“Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26 ESV

It’s possible to be in a room full of people and feel completely alone.

And I’m not talking about walking through a mall full of strangers. I’m talking about being in a room with friends and family.

But when you don’t feel valuable, it doesn’t matter where you are or who you’re with.

And it doesn’t matter if other people actually think you’re valuable or not.

Find the truth

In my quest to discover and speak truth. . . 

Truth about God

Truth about who I am

Truth about what’s going on in my life

I want to know the truth about who I am . . . 

as a Child of God.

Because when I don’t feel valuable, God says I am.

Go to the source of truth

Psalm 139 reveals how valuable I am to God.

Verse 1: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me!” – He knows everything about me, and yet He still loves me.

Verses 5 & 6: “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.” – He guides me and protects me.

Verse 13: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” – He made me.

This verse blows my mind, because it doesn’t say that He formed me to be just like everyone else. No, He formed my inward parts and knitted me together. I am unique because He created me to be unique.

And if God himself created me, then I must be valuable.

Because He didn’t have to create me, but He did.

Getting Over Myself

But we can’t stop there.

Because if God values me, that means He also values other people.

And I need to show others they are valuable, even when I don’t feel valuable. 

For me, this means letting go of two excuses:

1. Since I feel insignificant, other people don’t notice if I don’t reach out to them.
2. I’m too busy.

Now, I’ve read through the Bible a few times, and nowhere does Jesus say He’s too insignificant or too busy to show love to others.

Ouch. Did you feel that? I did, and it’s called conviction.

But how do I show others they are valuable when I don’t feel valuable myself?

By being intentional.

As I read scripture about showing God’s love (because I find myself needing more frequent reminders of this lately, especially about love not keeping records of wrongs), I’m becoming more intentional about making people feel seen and valued.

It absolutely means I’m stepping outside of my comfort zone.

And so I’ll say to myself what I sometimes say to my high school students (in a loving, mentoring kind of way, of course): 

Get over yourself. It’s not about you.

Because what’s more important is giving value to others by showing them they’re loved.

And you, like me, might need to be more intentional about it.

Give it a try

• Thank someone for doing something.

• Send a text to someone wishing them a good day.

• Call someone you haven’t seen in a while.

• Meet someone for coffee.

• Invite someone over for a meal.

• And my favorite: send a good old fashioned note in the mail, because who doesn’t love getting mail that’s not a bill? (And as a teacher, I keep a file of cards from students – I pull them out when I need to be reminded of why I do what I do!)

No grand gestures necessary – the simple act of showing someone you see them can be a huge blessing.

In a way, this is my version of a public service announcement (or as my students say, a Life Lesson with Miss Russell), because as I’ve experienced, it’s possible to walk into and out of a church on Sunday morning without being spoken to. 

Yup, it’s true.

Don’t let it happen to someone else.

Go, be intentional!

What truth do you believe about yourself that doesn’t reflect what the Bible says? Find at least one scripture verse that revises your truth about who you are as a child of God. What is one way you can show someone they are valued this week? 

“Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26 ESV