You are valuable, even if no one else sees it. And surprisingly, I want to use a statue of Buddha to make my point.

Lest you think I am endorsing Buddhism, note this: I have no faith in Buddhism; it is a false religion and philosophy that is built on what they call the Four Noble Truths:

  1. Life is full of suffering. I can’t disagree with that.
  2. Suffering is caused by craving. OK, I could use the Bible to affirm that. In our sinful nature, we are drawn to sin. We desire and crave that which neither God desires nor is beneficial for us. And sin leads to suffering, so yes, when we crave sin, it leads to suffering. Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths? So far, so good.
  3. Suffering will cease only when craving ceases. Wait a minute ..,
  4. This can be achieved by following the Eightfold Path, which includes right views, right aspiration, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right contemplation. With this eightfold path, Buddhism has turned into nothing more than a works-based religion. What has not been addressed is the sin behind the suffering and craving. No amount of right views, right aspiration, right this or that can make up for the sin in our lives. “Turning over a new leaf” doesn’t fix the problem. Only Jesus can—but there’s no room for Jesus in the Buddhist religion, Sadly, millions of Buddhists are deceived in thinking they don’t need Jesus.

Buddha was not a god. He never claimed to be god; in fact, he didn’t even believe in God. Although we desperately need God, Buddha had no need for God. But that doesn’t keep millions from having statues of Buddha in their homes. On paper, the statue is supposed to remind them of the path they are on, but so many sadly look to the statue for good luck, peace, good vibes, and positive energy.

So, yeah, the Buddha statue is an idol. And they are all over the place. In homes, in temples, in restaurants, on dashboards, you name it.

One such statue was made of plaster and was in a temple in Bangkok. Just a plaster Buddha like countless others. However, in 1955, it was being moved, and in the process, it was dropped and the plaster chipped. Ruh roh. But underneath that plaster was gold. They chipped away all the plaster and found a nine-foot-tall, 5 1/2 ton gold Buddha. (You’d think one of the workers would ask, “Hey, boss, why is this plaster statue so heavy?)

This status is called Phra Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon, and it was determined that, when the Burmese were invading the area in the 18th century, someone got the bright idea to hide the golden Buddha behind plaster. It worked. The statue remained unfazed and untouched for decades.

Right under their noses was gold worth upwards of $250 million, and no one noticed.

You have greater worth than any statue—even one made of gold. The world may pass you by, but God sees you. You may be overlooked at work, but God knows. You may be slighted in your own family, but God loves you deeply.

Gold is an incredibly valuable commodity, but God doesn’t weigh your worth in terms of gold; your worth is weighed in blood.

“For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb” (1 Pet. 1:18-19).

Don’t let the opinions or oversight of others mar your true beauty and value. When you come to Christ in faith, you become a child of the King. You are an heir with Christ, and that is far better than 5 1/2 tons of gold.

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