What Are You Worth?

These two scenes from Toy Story 2 seem innocent, but they are asking a fundamental question. What are you worth?

Watch this first one where a squeaky penguin is taken away in a box labeled “25 cents.”

How did that make you feel? Now watch this one.

This scene seems innocuous enough, doesn’t it?  A simple mechanism to create the opportunity for fun and mayhem as the toys go on a rescue mission to save Woody.  But it sets up the deeper question of the script about how we value ourselves.

The creepy guy offers fifty cents for Woody, referring to him as “junk.”  The woman says it’s a family toy and locks Woody in the money box with all the cash, suggesting he is a treasure.  The creepy guy offers $50.  Mr. Potato-head says “fifty bucks ain’t bad.” And in so doing he probably echoes what of lot of viewers are thinking.  But the woman reiterates that Woody is not for sale, suggesting he is priceless, and not because she has any idea that Woody is a collector’s item.  Remember, he is a family toy.  But the cynical voice of the creepy guy mutters, “Everything’s for sale.”

Ponder your own worth.  Do you primarily view yourself as valuable or worthless?  If valuable, on what do you base your value?  Go beyond the spiritual cliché of “because Jesus died for me.”  Not that I’m trying to diminish that, but Jesus saw value in people long before the crucifixion.  What does he see in you?

If you think you are worthless, why?  Is it because someone in the church told you so?  Was he/she right?  Or does your feeling of worthlessness go beyond your church experience.  Did something happen in the past that made you feel like you are nothing?  Was there someone important to you that made you feel inferior?

What do you deem most valuable about yourself?

Journal about your impressions.