Someone Worth Dying For

Am I someone worth dying for?  Are you?  I recently discovered the Christian group, Mikeschair, and their song Someone Worth Dying For.  I was immediately taken with the song and downloaded it from I-Tunes.  It's caused me to pause and ponder the first question I posed - Am I really someone worth dying for? 

To be blunt, most of the time I think I'm not.  In fact, it's safe for me to say Jesus definitely got the short end of the stick where I'm concerned.  I'm completely unworthy of the kind of love He has for me.  He doesn't get the same kind of love in return from me, and He should.

The gist of the song is people wonder if they are worth dying for, and Jesus is always telling us to see it and believe we are worth it.  He didn't have to do it.  We didn't deserve the grace offered to us, but He loved us so much He thought we deserved all He had to give. 

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10:14-16)

As a human, I am weak.  I fail.  I sin.  And because I am a Christian, I beat myself up over and over again for not being able to do the things I should do.  And, if I really search deep within, I know if the situation were reversed I wouldn't die for me.  Sounds depressing and hopeless, but it's not.  I'm not worthy because of what I've done.  I'm worthy because of who Jesus is. 

This past Sunday, our pastor, who is brilliant, yet understandable, preached on how Christians should be the light.  He preached from John 8:12-30 in the morning service and Matthew 5:13-16.  In the morning, we saw how Jesus is the Light of the World.  In the evening, we saw how Jesus tells us to be light.  Wyman said this wonderfully simple, but profound statement, "God said let there be light in the world.  Jesus said let there be light in you!"

In the song, Mikeschair sings, "Your life has purpose."  And according to Wyman, our purpose is to be the light in the darkness.  More correctly, it is to be the conduit for Jesus' light to shine to the world.  Our lives should so affect those around us, our very culture, that things are better for us being in the world.

Is the world better for me being in it?  Can others see the Light of the World reflected through me by my behavior and by how I treat others?  I'm a work in progress.  I take two steps forward and one-and-a-half back most days, but I keep trying to move forward.  I keep striving to be worthy of Jesus having given His life for me.  In some small measure, I am finally doing things I believe show others how much Jesus loves them because of how I love them.  I'm not bragging because I could do so much more, be so much more, love so much more.  But, success for me has changed over the last year.  Yes, I still want to be successful in this world, but it's more important for me to be successful for Christ.  I want to live a life where Jesus would say, "Others saw my love for them through you.  Others knew how much I loved them because of the things you did.  They learned from you they were worth me dying for, and I'm pleased by that." 

In the end, success is hearing Jesus say, "Lisa, even when you messed up big time, even in your ugliest, darkest, most unloving moments, I always believed you were someone worth dying for."

Jesus wants you to see and believe that no matter what you've done or where you are right now, you are the most precious person to Him.  You are someone worth dying for.