A Carlisle native, Kirk spends his days helping build better lives at his gym Transformation Training & Fitness and his nights chasing five young children around with his wife Trinette. His writings are short, much like his attention span, but he hopes the lessons he’s learned will last a lifetime.

Apr 4, 2016

Are You Worth It? You Have No Idea.

“Good works is giving to the poor and the helpless, but divine works is showing them their worth to the One who matters.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

With 5 kids, it’s important for my wife and I to be wise with our money. Thankfully, I married a woman who is like a magnet for deals. She can literally walk in a store and discounts fall at her feet. I’m amazed at the amount of money she has saved us over the years.

I, however, am a bit different. I don’t typically spend much time comparing the cost of items. If it is something I want or we need and it’s a fair price (and we can afford it), I’ll pull the trigger.

But recently baseball gear happened. 30 years ago, little league teams had team bats, helmets, etc. I remember never wanting to be the guy who had to carry “the bat bag.” It was big, heavy and filled with bats for everyone to use. No one brought their own gear. There was something for everyone. It kept things affordable (then again, our little league team played in jeans and t-shirts for the first 3 years of my career…yes. I’m serious).

Times have changed. Thankfully, my sons are wearing baseball pants, but its more than that. Every kid now walks in with their own bag of stuff: Helmet, glove, equipment bag, batting gloves and of course bats (which can cost anywhere from $20-$500. Yes. You read that correctly).

I’m not talking about kids who are on the verge of being drafted into the major leagues. No, my son is 9. We could either pay our mortgage or buy a bat. decisions… decisions.

Anyway, these prices have led me to pay more attention to the costs of some things. Recently I found a a good deal on a bat for Lucas (our oldest son). Later on Amazon.com, I bought the same bat for $50 less. How can something be worth one amount but moments later be worth another? Maybe that’s something we all need to ask ourselves.

I fully understand the principle of supply and demand. (Ok. I admit I got a D in economics but I did improve to a C- in my second attempt). But life has taught me more about worth and value than anything I’ve learned (or maybe I should say didn’t learn) in a college class.

What Am I Worth?

If you are human, you’ve asked yourself this question. I’ve asked it a thousand times. Asking the question isn’t the problem. Most of our issues start with our answer.

Over the years I’ve tied my worth to things such as athletic performance, bank accounts and my jobs. (Notice I didn’t write GPA in this paragraph)

In 2016, worth can be taken from “likes” on a Facebook status, “followers” on Twitter and even “shares” of this article.

The current culture reminds us how important our physical appearance, the size of our house and the clothes on our back are when determining value.

But unfortunately, much like Lucas’ bat, these values can and do change. If our worth is based on changing measures and sliding scales, our value will always be in question.

But what happens when an absolute enters the picture? What if our worth was based not on our personal performance but on our position?

What position? Good question. Nothing has changed my life more than the reframing of the question “Who Am I?” to “Whose Am I?”

The Bible tells us that God calls himself the Alpha and Omega (beginning and end). It says He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

It also tells us that we are “God’s masterpiece” and we were created in the image of God. The bible goes on to say that nothing… NOTHING… can separate us from the Love of Christ.

How does this affect our worth? It takes the pressure off of us. It removes our performance from the equation. We are no longer judged by our bank accounts, our six pack abs, our degrees, titles or trophies. We are highly valued simply because we were made in His image and He loves us… no matter what. (Let that sink in for a minute).

Beaten….Not Broken

Over the next several months, Lucas' bat will hopefully be beaten badly. It should have marks on it and not look brand new anymore. Most likely in a year or two, the bat will be dented. It won’t be worth anywhere close to what we paid for it.

There’s a good chance in the next few months or years, life will treat us the same way. We will at some point be spiritually beaten, physically aged and emotionally drained. Our bodies and minds will carry the scars of past wounds. Our natural tendency will be to question our worth and devalue ourselves based on our performance.

It’s then that we must confidently remember Whose we are and the price that was paid for us. Our value never drops. Our worth never decreases. When we begin to see ourselves and others in this manner, we’ll begin to love ourselves and others as we should.

Most likely some time in the coming week, those little voices in our heads (you have them too, right?) will begin to ask “What are you worth?” “What’s your value?” Looking back at the Cross, we can boldly and confidently declare… PRICELESS!