Victoria Osteen - God Sees You As Valuable and Significant
Amen, what a powerful name we have, amen? When I was a little girl, I loved to hand-make cards for my parents. I always liked to tell them how much I loved them and show my affection with these handmade cards, and I used to put my signature, butterflies and flowers all over them. You know, I did the same kind of butterfly and the same kind of flower every time. Not long ago, I was going through a stack of scrapbooks that my mother had so, you know, carefully saved and put together. When I came across one of these signature cards that I had made, and there it was, my butterflies and flowers, as I was looking at it, I noticed at the bottom of the page, written in yellow pencil were these words: "I feel like we are somebody important, and I know that we are".
When my eyes dropped to those words, I thought, "What in the world was I thinking as a little girl? 'i feel like we're someone important, and I know that we are'? What was I thinking? Why can't I feel like that now"? You see, I feel like I am something important, and I know that I am. It really, it made me laugh. It made me Chuckle. But do you know what? I couldn't let those words slide by. They kept going through my mind the next day and the next day because I thought, "What was I thinking"? And then it was if I realized, inside of every single one of us is the voice of God saying, "You are made in my image. You are valuable, you are significant, and you are important in this life".
You see, inside of every one of us, there is a voice that is speaking out value, significance, and importance, but sometimes life tries to change and drown out that voice. It tries to devalue us. Unfair things happen. People talk about you. Somebody walks out on your life. Struggles, problems, they distort that voice. They try to speak louder than that voice. You know, I realized though, God has put that in each and every one of us, and we have to allow that voice to come out of us because, see, it doesn't matter what we think. It matters who we are. You may feel insignificant, but God sees you as valuable. He sees you as important to his plan. You see, it doesn't matter how we feel. It doesn't change the value of our life in the eyes of God.
You know, I have this nice, crisp hundred-dollar bill. Isn't it pretty? It doesn't look like it's been handled much. It doesn't look like it's been spent a whole lot. It's beautiful, isn't it? Does anybody want it? Who wants this hundred-dollar bill, anybody? Here you go, here you go. Oh, sorry my sweet lady. Of course you want that beautiful hundred-dollar bill. It's pristine, it's amazing, isn't it, and it'll spend well, oh, don't worry, I have another one. Oh, but this one looks like it... I'm sorry, just a minute. It looks like it's been in the washer and the dryer. It's not so pretty. You probably don't want this one. This one's all ugly and messed up. No? Do you think, anybody? Anybody want, you want this one? All right, my sweet sister was there, I'm sorry. Of course you want that hundred dollars. It doesn't matter what it looks like. It holds tremendous value.
Doesn't matter if life has put some wrinkles in you. It doesn't matter if you feel like you've gone through the wringer. You have value, and you have importance, and you have significance today. You know, God doesn't make mistakes. God only makes masterpieces, and you are a masterpiece in the eyes of God. He's already qualified you, and he's left nothing out of you. You know, we all have a responsibility to keep that voice of God clear and free from the debris of life. We all have a responsibility to spend our life well and to make it count. You see, this great God has put so many amazing things in us. He's already put assignments in our path. We have a responsibility in how we live our life, it matters. You know, it matters how I live my life. It matters to my children. It matters to my husband. It matters to my neighbor.
You see, when I realize that God's placed this value in me, I'm going to spend my life well, and do you know, when I spend my life well, it helps others spend theirs well. When I have God confidence, it helps others rise up and have confidence in themselves. You see, how you live your life makes a difference, and that's why God wants you to keep that voice free and clear. Keep that childlike wonder in the things of God. I read that letter that day and I realized, you know what? I may feel unqualified. I may not have confidence. I may feel like I lack the ability, but God doesn't see me that way. He sees me as strong, capable to do what he's called me to do.
You know, there's a guy in the Bible, his name was Gideon. You may know his story. He lacked confidence. He lacked the feeling that he had the ability to do anything. One day, an angel of the Lord came to Gideon and he said, "Gideon, the Lord is with you, you mighty man of fearless courage". Then the angel went on to say, "Gideon, the Lord wants you to help the Israelites, his children, defeat the enemy, the Midianites". Isn't that interesting? He addressed him as, "A mighty man of fearless courage," and then he asked him to do something. But this is what Gideon replied. He said, "Lord, wait a minute. How am I going to do that? I have a family, and our family amounts to nothing. In fact, we are the least of all the families in the area, and not only does my family not have what it takes, I am the least in all my family".
You see his reply? There's such a contrast in the voice of God, telling him, "My mighty man of valor," speaking up, to what Gideon's reply was. You hear the voice that tries to drown out God's voice? See, God is saying the same thing to you today. Whatever's in front of you, he's calling out those things that you are, that you have on the inside of you. But the voice of life wants to be so noisy, wants to distort the voice of God. Very interesting, the difference between God's voice and Gideon's voice. You see, Gideon didn't see himself as strong. But you know what's interesting? Didn't change God's perspective. Gideon, he talked himself out of it when he replied to God. God didn't talk himself out of it. Gideon felt weak, but God saw him as capable, as able, as a champion, a fearless, courageous champion.
You see, the good news is this, Gideon finally took hold of that voice, took that strength of that voice, and let him go out and lead the charge, and he won the victory for God that day. You see, whatever's trying to hold you down, you need to shake it off. You need to let the voice of God come booming out loud and clear. You may feel weak, you may feel small, but your weakness can be turned into strength when you take hold of God. I saw this animated cartoon one time that made such an impression on me. It was this tiny little mouse, and his friend was this big huge elephant, and they were about to cross this thatched bridge that was high in the air. As they crossed that bridge, that little thatched bridge started swinging and shaking all the way across. It was rickety, swinging, and shaking.
But when they got on the other side of that bride safe, that little mouse was so proud, he looked up at his friend, that great big elephant, and he said, "We really shook that bridge, didn't we"? You see, you may feel small, but when you grab hold of God's strength, you have the power of an elephant. You can look at God and you can say, "We really shook that bridge, didn't we, God"? You see, at the end of the day, what matters most is what you believe about yourself. Protect the voice of God. He's put it in you. He speaks it out every single day. See, unfair things happen to us. God said, "In this world, there'll be trouble, but you be of good cheer, because you've got an overcomer in you". You've got an overcomer in you. You are a mighty man, a mighty woman of valor. Don't lose that childlike awe and wonder. Go out of here today and shake some bridges with God, amen? Amen, he's an awesome God.