Daily Devotional

Everybody Is a Priceless Treasure

Bible Reading: Romans 8:15-17

His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God’s children.   Romans 8:16

Imagine that you have a bunch of friends who are poor. Now imagine that you are wealthy enough to be able to put money into your friends’ bank accounts—money that helps to make a better life possible.

You may or may not have friends whose families struggle financially. But you do have people around you who severely lack a sense of belonging. They have nothing that tells them they matter, and they feel they have nothing awesome to offer the world. You have it within your power to give them something that will remake their lives. You won’t be putting in the kind of treasure that clanks like cash or flutters like a dollar bill. But you are able to give something even more valuable. You can pass on to them the truth about who they are as God’s children.

You can offer your friends three rich biblical truths:

God says you’re lovable. Like everyone else, your friends need to know they belong to someone. John 1:12 tells us that when we received Christ, we became children of God. So how can you say that to a friend? Try “God loves you so much he made you his daughter [or son].” Or “We’re both in God’s family. Because of Jesus, you’re my sister [or brother] forever.”

God says you’re valuable. God loved us “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). Your friends may question how much they’re worth as persons. Their great worth is proven by the fact that their loving God allowed Jesus Christ, his sinless Son, to die for their sins. You might say, “Even if you were the only person on earth, God would have sent his Son to die for you.”

God wants you to know you’re useful. Paul wasn’t bragging when he said, “I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need” (Philippians 4:13). He saw in himself what God sees in all of us: He was empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve God and others. You could say to your friend, “God gave you the ability to________. It’s really cool.”

Sometimes it’s easier to write these things than to say them out loud. But do you understand the importance of helping your friends see themselves through God’s eyes? The more your friends realize they are lovable, valuable, and capable, the richer the life they will lead—all because you gave them huge gifts of biblical truths!

TALK: What good will it do your friends to hear these truths?

PRAY: Ask God for wise ways to communicate his truths to a hurting friend.

ACT: Who do you want to share these biblical truths with? What are you going to say?