Value
Oscar Wilde wrote; Nowadays we know the price of everything
and the value of nothing.
The word value as
a noun is in regards to the importance, worth or usefulness of something. It
also refers to a person’s principles or standards of behavior. One’s judgement
of what Is important in life.
Honesty, responsibility, adaptability, loyalty, confidence
and compassion are some of the 500 values that have been listed.
The word value also
depicts the numerical math number and the duration of sound signified by a
musical note.
As a verb, value is
the estimate of monetary worth. It also refers to the consideration of someone
or something to be important or beneficial.
Perceived Value
We are inundated by institutional ideology whose purpose and
goal for us is to believe that our value is based upon, among other things what
we wear, the car we drive and house we live in. They are for the most part more
concerned by what you consume than your net worth.
The value of an artifact which has been sitting in the closet
or on the back shelf may drastically change after the Antique Road Show experts
have given their appraisal.
People are often assigned values by their perceived worth.
They are successful, have financial resources, status and skills. Our own
self-image can be affected if we try to measure ourselves to others perceived
worth. It is important for us to have a well-grounded understanding of who we
are.
Statistics reveal that teenage suicide is on the rise and
according to the Canadian Mental Health it accounts for 24% of all teenage
deaths in 15-24 year olds. It is the second leading cause of death for
Canadians between the age of 10 and 24.
Studies show that 90% of those who end their own lives have
some sort of mental related illness as well as drug, alcohol and behavioral abuse.
While teenage abortions have decreased over the years, twenty-five percent is
still too much and suicidal tendencies plague this group of young women.
Self-esteem and
perceived values can play a major role in how these victims view themselves.
When Darwinism survival without purpose is taught in our
schools, the most vulnerable can see themselves as nothing special. They are a
product of chance. Billions of years ago, lightning struck a pool of water
filled with inorganic chemicals that started a chain reaction which produced
simple forms of life that eventually evolved into us. We are nothing more than
dumb random luck with no intrinsic, eternal value.
Young people happy living on the streets and eating out of
garbage dumps must see their perceived value and self-worth in relation to the
circumstances they find themselves.
God’s Value
The Bible tells us that God created our inmost beings, He
knit us together in our mother’s womb, we are fearfully and wonderfully made
and all the days of our lives were written in God’s book before we were ever
born. We are of inestimable value to him.
Of the 400 million seeds from my father and 2 million cells
from my mother that swam together in the dark oceans of the womb, only one seed
and one cell persevered and came together and made me who I am today. 13
billion nerve cells which include more than a 1000 billion-billion molecules
make up my brain.
How precious to me are your thoughts O God!
It is not because of our own self-worth but it is because
God ascribed to us his own righteousness through Jesus. He loved us despite our
condition.
Even if you are forsaken by family and friends you are
always cherished in the heart of God. His thoughts towards you are wonderful
and he has great plans for your life. If
the birds of the are taken care of how much more does he value you.
You are of more value than all the species of birds!
Endnotes: Psalm 139, Jeremiah 29:11-13, Psalm 27:10, Matthew
10:29-31, John 3:16
