“You are precious to me.” Isaiah 43:4 (GNT)

How much do you think you're worth?

I'm not talking about your net worth. I'm talking about your self-worth. Net worth and self-worth have no relationship whatsoever. In other words, your value has no relationship to your valuables. The Bible says, “Life is not measured by how much you own” (Luke 12:15 NLT).

So I’m asking: How valuable are you as a person?

There are two things that determine value: who owns something, and what someone else is willing to pay for it.

First, ownership determines value. For instance, would a car once owned by Elvis sell for more than your car? How about a pair of tennis shoes owned by Michael Jordan? The fact is, something becomes more or less valuable simply because of who it belongs to.

Who do you belong to? If you’re a follower of Jesus, the answer is clear: “You belong to God” (1 John 4:4 NLT). When you say, “Jesus, I repent of my sins and accept your gift of salvation,” God puts you in his family; you belong to him. And because of that, your value is priceless.

The other thing that determines value is what somebody's willing to pay for something. A baseball card may be worth $5 or $5,000, depending on what someone will pay. A piece of art is worth only what a collector will pay for it.

How much was paid for you? The Living Bible paraphrase says, “You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him” (1 Corinthians 7:23). Jesus paid for you with his own life. If you want to know your value, look at the cross. It’s as if Jesus, with outstretched hands, said to you, "This is how valuable you are."

When you’re tempted to think you’re worth very little, remember that’s just not true. You belong to Jesus. In fact, Jesus died for you because you’re so valuable to him.

God says, “You are precious to me” (Isaiah 43:4 GNT). You are valuable because of God's grace.