Today we’re thinking about our ALIVE value: “We value ourselves.”

That means remembering that every single one of us is important and we each carry unmeasurable value.

There’s a verse in the Bible that says…

The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.^{1 Samuel 16:7}

This verse comes from a story about the prophet Samuel. He was told by God to find a new king. He went to the house of a man called Jesse, who had many sons. When Samuel saw Jesse’s oldest son, he thought, “This must be the one – he’s tall, strong, and looks like a king!”

But God whispered to Samuel, “No, not him. You’re looking at his appearance – I’m looking at his heart.”

One by one, Jesse’s sons came forward, but God said no to each of them.

Finally, they brought in the youngest, David – just a simple shepherd boy in everyone else’s eyes. But God said, “He’s the one. I see something special inside him.”

Sometimes we judge ourselves, or others, by what we can see on the outside: our clothes, our looks, our grades, how popular we are.
But God sees something much deeper. He sees our kindness, our honesty, our courage, and our love. That’s what really makes us valuable.

So, when we say, “We value ourselves,” it’s not about being proud or showing off. It’s about remembering:

• We all have worth.
• We all have something good inside.
• We are all loved — just as we are.

Maybe today you could try to see yourself and others the way God does – looking at the heart.

Let’s pray,

Loving God,
Thank you that you see the best in us. Not just what’s on the outside, but who we really are inside. Help us to value ourselves and one another, to be kind, confident, and thankful for how you made us.
Amen.

*Image from Freepik.com