What Makes You Valuable?

May 19, 2023

Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Matthew 6:26 NLT

It’s interesting to discover what makes an object bring a high price; what makes it valuable. Several considerations always impact the worth of an object.

First, who created the item affects the value. A Stradivarius violin is automatically costly, and the price goes into the stratosphere when its originality is authenticated. Such a violin sells for between $1.5 and $15.9 million. It was created and owned by Antonio Stradivari. Born in 1644, he established his shop in Cremona, Italy, where he remained active until his death in 1737.

Value is also impacted by who owns the item. In 2021 a pair of Michael Jordan’s sneakers sold for $1.47 million at auction. Anything owned by a famous person or a celebrity is likely to sky-rocket in value. Common things can acquire great value, depending on the owner’s identity.

An item is valuable because of what someone is willing to pay for it. The Mona Lisa painting is worth over $850 million. I’m not sure who would buy it. Unless I could sell it again, I wouldn’t buy it for $1000. Though I know it is very old and created by great talent, it doesn’t have that much value to me—but it doesn’t matter. Those in the know with the skill and capacity to determine say it is priceless.

Value is also affected by capacity. What can an item do? For instance, an iPhone can be incredibly expensive (the new iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1099) because the performance capacity is so high and it has endless functions. Compare that iPhone to a trac phone hanging on an end rack in a discount store. Its capacity is small and basic, so the phone routinely costs $19.99.

What about you? You are hand-created by the one and only Almighty God of the Universe. You are a unique, one-of-a-kind creation. He owns you. You belong to Him, and He is proud of you. He was willing to pay the highest price imaginable for you—the life and death of His only Son Jesus Christ. Jesus gave His life for you. The Bible says, “You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him” (1 Corinthians 7:23 TLB). And your capacity? You can do all things that are God’s will for you as Christ’s strength flows through you. You are priceless. Yes, you are.

• Hold your head up. Sit and stand tall. You are priceless, valued beyond imagination. Live and walk your worth today.