Do You Feel Plutoed?
Poor Pluto. First, it’s a planet and then it’s not anymore. It has become the Rodney Dangerfield of our solar system. In an award-winning move that probably did not make the “sub planet” feel better, the term “plutoed” was declared the Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society in Anaheim, California, a little over a decade ago. The word means “to demote or devalue someone or something.”
Do you ever feel “plutoed”? Do you feel like people don’t appreciate you like they should? You may get that feeling on the job, when you’re working harder than anyone else and somebody else gets the credit, the promotion, and the attention. You may get that feeling in your marriage or in the home, whether you’re the husband, wife, parents, or children. You may even sometimes feel “plutoed” by the church. Maybe you feel that your difficulties or problems are being ignored. You might think your contributions or ideas are not taken seriously enough. I’m sure elders, deacons, preachers, Bible class teachers, their spouses, along with everyone else, has to deal with that “plutoed” feeling periodically.
Will you remember a few things? First, remember the value God placed on your soul by sending Jesus to die to save it (Galatians 2:20). Second, remember that God’s system of rewarding is on His time and His terms, but He will not let faithful service go unnoticed or unblessed (Matthew 6:4, 6, 16). Third, remember that you are valuable because of who you are, a child of God (1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 1:5-6). Finally, remember your obligation to help everyone around you feel valued. Afterall, isn't that the way you prefer to be treated? (Luke 6:31). It’s the Christ-like way (Acts 10:38). There are plenty of people around you who are sorely in need of being “de-plutoed," even as God has uniquely equipped you for the task (1 Corinthians 12:8-12).
Experience the value that God has attributed to you by showing it to all those for whom Christ died.
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect" (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Do You See What You See?
One Fall day in October of 2013, Banksy the artist set up a display in New York's Central Park. A sign indicated that each piece, painted with black paint on white canvas, was available for $60 each. He sat beside his work for most of the day as occasionally, a busy passerby stopped to look at his work.
After several hours, he managed to sell a couple of pieces to a lady who talked him into selling two small prints at half price. He closed up shop by 6 pm having sold $420 worth of paintings. Not bad by most standards. But what no one seemed to realize was who this artist was and the great value of his work.
In recent years investors have paid close to 2 million dollars to own a Banksy original. Why did he set up shop in Central Park that day? He did not bother to explain, but perhaps only to give us pause to consider our value system.
It takes special insight to understand the true value of a work of art. Similarly, it takes divine insight to understand the true worth and value of every human being.
Ephesians 2:10 says, "But we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before prepared that we should walk in them."
The Greek word for workmanship is poiema, which simply means "a thing made." A "thing made" may not seem so valuable until you consider who made us. It's whose workmanship we are that makes each of us a masterpiece, worth far more than the world will ever know. Open your spiritual eyes and see as God sees!
"But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows" (Luke 12:7).
Better Flesh?
I am not a strong as Dwayne Johnson, the rock.
I am not as rich as Bill Gates, who is currently worth over $79 billion.
I am not as smart as Terrance Tau, who has an IQ of 230 and earned a doctorate by age 20.
I am not, nor will I ever be, as tall, dark, and handsome as Tom Selleck.
But so what! Jesus said, "the flesh profits nothing." (John 6:63)
"Nothing" means nothing, regardless of the advantage we might enjoy over others. When we boast of our
superiority in the flesh, we are still just boasting in the flesh!
The world is very concerned with the four B's: Braun, Bucks, Brains, and Beauty.
But only God, the one who conceived of us before the foundation of the world, has the right to give us our value.
"There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28, NRSV)
Neither our nationality or our social status or even our gender determines our value. It is our bond in Christ that gains us true value.