It’s been amazing to me these last few days how fast my internal dialogue can shift. After one productive day I think, “Wow, you got a lot done today. You’re great!” Then one day I spend time coloring and binge-watching an entire season of Chuck and I think, “You’re so lazy. You’re wasting your life. You’ll never be successful.”
When productivity becomes a measure for my self-worth, I’m in a precarious mental and spiritual state. Perhaps productivity isn’t your concern. You can binge-watch like a champion without any worries whatsoever. But maybe your appearance, your muscle tone, or your validation from others is your measure for your self-worth. Or perhaps you find self-worth in the state of your household, the good behavior of your children, the relationship with your spouse, your anxiety level, or any other external or internal measure.
Society has various guidelines for what makes a person worthy as well. Age, appearance, wealth, success, ethnicity, temperament, etc. But even these are not universally accepted. The elderly are considered out-dated and out-of-touch in certain parts of the world and revered for their wisdom and experience in others. For some success looks like a seven-figure bank account and for others, it means a meaningful job or certain letters after their name.
With all of these different measures, how can we know that we matter?
Scripture has a lot to say about a person’s worth, and none of the measures listed above make the list. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us,
“The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, the the Lord looks on the heart.”
God measures a person’s worth according to His standards of perfection and holiness. According to these standards, we could never measure up—that is, apart from His grace. The grace God gives to us is far greater than any accomplishment we could ever muster in our own abilities. Essentially, our worth can be boiled down to two things:
1) Every single human being is of incomparable worth to God because we are made in God’s image. There is not a single one of us that can say we aren’t good enough because the measure isn’t us—it’s God. We have worth because He has stamped His image on our hearts and minds and spirits and there’s no escaping it.
“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
2) Every single human being is of incomparable worth to God because His Son paid the ultimate price of His blood so that we could be united with Him forever. We have the option of accepting or rejecting that gift, but it is made available to all. When we accept the gift of Jesus’ shed blood on our behalf, our record before God is washed clean as if we’d never sinned. When God looks at His children, He sees each one wrapped in the pure love of Jesus which makes us holy despite our faults.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
So whether or not I abide by my own standards of worth or the standards society has set for me, I know that I have worth and that I am loved far more than I will ever understand. If it was up to me doing everything right or saying everything right or looking like a model or having a proper house, I’d never measure up. The opinions others have of me or those I have of myself are of little worth.
The only thing that matters is what God thinks and He says:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” – Jeremiah 31:3
“I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’” – Isaiah 41:13
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” – Isaiah 43:1
When the days grow long and the voices get loud in your head, remind yourself of these truths. God knows everything about you. He saw you in your mother’s womb, He knows the moment you will take your last breath, and He holds you tight for every moment in between. Base your worth on Him. He’s got you in the palm of His hand. (Isaiah 49:16)
Photo by Jennifer Burk on Unsplash
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