Rubies and Pearls

2/25/17

Proverbs 31:10 continued...

"...Her value is more precious than jewels and her worth is far above rubies or pearls."

Her value... Her worth...

This is an area that is constantly under attack in our lives... Self Worth and Self Value. The enemy would love to have us believe that we hold no value- that we have no worth. To make matters worse, we are often our toughest critics. We constantly compare ourselves to others using society's standards.

Shortly after being married I found myself in a ladies clothing store. The hubbs and I hadn't been married long, he was brave yet a bit naive deciding to tag along (He was young). As I began to try on clothes I quickly realized that...ahem...I had gained a few pounds. I no longer could wear the cute petite clothing that hung daintily on the racks- oh no- they had become a bit snug. I was suddenly aware that I would have to shop in a different department in the store (if you know what that means). There in the fitting room, surrounded by mounds of discarded clothing, I experienced my first anxiety attack. It came in three stages: denial (Ok... maybe it's just this pair of jeans), shock (Seriously...four pair of jeans) and uncontrollable sobbing (I'm going to be a Jerry Springer Special). I had visions of an ambulance and a construction crew tearing down my bedroom wall just to get me out. Yes, I know- a bit over dramatic.

The hubbs did what any man in his shoes would have done...he panicked! Then proceeded to usher me from the store as quickly as possible. Once in the car I began to wail dramatically, "I'm fat!" He was wonderful. He cooed affirming words. Reassured me that I looked fine. He loved me. Questioned my sanity. Finally I calmed down enough to clean my face when he looks over at me, this man whom God has given me, and says, "Do you want to get something to eat?" Before I could stop myself, I responded by a nod and a pathetic "uh-huh." I'm not ashamed to say that I did in fact have a code red melt down right there in the car.

I'm happy to say that I've done a bit of maturing since then. The Lord had to do a work in me because I NEEDED MY VALUE REVEALED TO ME! I immediatly felt as though my worth had deminished. And why not? That's a message that society sends out. It's plastered on billboards, magazine covers, and social media.

You gain weight- your value deminishes!

You get stretch marks- Your value deminishes!

You get older- Your value deminishes!

You get divorced- Your value deminishes!

Your a single parent- Your value deminishes!

You didn't get that promotion- your value deminishes!

You came from a broken home- your value deminishes!

You have a past- your value diminishes!

And society's list of unattainable standards continues... And all the while the enemy is whispering in our ears, "Who will ever want you? Who will ever respect you? Who will ever take you seriously? You're nothing!" And honestly, there are times when those whispers turn to screams. And for many its a voice that wakes them up and it's still speaking when they go to bed.

We will entertain these unreal ideals in our life to the point that we will begin to compare ourselves to women in the grocery store, co-workers, mom's in the PTA, and celebrities that have spent more on plastic surgery than we spend on our mortgages. And it isn't just beauty. It's with spouses, cars, finances, houses, life choices... you name it.

We are constantly trying to convince ourselves that we have value. And why should we have to convince our self of this? Because society's standard is the tool that we have been using to measure our value with and it's broken, therefore we do not get a correct measurement of what we are worth. We read articles in Cosmo written by individuals who haven't met us, don't know our situation, regurgitating the same recycled info that will change next season instead of looking to THE WORD, written by the ONE who created us, who knew us while we were yet in our mother's womb, and whose word never changes!

The ONLY thing we need in our life that dictates our value and our worth is the Word of God. And sadly it is usually the last place we look. This scripture says that our "Virtuous Woman" was valued above rubies and pearls. Did you know that rubies are the most desirable gem due to their hardness, luster, durability, and rarity. Transparent rubies of large sizes are even more rare than diamonds. It is the most expensive colored gemstone ever sold at auction. In 2015, a Burmese Ruby sold for $30 million dollars- a million per carat. The most expensive pearl ever sold came from a fisherman in the Philippines. It weighed 75lbs and was valued at $100 million dollars and yet the word says that this woman was valued far above both.

How is that possible? She exhibited qualities that no amount of money could buy. Qualities that could only come from her Heavenly Father. Read the entire chapter- she was intelligent, compassionate, kind, loving, resourceful, and responsible. All of which came about because of her relationship with the Lord. Verse 30 says, "But a woman who fears the LORD [reverently, worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect], she shall be praised." If you ever find yourself questioning your value or what you are worth, don't look for validation in areas that are marred, look to the ONE who said, "I am the Creator, and you are my creation. I breathed into your nostrils the breath of life" (Gen. 2:7). "I knit you together in your mother's womb" (Psalms 139:16). "I know the number of hairs on your head" (Matt. 10:30). "You are fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). He and ONLY He can reveal your true value! And just think- He created the sun, moon, stars, and universe and thought that creation needed YOU! YOU must be very valuable indeed!