Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows (or soup!) [Matthew 10:29, 31 / NIV, parenthesis added].
There’s more value in alphabet soup than just nutrition.
While enjoying a bowl of alphabet soup, watching the letters swirl around my spoon, I started arranging “soup words.” Short words like “pet” and “bad” were easy to put together while longer words like “later” or “goodbye” took a little more effort. As I played with my soup, I thought about each individual letter of the alphabet. On its own, each letter is seemingly insignificant. But string enough letters together and you have words, sentences, and ultimately communication. Just think how much of daily life would be significantly altered by the omission of just one letter. Each letter represents incredible value and serves a valuable purpose.
Similarly, each person holds immense individual value. Sure, the accumulated strength of a group can accomplish much more than one person. But we have each been “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God (Psalm 139:14). Though we all have off days when we feel fairly worthless, God views each person as uniquely valuable for the purpose He has for him or her to fulfill (Jeremiah 29:11).
Defining Value
So what exactly makes something valuable? It could be its age, as in a priceless antique, or its cost, such as an expensive car. Sometimes the value is intrinsic, as in a love letter or a stick figure drawing from your child. It could also lie in its future appreciation, as in an investment. It could be also be all of these combined.
The best news of all is that all these qualities apply to each individual person. From before time began, God gave His Son to reconcile us back to Himself (2 Timothy 1:9). The cost alone of Christ’s sacrificial death speaks volumes of the value God places on us (John 3:16). Nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). He promises to strengthen us and never leave us (Isaiah 41:10). If nothing happens to a pair of sparrows without God taking immediate notice, rest assured we are always on His mind. Putting all this together, it is easy to see the considerable time, cost, and love that our Creator invests in us as confirmation of our value.
In the daily swirl of life, it may be easy to feel like a lone, insignificant letter. But when we lose sight of our significance, let’s remind ourselves of the incredible value God places on us individually.
