You're Worth It
One of the biggest attacks of the enemy and the most debilitating when it comes to living out your calling and walking in the boldness and authority that God has given you, is through an attack of your worth. Whether it’s coming from others or even coming from yourself, it can cause you to live locked up and silenced.
I’m in my 20s and a big part of this time in my life (and for a lot of 20-somethings), is self-discovery. Each year I learn something new about the way I think and operate, and one of my recent discoveries has been about the way I’ve allowed myself to give people more control over my self-perception than is actually healthy. I think a lot of us walk this line. When we are doing really well, we let others build us up, but just as quickly as they build you up, they will tear you down. If you’re not careful and start to depend on this kind of validation, negative feedback can, and will, rip the rug right out from under you.
I’ve been reading Ephesians lately and it says in Ephesians 1:4:
“For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Christ Jesus…”
There are times I’ve felt so low, and so worthless. I’ve felt invisible, like I didn’t matter, like no one cared or recognized the depths of who I am, who God’s created me to be. Anyone else been there?
But then we read those words. And, let’s not forget Psalm 139, which reminds us how the eyes of the Lord have always been gazing upon us, even when we were so, so small - too small to even be seen by man, in our mother’s womb.
He knows our every day, every moment of our life from beginning to end.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had some pretty crappy days. I’ve been a jerk, I’ve been angry, I’ve been selfish.
But God still allowed Jesus to die for me.
Think about that for a minute - think about how a God who knows your every move and breath, every day of your life, seeing the good and bad STILL chose to come from heaven and die for you. Romans 5:7 says, “For rarely will someone die for a just person - though a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Isn’t it crazy that we can feel so low and so defeated when Jesus shed his blood to prove our worth to us? Do you really understand the worth you have?
Our worth isn’t defined by man. Our worth isn’t even known by man - any measurements of our worth given by man is incomplete and often tainted with biases and opinions. Our worth was defined in the act of Jesus dying on the cross. Our worth was defined before the foundation of the world. Even before the world was formed, God knew our days and wove history and the future with our redemption in mind - all for love. All because we are worth it to him. Nothing else matters. The battle we take on when we come across people and things that would tell us we aren’t worth it is whether or not we bow our knee to opinions instead of Jesus.
Where do you find your worth?
As Christians, it’s important we recognize the way God defines us. Our identity and the foundation of who we are comes directly from the Father’s heart. To truly understand that, and to know that no conditions or limitations exist when it comes to the love God has for us, and the pride he takes in us as his children, is the most freeing and empowering thing you can do.
Even with that amazing revelation, there will still be times where you have to choose to stand your ground and fight to hold on to this truth. We all experience hurt, criticism, and rejection.
know your worth, and don’t compromise.
You have a choice. You can choose to view yourself for what others see you lack, or you can choose to draw your worth from the Father. Your worth doesn’t lie with man, it lies with God, who created and formed you in your mother’s womb. God knows the heart and sees more than man ever could, so as much as it can hurt to experience rejection, it doesn’t define you. When you walk through rejection, remember this: I look to My God and My Father for my worth - and I was worth it all. I was worth dying for in his eyes.
Words have power and they have an impact on us. It’s hard to digest tough information or critical words sometimes. However, what I have learned lately is that if I truly know my worth, anything that comes my way that doesn’t line up with what I know to be true about myself can be tossed out. I don’t even have to give it a second thought. You don’t have to let those things get you down and take up your mental space.
Little side note: This doesn’t mean don’t be open to feedback. It doesn’t mean don’t submit to those over you. It just means, don’t let people tear you down. Don’t compromise your value based on the words of others. You should always take it back to God and let him help you determine whether or not these words are truth.
The voice that really matters
There will always be a ton of voices out there trying to tell you what to believe and think about yourself. But the voice that really matters is God’s voice. He’s the only one who can define your worth, and sustain you during the times you struggle with believing it. Be encouraged today. You have tremendous worth and you are deeply, deeply loved by your savior.