today to pray about the value we hold. To learn to desire to use our value to be a light into the people we come into contact with every single day. Your value may be different from mine, but if we both decide to let our awesome God show His glory THROUGH our value, my my, how much better would this world be?
YOU HAVE VALUE!
