The Wise Woman Enjoys Part OneSampel

God Values People

By Jennifer Valdois 

Every year, on July 4th, we Americans celebrate our nation’s Independence Day. While celebrating is fun, it is important to remember why we celebrate. Over two hundred forty years ago, Thomas Jefferson painstakingly penned the Declaration of Independence. He measured each word and weighed the consequences. Within the Declaration is one of the most well-known and timeless passages on human rights: 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 

Every human life is valuable to God, for He created us in his image (Genesis 1:27). As we read in Matthew 10:29-31, God knows when a common sparrow falls from a tree. How much more does he care about us, His precious children? He has numbered each hair on our heads! He is an infinite God who values and instills worth into each of us; He considers us all equal. 

Jesus came to proclaim good news to the poor whom He values. God sent Him “to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18). Jesus is the King of Kings, but He came to the lowly and discarded. Our God loves the poor, the refugees, the orphans, the elderly, and the oppressed women throughout our broken world. 

We, too, are to respect the rights of all men by loving the “least of these” (Matthew 25:40). He tells us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit the prisoner. As God’s representatives on this earth, He calls us to be his hands and feet. 

This Independence Day, while you are celebrating your earthly freedoms, remember the One who made a way for you to enjoy eternal freedom and commissioned you to proclaim the Good News to the poor in this generation.

What’s Next?

Teach your children their nation’s past. Take them to the library and check out a few books about the 4th of July. I recommend The 4th of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh. If you are reading this in another country, find books about your national heritage! Consider inviting friends and family over for an Independence Day celebration. Plan a fun afternoon or evening. Make it a potluck dinner!