You Are Essential

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”

1 Peter 2:9  


Over the last couple of months you have probably heard the term “essential worker” to describe the amazing front line people around the world who have risked their very lives and own well being for the benefit of others. Maybe you have read one of the published lists of businesses that have been deemed essential and thought to yourself as a follower of Jesus, that is really strange. How do liquor stores make the list while a church services of any size do not? Confusing yes, but there is a silver lining for sure!

The good news of the gospel today is that God deems you are essential no matter what line of work you are in. You are essential to God! In life value is often determined by how much someone is wiling to pay. If that’s the case just know today, loved one, you are so essential to God because your worth can’t even be calculated in silver and gold. 1 Peter 1:18-19 reminds us that we were purchased with something so great, money could not even come close in value, “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” You are essential to God and He paid the highest price possible to prove it.    

Just know this today, loved one. There is no categorizing of the Christian. There is no such thing as essential and non essential with regard to our relationship with God and the role we each play in advancing the Gospel. The apostle Paul paints a beautiful picture in 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 of how essential you are when he writes, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.”

I’ll echo what the apostle Paul wrote. It makes no difference if you are working on the front lines as a doctor or grocery store clerk, serving in a hospital as an E.R. nurse or out delivering pizza or dropping of packages or the mail as a postal carrier. Each one is essential. Every Christian in any kind of work you can think of is essential to spreading the gospel and advancing God’s kingdom. Whether you pray from home or provide food for your neighbors or complete strangers, your life counts. Today you can make a difference, and because you are essential, no matter what label the world might seek to place on you, remember this, God loves you and you matter to Him.


“The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”

Jeremiah 31:3  


I LOVE YOU!

Michael Osthimer

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