God's Value System

This month we've looked at some take-aways from the Christmas story, and today we're going to consider one last thing—how crazy different God's value system is from that of our own.

Mankind’s value system is quite literally upside-down compared to God’s. Just look at a few Scriptural principles:

• The last shall be first

• The least shall be the greatest

• The widow who gave almost nothing gave more than those who gave much

• When we are weak, then we are strong

Throughout the Bible, we see that what culture holds in high esteem—wealth, prestige, position, etc. (things which are seen)—God places no value on. And we see that what culture holds in low esteem—heart posture, humility, servanthood, etc. (things which are unseen)—are the only things God places value on.

The birth of Jesus reveals this over and over again:

• God chose a mother and father of little earthly means to parent His Son. They were teenagers, without prestige or affluence, yet they were esteemed enough by the Creator of the universe to be entrusted with his Son.

• God chose Bethlehem as the place for his Son to be born—a town that was too little to be among the clans of Judah (Micah 5:2).

• God ordained the King of kings to be born outside and placed in a manger—a feeding trough. The stable and manger held no concern to him (other than that they would be accessible to the shepherds he knew he would be sending their way later that night:)

• God revealed the good news of the birth of his Son to shepherds—a group of people who were disesteemed and considered lowly by society.

Not only did God reveal the birth of Jesus to these shepherds, but he revealed this good news through a magnificent chorus of angels. God didn’t go small because the audience was small. He didn’t go small because the audience was considered unimportant by earthly standards. The greatness of the announcement had nothing to do with the greatness of the recipients. Oh that our value system would be more like God's!

Oh Lord, thank you that we don’t have to live up to a certain earthly standard to be considered valuable by you. Help us to see others, and ourselves, through your eyes. Help us to see the world through your eyes. Instill your value system within us, that we may place merit and value where it belongs and not where it doesn’t. And, most importantly, thank you for your gift this Christmas!