People Matter

 I met a lady who worked as a janitor at a private school. She told me she was one of the invisible people who worked for the school. Her comment made me think she did not feel valued by her employers. I learned a valuable lesson that day. I want to value people. No matter their background. No matter their economic status or social standing. People are created in the image of God and have intrinsic value based on that truth. 

People matter. The waitress and the waiter matter. The student and the surgeon matter. The mechanic and the machinist matter. The cook and the computer analyst matter. People working at the drive through have value. The elderly have value. So many churches use the older members of the congregation for their money, but are discarded much of the other times. People matter. It matters how we treat people. 

Read accounts of how Jesus treated people. He touched the leper in Matt 8:1-3 that others shunned. He helped the woman with blood issues in Mark 5:25-34 that others kept at arm's length so as not to be considered ceremonially unclean. Jesus helped demon possessed Mark 5:1-20, crippled, paralyzed , blind, and even ate with sinners. Jesus made time for children and was not annoyed by their appearance. Jesus loves the outcasts. He welcomes the addicts. He accepts the immoral. He calls them to repentance and to turn to Him for salvation. Jesus even said the sick need a physician and not those that are well. Sinners need a Savior. Jesus loves people and they matter to Him. Therefore, they should also matter to the church. 

Churches can fall into the trap of just counting nickels and noses. People matter far beyond what they contribute in the offerings and adding to attendance figures. God created them with purpose. People created in the image of God with eternal souls. Many of those souls are lost and far from God. We should not be surprised when sinners act like sinners. We should applaud their courage when the muster enough to walk into one of our worship services or studies. They should be welcomed and loved to Jesus. 

People can get reputations. Some of them are bad. The only thing faster than track teams is small town gossip. People pile on when others fail and are down. Instead of pulling them up. We can push them further down. A recent survey reported that 70% of people are open to Jesus and have a favorable opinion of Him, but only 30% feel the same way about the church. This is a travesty. People matter to God and they should matter to the church also. They should matter to each of us. 

There are no invisible people with Jesus. He sees us all. There are no insignificant people with Jesus either. He loved people enough to die for them. See John 3:16 and Romans 5:8. People matter to God. We matter to God. You matter to God wherever you find yourself in life.