Recognizing our worth

Moving from childhood into puberty and then to adulthood is never easy. The “tween” stage is often a period filled with intense questions and major self-doubt. Despite that, most people survive those challenging years without long-term complications.

Sadly, these days have become even more difficult with the rise of social media. Many fall prey to the all-too-common practice of indiscriminately posting thoughts and pictures online. This is even more true because children rarely realize what they post may be used against them.

I am not thinking of children sharing inappropriate pictures, but specifically of one impressionable middle-school girl, who posted a YouTube video on Dec. 17, 2010, who asked viewers whether she was pretty or ugly.

Unfortunately, her video attracted far more attention than she ever imagined. By the time Don Evon wrote about the girl’s experience on the Inquisitor’s website, the video had been viewed more than 3.5 million times and had received more than one million comments.

Many were positive, encouraging the tween to realize she was special. However, some comments were profane, rude, and downright cruel. One wrote, “You’re ugly as hell. You should go ahead and end your life.” The child did not have enough life experience to realize how foolish it was to invite total strangers to comment on her worth. At a time in her life when she most needed to be reassured she had value, she exposed herself to vile comments from unhealthy people.

I love technology, but it can sometimes be used in negative ways. However, I love how theology affirms the value of every person. The creation story in Genesis 1-2 tells how God created humans in his image and described people with these two words, “very good.”

Speaking of our worth, King David wrote, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Psalm 139:14-16 NLT)

Each of us, but especially those who wonder if we have value, need to frequently be reminded that while none of us is perfect, all of us have incredible worth to God. Far too often, people base their value on others’ opinions. We should recognize our value not as others see us, but the way God sees us instead.