Seeing Our Worth Through God’s Eyes

January 23rd, 2007

The story is told of a rich man who had a servant. This servant’s job was bringing water to the palace. Each morning he would walk to the village well and bring back water in two clay pots, each hanging from a pole that he carried across his neck.

One of the pots was perfectly intact, but the second pot had a large crack that ran down the side of it. By the time the servant returned to the palace each morning, so much water had leaked from the second pot that the servant only returned with one and a half pots of water.

After a while, the cracked pot began to notice that he was not delivering as much water as the other pot, and so one day he spoke up to the servant. “I’m sorry that I don’t hold as much water as the other pot on your shoulder,” the pot commented. “I’m cracked and flawed. Perhaps you should just replace me with a better pot.”

The servant spoke back to the pot. “As we walk to the well this morning, I want you to notice the flowers on the opposite side of the path.” As they traveled up the hill, the pot realized that he had never paid great attention to all the beautiful flowers on the side of the path. He also noticed that they were only on that side of the path, where the other pot now was.

When they reached the well, the servant explained to the pot that he had noticed his crack quite some time ago, and so he planted large numbers of flower seeds on the opposite side of the path. That way, when the servant filled the pots and headed back down in the other direction, he knew that the second pot would give those seeds the water that they needed to grow. And each afternoon, the servant would go down and pick the beautiful flowers and bring them back to the palace of his master.

Many times we forget that each of us was created for a specific purpose. We look at what the world considers beauty and worth, and we just don’t measure up. But, God’s idea of worth and beauty is different from what the world has in mind.

In Psalm 139, David says to God, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” He goes on to say that God knew what was set out for him long before he was formed in his mother’s womb. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that human life is an accident!

May we not look at the beauty of this world and feel that we just don’t measure up. May we not feel defined by what our peers about us. Instead, may we find our worth in God. After all, it was he who made us, and gave us our very being. That should give us an idea of how much we are indeed worth.

Entry Filed under: Will's Blog