What Does Your Price Tag Say?  A message on Self Worth…

The value of something is based on what someone is willing to pay for it or exchange for it.  Eric and I occasionally like to watch Pawn Stars and Storage Wars.  We also love to go to auctions together to find “treasures”.  We’ve learned a lot about valuation processes.  We often find it amusing on Storage Wars when the cast are making their appraisals of the contents of their storage lockers that they just purchased.

Every so often someone (usually Darrell) will inflate the worth of an item or two, and we say, “It’s not worth that!  There’s NO WAY anyone is going to pay that price for that!”  We also find it entertaining when someone walks into the pawn shop on Pawn Stars asking for some super crazy amount for something that they are trying to sell.  Their asking price is obviously declined.  Then they’ll often say, “Well, online this is selling for x-amount”, and Rick usually replies, “That’s what people are paying or that’s the price they are asking for it?  There’s a difference.”

The point he’s trying to make is that it doesn’t really matter what the list price is or what the label says.  If people aren’t willing to pay the price stated on the label, then it is probably not a correct valuation.

The same is true for us.

Our value or worth is not determined by the labels that others put on us or even by the labels we put on ourselves for that matter.  Our value is based on what someone is willing to pay or exchange for us.  Guess what…somebody ALREADY did pay a price for each of us—a very high price.  We, each one of us individually, are extremely valuable.  In retail, the MSRP is the “Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price” that you frequently see on items for sale.  Typically the retailer doesn’t make the price, the manufacturer does.  That is comparable to God with us.  God is our “manufacturer”, and He is the one who determines our value and stamps us with what we are worth.  The Price:  His one and only son.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16 (NIV)

We are worth the life of another human being.  Jesus already gave his life in exchange for us (even if we don’t want him).  He died for us.  We have already been “bought and paid for” so to speak.  I can’t think of a higher price.  We are priceless.

Don’t let others label you

I tell my kids when someone is being mean to them at school that they shouldn’t let people treat them like trash or like they are worthless.  I tell them that they are very expensive because someone paid a very high price for them—Jesus.  I tell them that they are very valuable and you are supposed to take care of valuable items.  You don’t just discard valuable items or treat them haphazardly.  You cherish and treasure valuable items.  You handle them carefully, and you don’t let irresponsible people have their way with them.

I give them an example of buying them an expensive toy.  Would they treat that toy badly, leave it outside in the dirt or rain, throw it around and break it, or let other irresponsible or rough kids play with it?  No.  They would handle it with special care.  What about my iPhone?  Do I leave it unattended in public places, drop it in water or throw it on the ground (at least without my LifeProof case), or loan it out to strangers?  No.  It’s valuable to me (almost like an appendage!).

Things that are valuable are treated differently than items with little or no value.  We are no different.  We are valuable.  We should treat ourselves as such!  According to Exodus 19:5, we are God’s treasured possession!

Let’s stop diminishing our value by what we say.  Try to start reducing your use of these phrases:

• I’ll never be…
• I can’t…
• I wish I were more…
• I wish I didn’t…
• I hate…about myself
• I’m not…enough
• I’m really bad at…

Let’s stop letting others label us–Replace the “I” in the above phrases with “You” and then let those phrases go in one ear and out the other!

Next, when we take something out we need to put something in its place.  We need to replace those phrases and cheap labels with what God says about us.  Here are a few of my personal favorites:

• I am VERY valuable (1 Corinthians 6:20)
• I am fearfully and wonderfully made—I am marvelous (Psalm 139:14)
• I am made in God’s image—I look like God (Genesis 1:27)
• God loved me so much that He gave His only son so that I would not perish but have eternal life and nothing can ever separate me from that love (John 3:16, Romans 8:38-39)
• I am God’s offspring (Acts 17:28)
• I am not a mistake (Psalm 139:15-16)
• God has begun a good work in me and will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6)
• I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)
• I have gifts and talents (1 Peter 4:10, 1 Corinthians 7:7, 1 Corinthians 12:7)
• I am an overcomer—He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4)
• I have a purpose and plan here on earth; God’s plan for me is to prosper me and not harm me and to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)
• I am God’s treasured possession (Exodus 19:5)
• I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16)
• I am NEVER alone (Hebrews 13:5 read the Amplified Bible version)

Take a Practical Step: 

Pick a few of these (or some of your own) and write them on index cards and post them on your bathroom mirror.  Say them out loud every day when you see them. I currently have about 6 on my bathroom mirror. 

Additional Resources:

Website with personalized verses…

A really cool resource I found is through a website called http://www.yourpersonalizedbible.com/.  They have a place on their site where you can print free samples with your Identity in Christ personalized with your own name.  I’ve done this for myself, my kids, and several of my students.

Website with a message about how God sees you…

I found a website that I love called http://fathersloveletter.com/.  It is “an intimate message from God to you”.  They’ve put together a really neat video narrating the “Father’s Love Letter” with some beautiful video footage.  They also have printable versions, posters, and audio or video files to download for free (as well as content for purchase).

Father’s Love Letter used by permission Father Heart Communications Copyright 1999-2014 www.FathersLoveLetter.com

Video on self-worth…

A third resource that I always integrate into lessons on self-esteem/identity/self-worth is the VeggieTales video: A Snoodle’s Tale: A Lesson in Self Worth.  It’s an amazing video that really helps it to hit home about the labels we wear and what God labels us instead.  It’s one of my absolute favorite VeggieTales (even though I’m an adult now)!

So how about you?  What does your price tag say? What labels have you been wearing?  What new “label” are you going to post on your bathroom mirror?  Leave a comment below.

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are rude, disrespectful, offensive, or off-topic.  By posting on this site you agree to my Comment Policy.