Price Tags

So I came across this online the other day.  Supposedly it was a quote from Jillian Michaels...you  know, the tough as nails Biggest Loser trainer.  Before I go any further, let me say, I really like Jillian Michaels.  I used to watch The Biggest Loser and was always amazed at the way she seemed to get right to the heart of what was bothering people.  It seemed she could always just see into a persons heart and diagnose what was causing their eating problems and BOOM, one quick session on the steps outside the Biggest Loser gym, and problem solved!

But when I saw this, a shiver went down my spine.  She is so influential.  And what of the people reading this?  The wife whose husband didn't do anything to encourage her happiness that day, or that month, the person who feels stuck in a dead end job but doesn't realize their hard work is getting ready to be paid off with a big promotion..and happiness....ugh, there's THAT word again!!! What if they choose to walk away just before they receive their reward?

So my opinion differs with Jillian's a bit....we are supposed to concentrate on serving others, not on how well we can be served.  I am convinced that should we decide to spend our lives looking for things and people who serve US, we will live a great life of misery on this earth. If you follow my  blog, you know I have been there.  Both sides.  And if this is your first time reading, I invite you to browse around a bit. I PROMISE you, based on the life stories you will read here, the side of serving is WAY more rewarding than the side of always looking for someone to serve you or looking for things and others to make us happy. 

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45)

Jillian states that it is "you that tells people what your worth is"....this statement alone made me jump for joy that my worth is in Christ and Christ alone...amazingly, I don't need to tell anyone what my worth is.  I know because I am His.  Don't get me wrong, I am happy when my husband and kids acknowledge things that I have done, but even these three humans whom I adore don't define my worth and I feel zero desire to tell them what I am worth.  It isn't that I don't care what others think of me, I truly believe, as Christians we can't say, "I don't care if anyone likes me or not!".  But somehow, when I rest in knowing my worth is in my relationship with Christ, I take my feet out of the mud of proving my worth to others, and actually begin to see others appreciate me for who I am.

Believe it or not, I do agree with her last statement, though I can't say with what intent it was written.  You are a child of God, you were never intended for the clearance wrack, and if you believe that you are not valuable, then you are most certainly telling God Himself that He made junk.  If you can believe God made junk, then there is a lack of understanding there for who He actually is.

So for the wife or husband who just read "Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you or makes you happy", I say just the opposite.  Don't walk away! Fight, grow, learn and change to become more like the person Christ intended you to be! 

This message seems to promote the "It's All About Me" attitude that I could build my soapbox on.  It's not all about us folks, in fact, it's quite the opposite! It's about those around us, helping others, and choosing to NOT think so much of ourselves. It's about humbling ourselves and realizing the ONLY price tag that matters is the one He has given us.  It reads "Child of God- Paid in Full".  And that my friends, quite simply, is the only price tag we need!