To understand how God sees you, try thinking of these two things: 1) A five-pound note. It’s just a little piece of thin plastic, but it’s more valuable than another piece of plastic the same size because it carries with it the promise of the bank and government that’s issued it. You can crumple it up, step on it, cut it into pieces and tape it back together again, and its value doesn’t change. 2) A diamond. If you dropped a diamond in the mud, it would still be a diamond. It might be dirty, and in order to truly appreciate its beauty, you would have to clean it up and restore its original lustre, but it doesn’t lose its value. Just like the five-pound note and the diamond, your value in God’s eyes as His redeemed child doesn’t change or decrease when you mess up, get stepped on by others, or crushed and broken by life and circumstances. That’s because your true worth isn’t determined by your own efforts but by the price Jesus paid for you on the cross. At that moment, all your sins (past, present and future) were laid on Him. And when you accept Him as your Saviour, all His righteousness is transferred to you. His blood cleanses you, and you carry God’s promise of love and salvation. You don’t have to earn it or strive for it. It’s a gift: ‘This [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God.’

What Now?

If you have any jewellery, have a go at cleaning it (or offer to clean some for someone else). As you’re restoring its beauty and shine, thank God that He values you so highly, and your worth never changes in His eyes.