Joel Osteen - Recognizing Your Value (05/07/2017)
In this powerful message, Joel Osteen teaches that our true value comes not from people’s treatment, achievements, possessions, or performance, but solely from being a child of the Most High God, fearfully and wonderfully made as His masterpiece. Drawing from Jesus' temptations in Luke 4 and other scriptures, he encourages us to stop proving ourselves and to embrace our unchanging worth in the Creator.
Your Value Is Not Based on How People Treat You or Your Performance
I want to talk to you today about recognizing your value. Too often, we base our value on how someone is treating us, how successful we are, or how perfect of a life we have lived. The problem is, if you are getting your value from how people treat you, then if they hurt you or disappoint you, you are going to feel devalued.
If you are basing your value on your achievements, how much you make, what you drive, the title behind your name, then if something happens and you do not have that position or your business goes down, your value will suffer. Many people do not feel good about themselves because they have made mistakes in life; they are not where they thought they would be. Now they are living insecure, feeling inferior. They are basing their value on their performance.
Here is the key: your value should be based solely on the fact that you are a child of the Most High God. The Creator of the universe—how someone treats you does not change your value. What they say or do does not lessen who you are. Mistakes you have made do not decrease your value. That is what you did; that is not who you are.
You can buy a bigger house, drive a better car, but that does not make you any more valuable. That increases your net worth, not your self-worth. You were already valuable when you had the small apartment and no title behind your name. That position may give you more influence, but not more value. You can be a stay-at-home mom raising your children. You may not have the influence of the CEO, but you have the same value.
Value Comes from Your Creator, Not from Possessions
Value is not based on what you do or what you make—those things can change. Your value comes from your Creator. God breathed His life into you. You have the DNA of Almighty God. You have royalty in your blood. But the enemy works overtime trying to devalue us. He would love for you to go through life letting what people say make you feel inferior, comparing your life to somebody else’s, thinking you will feel good about yourself when you catch up to them, when you live in that neighborhood, or when you perform perfectly.
When you break the addiction, then you will feel valuable. But nothing you do will make you any more valuable—nothing you achieve, nothing you overcome. God calls you a masterpiece. You are one of a kind. You did not come off an assembly line. You were not mass-produced. God made you unique. There will never be another you. Put your shoulders back; start carrying yourself with confidence. You have been fearfully and wonderfully made.
In Luke chapter 4, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert, where He was tempted three times. He had been out there for 40 days and had not eaten anything. The enemy said to Him, «If You are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread.» He was trying to make His value based on His performance. «If You turn these stones into bread, You can prove You are the Son of God; then You could feel good about Yourself. You performed a miracle.» Jesus said, «Man does not live by bread alone.» He was saying, in effect, «I do not have to do anything to prove who I am. I do not have to perform to feel good about Myself. I know who I am.»
Jesus Rejected Performance, Possessions, and Popularity
The enemy could not deceive Him into getting His value from being performance-based, so he took Jesus to a high place, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. He said, «You could have it all if You will just bow down and worship me.» Jesus said, «No thanks. I do not need possessions to prove my worth and value. I do not have to have what you think is important to feel good about who I am.»
Possession-based did not work, performance-based did not work, so the enemy tried again. He took Jesus to the highest place in the temple; it was very crowded below, all kinds of people. He said, «If You are the Son of God, jump off this building. You said Your angels would protect You.» He was trying to get Jesus to show off. Everybody would see and be amazed. He would gain instant popularity. Jesus said again, «I do not need possessions, I do not need popularity, I do not need performance to feel valuable. I know who I am. I am the Son of the living God.»
The enemy tried to deceive Jesus into proving who He was, and a lot of people live in a proving mode. They cannot feel good about themselves unless they prove to people they are important. There is a constant struggle. They are always having to outdo, outperform, outdrive, outdress.
It is very freeing when you realize you do not have to impress people. Take the pressure off. It takes a lot of energy to compete, to prove, to impress. If you live in a proving mode, it is like you are on a treadmill. As soon as you prove to one person you are okay, you will see somebody else you need to impress. Get off that treadmill. You are working hard but not going anywhere. You do not have to prove anything.
