The story is told about a certain well-known speaker who started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In a room of 200 people, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" As anticipated, hands started going up all over the room. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill.
He then asked, "Who still wants it...?" Still the hands went up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty.
"Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to God.
The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHOSE WE ARE. You are Special to God! So much so that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross in order that you might be saved - don't EVER forget that."
How right he was! For God tells us in the Bible just how much He loves us. John 3:16 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. And that proves just how much God loves us!
He then asked, "Who still wants it...?" Still the hands went up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty.
"Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to God.
The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHOSE WE ARE. You are Special to God! So much so that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross in order that you might be saved - don't EVER forget that."
How right he was! For God tells us in the Bible just how much He loves us. John 3:16 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. And that proves just how much God loves us!