"You are worth it"

"'That is the only really satisfactory way of dealing with evil, not simply binding it so that it cannot work harm, but whenever possible overcoming it with good.'" -(Hinds Feet on High Places)

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"I realized that there is purpose in the pain," I said to my friend as we chatted about my life as a foster mom.

I had just been explaining how sad I had been about the whole situation. How heavy the first couple months were. 

I didn't know if I could keep living in it. It seemed too heavy for me. 

But for some reason, the weight lifted when I realized in a deeper way that there is a purpose in the pain that comes with fostering. 

A purpose that goes far beyond just the good that I imagine can come out of it. 

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The enemy is in the business of ripping families apart. I don't know if you've ever noticed that, but it is one of his specialties. 

And we have waded into his territory. 

Fostering isn't just ministry. It's warfare. 

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"You are worth it," I say to my foster daughter. 

I look into her little face and see her trusting eyes looking up into mine.

I wipe her tears and realize there is deep pain in her cry that she herself doesn't understand. 

I hold her, knowing she needs the healing touch of love, because, yes, even for babies, separation from your birth mom is traumatic. 

I feel the heaviness of her story in my heart, the sadness of knowing that this is not as it should be. 

"You are worth it," I whisper as I comfort her for the umpteenth time. 

"She is worth it," I remind myself as I pray for Jesus to so deeply imprint Himself on her heart that she will never forget Him.

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The warfare is over souls. Souls so trapped in darkness that they themselves don't know it. 

Souls so deeply scarred by the effects of sin that they don't even realize there is something better out there for them.

Souls blinded and deafened by the roar of pain in their lives that they can't even hear the whisper of Love rustling by them.

There is a longing in God's heart for them to have even just one small taste of His love. 

For in that taste, perhaps their souls will awaken to their need for Him and realize that the longings that they've had all of their lives are meant to be fulfilled in Him.

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Love puts Himself in harm's way so that one soul can receive life. 

Do we as followers of Jesus -that ultimate example of love- live like this? 

"This is real love- not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." (1 John 4:10)

"You are worth it," He says to us as he carries the cross to His dying place. 

"You are worth it," whispers Love as He breathes His last breath on the cross. 

"You are worth it." The words still echo faintly over the tomb as His body is laid there to rest. 

"You are worth it," He shouts as He comes back to life on that third day and shows His followers His wounds. 

"You are worth it," He sings as those rescued by Him join Him before His Father in worship and awe. 

And we respond to Him in humble amazement, "You are worthy, Oh Lamb that was slain." 

He has shown us how valuable each human soul is to Him. 

To Him, we are worth nothing less than His very life. 

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And what about those of us who claim to follow Jesus? 

If He puts such a high price on a soul, shouldn't we?

As humans, we value comfort, pleasure, ease... 

We crave time to ourselves, convenience, the latest and the greatest...

We love our own lives and fight to preserve them to the fullest...

But have we ever considered that one soul might be worth giving up all of these things?

Just one. 

His much-desired treasure lies before us in the form of lives. 

Will we pursue them? 

It may look like uncommon sacrifice. 

It may look like humble service -small acts of love that speak of that person's worth.

It may look like boldly speaking the gospel to them.

It may look like accepting them into our homes and lives.

It may look like showing them by our own lives what Jesus is like. 

Love can take on many forms, but it is always moving closer, pursuing, and chasing the souls for which He died.

Will we? 

Yes, it is warfare. 

But we stand with the One under whose feet lies all the powers of darkness. 

He has already won, and He has declared us more than conquerors, just like Him, in this war over souls.