I see many inspirational messages geared toward young people that say something like this:

“Make your life matter, do great things, leave a legacy, make sure your life counts for something”… etc.

That’s not bad, but often the undertone is this, If you don’t achieve, work for or attain greatness as defined by society then you won’t matter.

Unfortunately many areas of life reinforce the idea that if you don’t “do great things” then you are less than others.

Please understand this.

You matter.

Right now, regardless of what you have accomplished.

Regardless of what you will accomplish.

You are made in the image of God whether you acknowledge Him or not.

Your life is a gift, who you are, is a gift, you don’t have to work for significance. Because you are worth more than you could possibly realize.

Now if you let that sink in and you still want to do great things then do them but don’t you ever think you have to earn the right to matter.

Because every heartbeat, every breath, every time you wake up in the morning,              you matter.

Our society has many problems, quite a few of them stem from the fact that we devalue life. We reduce it to a list of achievements, we dismiss those who don’t add up and worst of all we allow some to disappear because it’s more convenient for others.

Until we see every life as sacred, even your own, from every race, every nation, every belief system, from the first heartbeat in the womb to the last breath on a bed 90 years later, we will reap the destruction we sew.

So believe me, you matter. Being who you were made to be matters.

Your life is not a race, a competition or even a compare and contrast exercise.

You matter to God, you matter to others.

Just as you are.

Father, give us eyes to see all are made in your image, ears to hear the cries of the innocent, tongues to speak against injustice, feet ready to run with help, hands to comfort the hurting and hearts that are moved with compassion.

Written by Tom Wise.  Copyright © Finding Wonder 2013