You Matter

Last month, I was streaming a Prophetic Conference when Pastor T. Renea Glenn said the words, “you matter,” and it impacted me in a way I’ve never experienced before. I’ve heard that phrase a thousand times before, and I even say it often, but this time it hit differently.

So, I went and looked up the definition of the word matter.

Merriam-Webster defines matter as “material substance that occupies space, has mass, and is composed predominantly of atoms consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons, that constitutes the observable universe, and that is interconvertible with energy.”

When I read that, my spirit got joyful because I immediately saw the correlation between scientific truth and spiritual principles. So brace yourself for this journey into science and spirituality.

1. You are a material substance.

Matter is material substance—which means you are not imaginary, accidental, or insignificant. You are real, intentional, and divinely designed. Your life has purpose and destiny. Your life on this earth matters.

Scripture confirms this in Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Psalm 139 reminds us that God was intentional from the very beginning: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb… I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13–14 NIV)

You matter because God made you on purpose.2. You were created to occupy space. Matter occupies space—and so do you. Your purpose and destiny have a specific place on this earth. You were created to be an answer to a problem. Your gifts, passions, and calling are not just for a career or title, they’re for your God-given assignment. There are rooms you were destined to enter and spaces you were meant to fill. So take up space.

From the very beginning, God commanded humanity to “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.”(Genesis 1:28 CSB). You don’t need permission to exist boldly where God has placed you.

3. You have weight. 

Mass is the measure of how much matter something contains, and it directly determines how much weight it carries in a gravitational field. Simply put, mass affects weight. Having mass means there's some weight on your name; some weight on your purpose.

Merriam-Webster defines mass as “the property of a body that is a measure of its inertia and that is commonly taken as a measure of the amount of material it contains and causes it to have weight in a gravitational field.” It goes on to define inertia as “a property of matter by which it remains at rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force.” In other words, inertia means that things stay the same unless something external acts upon it to make it move. In spiritual terms, that external force is faith. 

Although faith is largely viewed as internal, it also has an external expression.  James 2:14 (NLT) states: What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?  Plainly put, our external actions are the evidence, the fruit, of what we say we believe.

Faith is what causes movement. Faith shifts what otherwise would remain stuck. Jesus said: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed… you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (Luke 17:6 CSB)

The more faith you carry, the more spiritual weight you carry, and the greater impact you can have on this earth. Just as mass measures how much material something contains, and that material gives it weight in a gravitational field, the measure of your faith gives you spiritual weight on this earth.  Through Christ, that weight enables you to step into atmospheres and see them shift, to walk into situations and watch them move.

This is why the enemy wants your faith. If the devil can keep you doubting, discouraged, or disconnected, he can keep you from walking fully in your purpose, destiny, and calling.  The joke is on him because now that you know you matter, you’re not going to let that happen.

4. You are shaped by the positive, the painful, and the in-betweens of life.

Matter is composed predominantly of atoms consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Electrons carry a negative charge and that mirrors the negative experiences of life like heartache, betrayal, disappointment, abandonment, abuse, trauma, pain, sickness, loss, trials, and storms. Protons carry a positive charge, which reflects the blessings, breakthroughs, victories, healing, growth, deliverance, provision, elevation, joys, and triumphs of life. Neutrons carry no charge, and represent the neutral, everyday routines of life and the mundane moments we often live on autopilot. For some, even prayer, Bible study, and time with God have slipped into neutrality, but that’s a conversation for another post.

All of it (the positive, negative and neutral) shapes who you are. That’s why your past is not something to be ashamed of or hidden. Too often, we curate a social-media version of our lives where we only display the protons – the highlights, the wins, the visible blessings. If we’re honest, sometimes those moments get polished, exaggerated, or even flat-out misrepresented. 

When we only show the good, we rob others and ourselves of seeing how God works through the neutrons and electrons of life. We rob them of witnessing how He brings beauty from pain. And we rob God of the glory He deserves.

Your pain is a part of your testimony, and your testimony has power.  The devil accuses us day and night, constantly pointing out our offenses before God, trying to make it seem like we are not who God has called us to be (Revelation 12:10).  Revelation 12:11 reminds us that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. This is why the enemy does not want you sharing your testimony. Because when you do, you overcome his accusations, and others who hear how God moved in your life may glorify God (Matthew 5:16).

James further reminds us to count it all joy when we experience various trials and tribulations, because the trying of our faith produces patience and endurance (James 1:2). Your past pains, mistakes, and mishaps do not define you. When surrendered to God, He uses them to shape the authentic and powerful person He created you to be.

No matter what, God promises that all things (the electrons, protons, and neutrons of life) work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28 CSB).

5. You have dominion and authority. 

Matter constitutes the observable universe. In the scientific realm, the phrase “constitutes the observable universe” refers to all the physical, atomic material, stars, planets, gas, dust, and living beings that are within the range of Earth’s detection. In the same way, this reminds us that God has given humanity authority and dominion.

Genesis 1:26 (NIV) says, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” You were created in His image. You were created to influence. You were created to steward. You were created to rule in the spaces God has entrusted to you.

Your life is not small. Your influence is not insignificant. You are part of what God is doing in the earth.

6. Your value does not change. 

Matter is interconvertible with energy, meaning it can change form, yet mass itself remains constant. In simple terms, matter may shift, transform, or look different, but its mass is conserved – it remains steady. It is neither created nor destroyed. Unlike weight, which changes with gravity, mass remains the same anywhere in the universe.

Here’s why that matters for your life: your matter (your circumstances, your behaviors, your habits, even your physical body) may change over time. We make mistakes. We fall short. Decisions vary. Growth happens. But no matter what changes around you or within you, your mass – your value – remains constant.

Just as mass is neither created nor destroyed, you did not earn your worth, and you cannot lose it. God valued you before you took your first breath. Before He formed you in the womb, He knew you; before you were born, He set you apart (Jeremiah 1:5, CEB). And if you still struggle to believe you have value, remember what Jesus said: “...the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows” (Luke 12:7 NLT).

You can’t over-perform to increase your value in God’s eyes (shout out to my perfectionists), and you can’t perform so poorly that your value decreases. Your value is not performance based.  PERIODT! Your past and present failures, successes, mistakes, and triumphs do not alter your worth.

Your worth is constant. Your value is secure.  Nothing – no mistake, no failure, no success, no season – can rewrite what God has already declared about you.

So, the next time you hear the words “you matter” I hope you hear them differently. I hope it causes you to lift your head a little higher. I hope it puts confidence in your step. I hope you respond and say:

Yes, I do.

I’m matter.

And I matter.