Name Brands Don’t Define Your Worth
In these days, there is so much emphasis on name brands. We are wearing so-and-so designer shoes, so-and-so sunglasses, carrying a so-and-so purse, driving a so-and-so car, talking on a so-and-so cell phone. If you are really cool, you have on so-and-so underwear. Then you can feel good about yourself. Sometimes we have so many other names on us, we do not know our own name. We are counting on all the name brands, all the outside labels, to make us feel important.
Can I tell you, your name is more important than all those names combined? No disrespect to them, but the difference between you and a name brand is God breathed His life into you. You are a son, you are a daughter of the Most High God. There is nothing wrong with owning it, driving it, wearing it, but do not let it be the reason you feel good about who you are. Because what is hot today, what is the latest and greatest, in a few years it will be outdated. If you live possession-based, you have to run from name to name, position to position, friend to friend. That is going to wear you out. Why do you not relax?
You cannot get any more valuable. You can buy more clothes, get more friends—that does not change your worth. Whether you are wearing Gucci or Goodwill, whether it is Calvin Klein or Fruit of the Loom, your value never changes. Your clapping because you wear Fruit of the Loom like me.
I went to the sporting goods store the other day to buy some new T-shirts to work out in, and there were probably ten racks of shirts. Practically every one had the manufacturer’s name on the front in big, bold letters. I thought to myself, «You want me to buy your shirt and then go around as a billboard for you? No offense, but I do not want to wear your name; I like my own name.» Do you need somebody else’s name to make you feel good? Are you trying to prove your worth, your value by who you know, what you wear, what you drive? Or can you say, like Jesus, «I do not have to have popularity, possessions, or performance to feel good about myself. I am secure in who I am. I know who God made me.»
Don’t Base Your Value on People’s Approval
When Jesus was riding into town on Palm Sunday, the people laid down branches as He passed by. They celebrated, shouting, «Hosanna!» From the young to the old, waving, cheering—they were so excited to see Him. He received a hero’s welcome. But a few days later, those same people, instead of shouting «Hosanna, ” were shouting, „Crucify Him. We do not want Him here.“ When Jesus went to trial and needed His closest friends to support Him—His disciples, the ones He had poured His life into—they were not anywhere around. He asked them to stay up and pray, but they were too tired and fell asleep.
If you base your value on people’s support, how much they approve of you, encourage you, then if for some reason they stop doing that, you will feel devalued. As long as they are telling you you are great, you will feel great. The problem is, if they change their mind and are not telling you that, you are not going to feel great. You cannot base your value on people. People are funny. They will say, „You are beautiful“ one day and „I do not care for you“ the next. „Hosanna“ on Sunday, „Crucify Him“ on Friday. If you do not know who you are without them, then if they leave, you will be lost. They will take your identity with them. You will try to find somebody else to tell you who you are.
You do not need people to tell you who you are. People will let you down; people will get jealous; people have their own issues. Let your Heavenly Father tell you who you are. Get your value, your self-worth, your approval from Him. He says, „You are a masterpiece.“ He says, „You are one of a kind, a prized possession.“ Somebody may have told you the opposite: „You are not talented, you are not attractive. You do not have a good personality.“ Let that go in one ear and out the other. They do not determine your value. What they say or do does not make you any less a masterpiece.
Hurting People Hurt Others—Don’t Internalize It
Quit letting how people treat you make you feel inferior. They do not control your destiny. They did not breathe life into you. They did not call you, they did not anoint you, they did not approve you. Your value came from your Creator, from the God who spoke worlds into existence. The good news is they cannot change your value, and you cannot change it. God put it in you before you showed up. You do not need their approval; you do not need their encouragement. They do not have to validate you.
It is good when it happens, but if you are depending on it to feel secure, then if they do not do it, you are going to feel inferior. Do not give away your power. Do not put your identity, your value into somebody else’s hands. Even good people cannot give you everything you need. Somebody that loves you very much cannot keep you approved, validated, feeling secure. You have to go to your Heavenly Father. Sometimes we are putting pressure on people to keep us fixed, keep us validated. Let them off the hook. You already have a Savior. He is on the throne. Go to Him and not to people.
