Me, me, me!

The Dove Award nominations were announced on Friday and the Oscars were presented last night. And so many of those actors and actresses, producers, singers, songwriters, directors, and screenwriters deserved the accolades. The work these people have done over the past year have been amazing, whether it's a good movie, a perfect lyric, or a well designed CD package.

Good work deserves attention. When someone does a job well, whether writing a song or mopping the floor, it's something to celebrate and honor. The problem often comes in with how those of us who have done the good work often accept those accolades.

Awards are nice. Good, even. They encourage. They recognize that we've done something important. But the honors we receive shouldn't be the things that define us. You are not just an award-winning track star, queen of the foreign language festival, or the guy with the highest grade point average in your high school's history. Those things are great and important, but they're not what make up your worth.

All of those award-winning things are things that God has allowed you to do and given you the talents and skills to accomplish. They're all part of who He made you to be, but your true worth comes only from your relationship with Him. You have worth; you are important; your life has purpose and meaning because you are His child.

Not because you have the best three point percentage in the tri-state area, won the state science competition, or date the hottest guy or girl in school.

But in a world that loves to hand out awards, it's easy to get caught up in all the notoriety and awards and think that those things give your life meaning.

So, in this season of award shows and trophies, don't forget who you are. Don't forget who made you the truly amazing person you are. Don't forget that when all the publicity and popularity dies away, your true treasure lies in heaven with God—the One who has given you the talents, skills, and opportunities to win the world's acclaim.

You are His. You have worth whether the world thinks so or not.

So get out there and live an award-winning life today.