“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)

Some people believe that calling someone spiritually lost is a put-down. But it’s not. It’s actually a great compliment to be called spiritually lost.

There’s a difference between losing something and misplacing something. If I misplace something, it means it wasn’t important to me. But if I lose it, it’s valuable enough for me to try to find it. You misplace a bobby pin; you lose your glasses.

People are only lost if they’re worth finding. Think of it this way: The value of a masterpiece doesn’t go down when it’s lost; it goes up.

Human beings lose a lot when they aren’t connected to God. When you’re disconnected from God, you lose your direction, your potential, your joy, and your future home in heaven—just to name a few. But there’s one thing you don’t lose: your value.

God loved you enough to send his very best: Jesus. The most famous verse in the Bible says, “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).

You matter so much to God that he underwent a rescue mission to come get you. He came to earth as a little baby so that one day he could die on a wooden cross for your sin.

Jesus came to earth because you needed him. God sent his Son to do something you could never do on your own: pay for your sins. If you didn’t need it, God wouldn’t have done it.

Your sins have made having a relationship with God impossible on your own. That’s why Jesus came to earth—to save you from everything you’ve done wrong, so that you could be forgiven and restored into a right relationship with God.

Why would God give up his divine privileges, his glory and honor, to come for your rescue? Because he loves you. He loves you more than you will ever understand. Trying to understand God’s love is like an ant trying to understand the internet—ants just don’t have the capacity. And you don’t have the capacity to fully grasp God’s love.

But you don’t have to understand God’s love. You just have to accept it and believe that you’re infinitely valued by the God of the universe, who gave his very best for you.