Worth It All

I think our culture today can more easily identify what’s not worth our time, effort, and pain than what is. Given the number of choices we make daily, we’ve learned to quickly assess a situation – a project, job, purchase, or decision – and decide if it’s worth our time, money, or both. Often, the answer is no, and we quickly move on to the next thing.

For me, I would rather support a small business and pay someone to cut my grass than spend the multiple hours it would take me to do it myself. Sure, I’d save a few bucks, but in return, I’d lose a whole Saturday and walk away with a blistering sunburn and enough mosquito bites to play Connect-the-Dots.

One decision that I can say with certainty has been worth it for me, though, is the decision to follow Jesus. I can’t imagine facing some of the difficult things I’ve walked through without my faith in God to ground and sustain me.

Christianity is the only religion where God made the first move, sending His Son to die for me before I ever knew He existed. It’s the only religion that is about a relationship and not rules. It’s the only religion whose leader isn’t dead and buried; my God is alive and moving! And even better than that, He knows me personally; He is close to me; and He hears me when I call. For all those reasons and more, He is worthy of my praise.

In Psalm 145, David uses all the words he can formulate for “praise”: “extol” (to tell how great God is); “bless” (to speak well of God for His generosity); “praise” (to glorify God for His magnificent qualities); “commend” (to speak highly of God); “declare;” “meditate;” “speak;” “pour forth;” “sing aloud;” and “give thanks.” Clearly for David, God has proven Himself to be worthy of recognition.

While I have no doubts about God’s worth, when the script is flipped, I often struggle with my own. Like 85% of the population, I battle self-confidence issues. Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection were difficult enough to grasp as a new believer, but the fact that He did it all for me? I had trouble receiving it. I resonated with David’s sentiments in an earlier Psalm, chapter 8, verse 4: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

The reality is that Jesus thought we were valuable enough to die for. When I feel unworthy, I recall a vivid picture of Him in my mind - nailed to the cross, dirty and beaten, breathing His last, and He looks at me and smiles, saying, “I love you. You’re worth it.”

Lee Stroble said, “Mercy is not getting what you deserve (punishment). Grace is getting what you don’t deserve (salvation).” Because God gave us both, He is forever worthy of our praise. While following Him may not always be easy, because of His immeasurable love, it is always worth it.