We struggle with being worthy often because we limit the definition to what the world deems as worthiness. But that is not how God defines the word:
Matthew 6:26 (ESV)
“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
Our self-worth is too often based on what other people tell us about ourselves, such as how well we compare with our peers on our accomplishments, status, and appearance. Social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others allow us to instantaneously evaluate such attributes, often with detrimental effects. Research has shown a correlation between the hours spent on social media and an increased negative feeling of one’s self-worth, leading some even to the point of suicide.
How do you see yourself? Pause for a moment and think about it. Do you see yourself as valuable? Do you see yourself as God sees you?
There are many Scriptural references that tell us how God feels about our worth. For instance, we are made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), the very image of the Most High. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made”, with our days numbered in God’s book (Psalm 139:13-16). Just knowing this should make one recognize how much our Creator loves us. We are His possession, chosen to bring Him glory (Ephesians 1:13-14). Further, God most certainly would not have sent His Son to die in our place if we did not have any worth to Him (John 3:16).
Let your identity and self-worth reflect on your value to our Lord. In Him, we have forgiveness, unconditional love, security, hope, and best of all, an eternity of fellowship not based on anything we have or have not accomplished.
Perhaps you are weighed down by some secret or have had something happen to you that nobody else knows about. There might be shame in this or shame because you are struggling with a sinful habit that is controlling you now. Maybe your past is still haunting you.
But just know that God’s grace is bigger than anything you are dealing with. If we focus on how much God loves us and the price He paid to redeem us, we’ll come to see ourselves as God sees us, and that will help us understand just how much we’re really worth as a child of God.
Instead of seeing the failures in the mirror, we will see infinite worth. When we do this, we will see ALL of God’s children in the same light.
Our worth is not really tied to self at this point. Our worth becomes a reflection of the worth God has given us, a worth so immeasurable that He died for us.
Our identity in Christ is everything. It IS who we are. We are not defined by our sin but are cloaked in the righteousness of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). The ungodly is you and I.
If you do not know this kind of love yet, I urge you to let Jesus into your heart right now and let the shame the enemy has kept you in be lifted into worthiness found only in the love of Jesus.