The problem with trying to get this from people is people have issues. People are dealing with insecurities, fears, hurts, wounds, prejudice, dysfunction. They do not know any better. That is normal to them. Messed-up people can mess you up. If you base your value on what they are giving you, you can end up dysfunctional.
I talked to a lady recently that had a very bad childhood—neglect, abuse—and she had just gone through her second divorce. Her ex-husband told her that she did not deserve to be loved, and I could tell that she believed it because she was down on herself. I told her what I am telling you: do not let messed-up people ruin the rest of your life. If somebody hurt you, there is a tendency to internalize it and think, „There is something wrong with me. If I was more attractive, he would not have left. If I was smarter, I would not have had a bad childhood.“
No, it has nothing to do with you. They are treating you out of their hurts, their wounds. Hurting people end up hurting other people. Do not let what they say define who you are. Do not let what you did not get make you feel like you are to blame. They said, „You do not deserve to be loved”—that is a lie. They said, „You are not attractive”—another lie. But if you base your value on these lies, you will not have any kind of self-worth.
You Are Valuable Because of Your Maker
Studies even show that children who went through neglect, abuse, a bad childhood very often take the blame on themselves. They think there is something wrong with them. This lady did the same thing. She did not think she deserved to be loved. That is the enemy trying to steal your sense of value. If somebody did you wrong, instead of internalizing it, have you ever thought maybe they were messed up? Maybe they felt so bad about themselves, so unlovable, that they tried to project it on you?
I know a young man that never felt like he fit in. Growing up, there was very little love in his home; he never felt approved or celebrated. It was like he was a burden. He found out in his early teens that his parents always wanted a girl. They were disappointed when he was born. Now he is in his 20s, had his head down, insecure, feeling unworthy. I told him, „Your parents may have wanted a girl, but the Creator of the universe and God does not make mistakes. You are not an accident. He hand-picked you. He chose you before you could choose Him. Your parents may not have known any better, but do not let their lack of approval define you. You did not come from your mother; you came through your mother. You came from Almighty God.“ I began to tell him how he was a masterpiece—called, chosen, equipped, one of a kind, with seeds of greatness. Nobody had ever spoken faith over his life. He lifted his head, he put his shoulders back; I could see a smile starting to form.
When you base your value on what people say or do, that is going to push you down. But when you base it on what God says about you, it is going to lift you up. You are going to have a smile on your face, a spring in your step. You are not going to be put off by what you did not get, by who is not supporting you. Like him, maybe nobody ever told you what God says about you. God says you are amazing. He says He is proud of you. He says you are the apple of His eye. People may not be celebrating you, but you need to know God celebrates you.
I have heard it said, if God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a computer, you would be on the homepage. The scripture says God has engraved you on the palm of His hand. He is always thinking about you. You may feel like you never really got the approval from your parents, from your family. Even now, they do not want to celebrate you; they do not affirm you. But the truth is, it is not about you—it is about their issues, their insecurities. Do not spend your life trying to get something that they cannot give.
God Sees Your Greatness Even When Others Don’t
I know people working 80 hours a week trying to prove to their parents they are successful, prove to their family they are good enough. You have to let it go or you will be frustrated. Turn to your Heavenly Father; get your approval from Him. He is smiling down on you. He sees you excelling. You do not have to have their approval to be happy. God approves you. He is the one that matters.
In the scripture, David did not have his father’s approval. When the prophet Samuel came to anoint one of Jesse’s sons, Jesse did not even bring David in from the shepherd’s fields. He saw David as being inferior—not talented, too young, too small. Sometimes the people closest to you cannot see the greatness in you. Jesse did not see a king in David; he did not see a giant killer, a strategic leader. He saw a young boy with not much to offer. He dismissed him, did not pay much attention.
