Market Value: Five Day Devotional

Here are a few additional resources to guide your quiet time this week:

• Watch the replay of "Market Value" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

• Use this small group discussion guide with family, friends and co-workers.

• Join us for our 6 AM Prayer Call, Monday through Friday (EST)

Day 1: You Are God's Greatest Investment

Based on the Message: "Market Value" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." - Genesis 1:27

Devotional: When we think about investments, we typically focus on financial assets: stocks, bonds, real estate. But Genesis 1:27 reveals a profound truth: when God created the heavens and the earth, His greatest asset wasn't the gold in the ground or the land itself. It was mankind. We are different than the animal kingdom because we are image bearers - imago dei. We carry the very imprint of our Creator.

This designation as image bearers means we possess intrinsic value that no market can determine and no circumstance can diminish. When God breathed the breath of life into Adam, He wasn't just creating another creature. He was making an investment. He was placing His divine nature within humanity and expecting a return on that investment. Every breath we take literally proclaims the name of Yahweh - the sound of inhalation (YH) and exhalation (WH) declares His name continuously.

Too often, we measure our worth by our bank accounts, possessions, or achievements. But God's economy operates differently. He invested His very breath in you, His image in you, His creative power in you. You are not valuable because of what you have accumulated; you are valuable because of who created you and whose image you bear. This understanding should fundamentally shift how we see ourselves and approach our daily lives.

When you wake up tomorrow morning, remember that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Your talents, abilities, character, and potential are the raw materials He has given you to provide a return on His investment. The question isn't whether you have value - you do. The question is: what are you doing to develop and steward the asset that is you?

Quote: "His greatest asset was not the gold in the ground; it was Adam. Your greatest asset is not your bank account or your real estate… your greatest asset is YOU." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: In what ways have you been measuring your worth by external factors rather than recognizing your inherent value as God's image bearer?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for creating me in Your image and breathing Your life into me. Help me to see myself as You see me - not as someone defined by possessions or achievements, but as Your greatest investment. Give me wisdom to steward well the talents, abilities, and character You've placed within me. May every breath I take proclaim Your name and every day of my life provide a return on Your investment in me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Day 2: Developing Your Human Capital

Based on the Message: "Market Value" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

"Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it." - Genesis 2:15

Devotional: The Garden of Eden was a paradise filled with incredible resources: fertile land, fruit-bearing trees, flowing rivers for transportation and commerce, precious metals, medicinal resins, and valuable gemstones. It was essentially an economic powerhouse with unlimited potential. Yet notice what God chose to focus on: He didn't develop the land first; He chose to develop Adam.

This reveals a fundamental principle about God's economy: human capital is more valuable than natural resources. Human capital refers to the skills, knowledge, and experience possessed by an individual, viewed in terms of their value to an organization or endeavor. God placed Adam in Eden with a specific mandate: to tend and keep it. To tend, which also means to cultivate, is to exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose. To keep means to maintain a certain state and to watch over and guard.

God was training Adam to walk in dominion, but dominion requires development. Raw materials, no matter how precious, are worthless without human capital to develop them. The gold in the ground meant nothing until someone had the knowledge and skill to extract, refine, and utilize it. The rivers had potential for commerce, but only if someone understood trade and transportation.

This same principle applies to your life today. God has placed you in your current environment, your job, your community, your family situation; not just to exist, but to tend and keep. You are being trained to walk in dominion. Every challenge you face, every skill you develop, every experience you gain is increasing your human capital. God is more interested in developing who you are than what you have.

Quote: "God doesn't develop the land; He chooses to develop Adam. Raw material is nothing without human capital to develop it." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: What specific skills, knowledge, or experiences is God developing in your current season, and how might He want to use these to expand your influence?

Prayer: Lord, thank You for placing me exactly where I am to develop my human capital. Help me to see every challenge as an opportunity to grow, every skill as a tool for Your kingdom, and every experience as preparation for greater responsibility. Give me the discipline to tend and keep what You've entrusted to me. Make me faithful in stewarding the development process, knowing that You are preparing me for dominion. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Day 3: Work as Worship and ROI

Based on the Message: "Market Value" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

"Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." - Genesis 1:28

Devotional: After creating mankind in His image and likeness, God immediately makes a declaration: be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, and have dominion. These weren't suggestions; they were mandates from our Creator expecting a return on His investment.

This mandate should shape how we should view our work and productivity. Work isn't a curse from the fall; it's a blessing from creation. It's our opportunity to provide God with a return on His investment in us.

When we understand work as worship, it transforms our entire approach. Every task becomes an act of stewardship. Every project becomes an opportunity to demonstrate God's character through our excellence, integrity, and diligence. Every interaction becomes a chance to reflect His image in the marketplace. We're not just earning a paycheck; we're generating returns for the Kingdom of God.

