You are valuable to God. Do you believe that? I don’t mean merely a superficial belief. Do you believe it in the deepest part of your core and know it beyond a shadow of a doubt?

Our world today bombards us with the message, both directly and indirectly, that we are not valuable or important.

Sometimes it is the message that we are too young to know enough or too weak and inexperienced to do anything important. Sometimes we hear that we are too old and feeble or that our years of wisdom are outdated and no longer applicable to current situations.

Maybe it’s years of being chosen last, overlooked and unacknowledged.

If we are being honest, I think most of us have gone through times of feeling like we really don’t matter or make much of a difference.

Please understand how far outside of truth that feeling is. God has created you with unique talents, skills, gifts and traits. You have had a different set of experiences that you have lived through compared to anyone else.

Simply put, you are a completely unique person. Being completely unique, God is calling you to serve Him in a completely unique way that He has prepared you precisely for. No one can step into your shoes and fill your place. You are irreplaceable. You are valuable.

1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the multifaceted grace of God.” You have received a special gift and because of that you are a special gift to this world because of the Giver of that gift.

God is now calling you to employ those gifts, talents and experiences He has given to you in a way that displays all of His kindness, love and grace. If you don’t do it, there is no other person that can just step and fill your role in the same way that you can. Something will be forever missed because of your absence. Like a ring missing its diamond, it will be noticed and part of the beauty of what God intended will be unseen.

Spend some time today with the Lord in prayer reflecting on how your past has shaped you and given you insight into what others may be going through right now.

Pray that God would show you exactly how that can be used with the gifts and talents He has given you to serve Him in the way He has prepared you for in this moment.

People’s EC Church is located at 216 Wagner St., Lehighton.