Worthless and Yet Priceless

As we celebrated communion yesterday in worship, the minister caught my attention while issuing the invitation to the table. He said if we hear a little voice telling us that we don’t deserve to come to the table—that voice is right! Not what one might expect to hear, but oh so true. I don’t deserve God’s grace. Never have and never will. He went on to explain that we are incapable of earning a place at God’s table but that this is the reason we celebrate—because God gave his Son over to death to ensure a place for each one of us at his table.

It would be too easy to let myself wonder down the path of regret when I think about how inadequate and undeserving I am of God’s grace. There are things in my life that I could never make up for in a hundred lifetimes. Too many Christians live their faith out in sadness for their imperfections. I see too many people of faith trying to balance the scale in their favor with good deeds. They spend their days in futility trying to work off their sins in an effort to get in God’s good graces and someday into heaven. But Christ’s death and resurrection tipped the scales in our favor for all time. We don’t have attempt the impossible feat of being righteous enough for God because he is righteous enough for us. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice we are already in God’s good graces. And yes we are still going to sin for we are imperfect, sinful people and that still cannot tear us away from the place God has set for us at his table.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

God loves me and even though I can’t comprehend or explain the depth of his love, that doesn’t negate the enormity of it. I am a sinner but God’s love for me gives me worth. Value.  I am his unique handcrafted Maureen. One of a kind, never to be reproduced or replicated. Our relationship is priceless to him and in his heart my salvation was worth all he had. If God who knows me completely thinks I’m to die for, then I probably should stop thinking so little of myself and learn to value myself as the Lord’s beloved daughter.