God's investment in you wasn't just the breath of life; it was His image, His creativity, His problem-solving ability, His capacity for relationship and leadership. When you work with excellence, innovate solutions, build healthy relationships, or lead with integrity, you're producing dividends on God's investment. When you multiply, whether through mentoring others, building businesses, raising children, or expanding your influence; you're fulfilling the mandate to be fruitful.

The question isn't whether God expects a return on His investment in you. He clearly does. The question is: what kind of return are you currently providing? Are you operating below your potential, or are you maximizing the gifts, talents, and opportunities He's given you? Remember, God didn't create you to be a liability; He created you to be His greatest asset.

Quote: "During creation, God invests tremendous thought, time and resources into creating humanity. Yahweh puts His breath in mankind and mandates that they be productive. God expects a return on His investment." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: How can you shift your perspective to see your daily work as worship and an opportunity to provide God with a return on His investment in you?

Prayer: God, help me to see my work as worship and my productivity as stewardship of Your investment in me. Transform my heart and mind so that I approach every task with excellence, knowing that I am representing You. Give me wisdom to multiply the gifts and opportunities You've given me. May my life generate returns that bring glory to Your name and advance Your kingdom purposes. Help me to be fruitful in all You've called me to do. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Day 4: Embracing Personal Development as Stewardship

Based on the Message: "Market Value" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." - Genesis 2:7

Devotional: When a person is an asset, they bring significant value wherever they go. They don't just take up space; they add value. They don't just show up; they contribute. They don't just exist; they make a difference.

Becoming an asset requires intentional development. It means consistently working on your skills, character, knowledge, and emotional intelligence. It means being committed to growth even when it's uncomfortable or challenging.

Personal development is really about increasing your market value in God's economy. When you read books, attend seminars, develop new skills, work on your character, or expand your knowledge, you're not just improving yourself. You're increasing your capacity to serve God's purposes and bless others. You're making yourself more useful in His hands and more valuable to His kingdom.

Remember, who you are is more important than what you have. Your character, integrity, wisdom, and skills will outlast any material possession. They travel with you wherever you go and can't be taken away by economic downturns or life circumstances. Investing in your personal development is the wisest investment you can make because you are your most precious asset.

Quote: "When a person is an asset, they bring significant value, utility, or advantage to a team, organization, or relationship. Are you an asset or a liability?"- Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: What specific area of personal development has God been calling you to focus on, and what practical steps will you take this week to grow in that area?

Prayer: Father, thank You for breathing Your life into me and giving me the capacity to grow and develop. Help me to see personal development not as selfish ambition, but as faithful stewardship of what You've placed within me. Show me the areas where I need to grow and give me the discipline to pursue that growth consistently. Make me an "asset" who brings value wherever I go and serves Your purposes effectively. May my development bring glory to You and blessing to others. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Day 5: Maximizing Your Market Value for Kingdom Impact

Based on the Message: "Market Value" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

"The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed." - Genesis 2:8

Devotional: When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, He wasn't giving him a vacation destination. He was providing him with a training ground. Eden was filled with resources - gold, precious stones, flowing rivers, fertile land, but all of it needed to be stewarded, developed, and managed. God was training Adam to walk in dominion, and dominion requires developed capacity.

Your current environment is your training ground. Whether you're in a corporate office, a classroom, a factory, or your home, God has strategically placed you there to develop your capacity for greater influence. Every challenge you face develops your problem-solving skills. Every relationship you navigate increases your emotional intelligence. Every responsibility you handle faithfully is preparing you for greater authority.

Increasing your market value isn't about becoming more valuable to impress others or accumulate wealth. It's about becoming more useful to God and more beneficial to others. When you increase your skills, knowledge, character, and capacity, you increase your ability to solve problems, create value, and make a positive impact. You become someone who can steward greater resources and handle bigger responsibilities.

The marketplace is waiting for believers who understand their identity as God's image bearers and who operate with kingdom principles. When you maximize your market value, your skills, character, knowledge, and influence, you create platforms for kingdom impact. You become someone who can open doors for others, create opportunities, solve significant problems, and advance God's purposes in your sphere of influence. This is why God invested in you in the first place.

Quote: "God expects a return on His investment. It's time to increase your market value."- Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

Question: What specific steps will you take this month to increase your market value and expand your capacity for kingdom impact?

Prayer: Lord, thank You for strategically placing me in my current environment to develop my capacity for dominion. Help me to see every experience as training for greater influence and responsibility. Give me wisdom to know how to increase my market value in ways that honor You and serve others. Develop in me the skills, character, and knowledge I need to make a significant kingdom impact. Use me as an asset in Your hands to advance Your purposes and bless others. In Jesus' name, Amen.