The first verse of O Holy Night contains this pair of lines:

Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ’Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

Meditate, for a moment, on the profound truth contained therein. Why do we sin? Why do we spurn God? Is it not partially because we do not know the immense worth of our souls, the incredible value God has placed upon us? When we see ourselves as worthless, dirty bags of carbon and protein, it doesn’t matter what we do. We can engage in all manner of filth, for what does it matter if a dirty rag gets a bit dirtier?

But when He appeared, demonstrating through His love and sacrifice that our souls are worth the cost of the life of the Son of God, we gain a new perspective. We are valuable, precious items to God, who He has purchased. Sure, we are stained, scratched, and marred. But God sees through that, buys us, and then begins to clean, polish, and refine us for our proper setting in His courts.

"’Till the soul felt its worth" — a wonderful thought.