Your family may discount you; they may leave you out. Do not take it personally. Just keep being your best, getting your approval from God. This happened with Jesus. His brothers did not believe in Him. They saw Him as average. „What is the big deal? What is all the commotion? It is just Jesus.“ The people that should have supported Him the most did not. The people closest to you may not acknowledge your gifts; they may not see your value. But God does. David was left out; it was not fair. But when Samuel looked at the other seven sons, he said, „Jesse, it is none of these. Do you have any more sons?“
People may leave you out, but God does not leave you out. If David had to have his family’s approval, he would never have taken the throne. Quit trying to make people be for you that are never going to be for you. Quit feeling inferior because somebody close to you is not celebrating you. If you needed their approval, you would get it. If you are not getting it, that means you do not need it to become who you were created to be.
And I know many of us had great parents that did their best, but we all have people that are not giving us their approval. They do not acknowledge our gifts; they do not see what we have to offer. Do not live frustrated, thinking that there is something wrong with you, trying to prove to them who you are, trying to convince them to affirm you. Let it go. There is nothing wrong with you. If you had to have it, they would give it. Since you do not, shake it off. Keep your head held high, knowing that your Heavenly Father has approved you, accepted you, and anointed you. Your value does not come from people.
The Watch Story: Value Comes from the Maker
A while back, somebody gave a watch to the ministry. I was out of town at one of our events, and a man came up and handed me this nice box. I opened it; it was a beautiful watch. It was not super fancy, but it was attractive and sporty. Of course I thanked him—I am very grateful—and I brought it back and put it in my desk drawer. A couple of months later, I opened the drawer to get something out, and there was the watch. I had forgotten about it.
I looked at it again, and I thought it cost a couple hundred dollars. I did not notice the name brand, but for some reason I googled it. When I did, I nearly passed out. The exact watch came up—it was over $10,000. It is from a very famous, prestigious watchmaker. It looked to me like a lot of other watches that I had seen that cost several hundred dollars. But because of the manufacturer, this watch was extremely valuable.
You could put it side by side and you would not see much difference. It looked average, ordinary. People had copied it; there were knock-offs. On the surface, it seemed the same. But what gave it its value was who made it. Sometimes we do not realize who we are.
You may feel average, ordinary, like nothing stands out. But because of your Maker, there is something about you that makes you extremely valuable. You are not a copy; you are not a knock-off. The Creator of the universe is your manufacturer. You cannot get any more prestigious than that. But if you do not know who you are, like I did with the watch, you will discount yourself, thinking, „Oh man, I am ordinary. Nothing much to offer, nothing special about me.“ You need to „google“ yourself—you have the fingerprints of God all over you.
Psalm 139 says, „God, I praise You because You have made me in an amazing way. What You have done is wonderful.“ If you are going to recognize your value, you have to see yourself as amazing, as wonderful—not because of who you are, but because of whose you are.
Now, life will try to make you feel like you are anything but amazing. Disappointments, betrayals, rejection will try to steal your sense of value. But all through the day, despite what thoughts are telling you, despite who left you out, you need to remind yourself, „I am amazing. I am a masterpiece. I have been wonderfully made.“ Do not discount what God has created. Do not go around feeling ordinary when in fact you are extraordinary.
People may try to make you feel average, like David’s father—you do not have much to offer. Are you going to believe what people say about you or believe what God says about you? God says you are amazing. Have you ever said that to yourself? It has to start on the inside.
I read where Tom Brady’s jersey that he wore during the Super Bowl is worth $500,000. I can go online and buy that same jersey for $49. What is the difference? Who it belongs to. Same jersey, same size, same color, but one belongs to Tom Brady. That makes it extremely valuable. The scripture says you belong to God. You may feel average, think you look ordinary, nothing special about you—but because of who you belong to, that makes you extremely valuable.
Now, my challenge: do not let people discount you; do not let your own thoughts push you down. Put your shoulders back—you belong to God. You do not have to prove anything; you do not have to try to impress people. Just be who you are. Be amazing. If you will do this, I believe and declare every chain is being broken. You are going to live free and become the masterpiece that God created you to be, in Jesus’ name.