What Does it Mean to Find Your Worth in God?
The knowledge of God’s love has the power to transform our lives – to wash away the dross of other people’s opinions which may have negatively influenced our self-worth. Instead we can be secure in the knowledge of the lavish love that God has poured out for us – there is nothing that we can do to make him love us more. When we come to repentance it is there that we find reconciliation and rest for the soul.
“For here is the way God loved the world – he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life. God did not send his Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be its Savior and rescue it! So now there is no longer any condemnation for those who believe in him…”
John 3:16-18 TPT
We are no longer condemned in sin, we receive forgiveness and righteousness in, and through, Christ Jesus. Our minds are being renewed in God’s word, and there is the possibility of change. We can leave our past behind, knowing that our sins are forgiven, and have a fresh start in Jesus.
The transformation is ongoing, as the Holy Spirit renews our minds by replacing all the negative though processes that life has laid on us with the truth of God’s word. He teaches us who we are in Jesus, and who He is to us. We learn our worth to God, how He thinks about us and how He regards us – we come to know our true identity!
True Worth – Reflection
As a horse owner, I have often been asked the question, “that’s a nice horse – what is she worth?” Or even, “she must be worth something?” And whether I think the question is rude or appropriate the answer is the same – nothing and everything!
It depends, of course, what you are basing your valuation on.
With horses a value is placed on them, in part by their breeding and confirmation, but also by their potential, what people think they will be able to do. Whatever discipline they are looking at, racing, eventing, dressage or show jumping – the horse’s value, ultimately will be based on their performance and their results.
Now my horse had average to good breeding, good confirmation, and a lot of potential when I bought her as a youngster. And the more I trained and competed with her, her value went up but unfortunately, due to injury and a major illness her value then went down again. I no longer compete, and she has signs of wear and tear with an old injury to her legs. Due to her illness I can no longer insure her, because the insurance company paid out more than her worth for her last hospital bill. Although she is fit and able for light leisure work, she is no longer fit enough for a competition career. She is also getting older.
So what is she worth? To other people, nothing. Set against the cost of keeping her, they would not see a positive return on their money.
But what is she worth to me? Everything. We have had twelve years together, enjoying the highs and dealing with the lows, and through those experiences we have developed a bond of mutual trust. We have built up a close relationship.
How can you place a financial worth on a relationship? It has worth beyond what money can buy. Relationship is everything. Relationship brings meaning and value to life.
Knowing Your Worth in God
Thank God that our worth is based, not on our performance or results, but on relationship, the gift of God.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
Our worth does not go up or down, we are precious to God, so much so, that He was willing to send His Son, to redeem us from our sinful lives and to restore our relationship with Him. God bases His valuation of us, our worth, on the life of Jesus, His one and only Son!
God’s valuation of our worth is based on the life of His Son. We are precious to Him.
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If you are feeling worn down and weary from life, reach out to the Lord, let your thinking be renewed as you read through these next Scriptures. I pray that God will reveal how much He loves you, as you reach out to Him.
You are valuable to God – 12 Scripture Verses
These verses are a gentle reminder, and there are times when we all need that prompt, of how much we are loved by God, and how intentional He is for our relationship with Him. The last verse is a prayer, that when we know our worth there will be a response from our hearts to live for Christ alone.
“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3
“For you created my innermost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:13-14
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
“But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13
“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:22
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
Prayer:
“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:9-10
Strive for righteousness.Living righteously brings us one step closer to realizing our divine potential to become like God. On the other hand, when we make mistakes and sin, we may feel shame, which can overwhelm us and bring down our sense of self-worth. Instead, we should allow godly sorrow to lead us to sincere repentance. Because of Jesus Christ’s Atonement, our guilt can be swept away through repentance, which can help us focus on our future—not our past. We will also be worthy of the Spirit, which can give us peace and confidence, helping us have a true sense of our worth.
Serve others. By magnifying our talents and our callings and by engaging in other forms of service, we can draw closer to Jesus Christ, and become more like Him—bringing us closer to our divine potential.
Rejoice in the successes of others. Instead of feeling jealous or upset that others get an A on a test, congratulate them. Remember that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, and that comparisons are not an accurate measure of anyone’s self-worth. In the words of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “We are not diminished when someone else is added upon.” He says that feeling envious of others’ successes is like “downing [a] quart of pickle juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment!”6 When we are happy for other people, we can understand a little more how God rejoices in our successes—again helping us to draw closer to our potential.
Remember who you are.Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, Young Women General President, has said: “The real source that we should turn to to find out our value is our Heavenly Father. … The thing that gives me the greatest comfort is knowing who I am. … If we really understood that we are literal sons and daughters of Heavenly Father, I don’t think we would ever question our value.”7
Acknowledge the little things you do every day.Allow yourself to feel enthusiastic about your daily successes, even the tiny ones. For instance, keep a “done list”! When you accomplish something, however small, write it down and cross it off. It’s OK (and good) to rejoice in the little things.
You Are Worth It
We all struggle with feelings of low self-worth at times in our lives, because the world wants us to judge ourselves by so many different and difficult standards. But in the end, our worth has nothing to do with how much we cross off our to-do lists, who our friends are, or even what talents we have been given. Our divine worth is constant—and it comes from who we are: divine children of a loving Heavenly Father with the potential to become like Him. The more we try to reach that potential, the more we’ll discover our eternal worth.
I Am Valuable Because God Loves Me
The point of salvation is not that God loves us because we are valuable. The point of salvation is that God is the greatest, and in His mercy, he has chosen to give us worth by loving us when we had nothing in us deserving salvation.
The therapeutic gospel leaves us thinking, “Lord, thanks for recognizing my worth and loving me!” The biblical gospel leaves us on our knees in profound gratitude, crying, “Thank you, God, that even though my heart is more like a defaced rock than a precious jewel, you saw fit to love me.”
The therapeutic gospel says, “I am valuable, and that’s why God loves me.” The biblical gospel says, “I am valuable because God loves me!”
Once you grasp the truth that there is nothing intrinsically worthy in yourself that would cause God to act on your behalf, you are overwhelmed by grace flowing from a God who chose to reach down and deliver you anyway. And all you can repeat through tears is, Why me? Why me? Why me? Amazing grace… why would he save a wretch like me?
The therapeutic gospel makes grace expected. The biblical gospel makes grace amazing.
1. I must be loved or approved by virtually every other person in my life.
If we are living to make sure that others love us, we give them permission to evaluate us based on what we do — we give people the power to determine our self-worth.
When we leave home, many of us have “internalized parents” who are now voices in our head that tell us what we should do, what is important, and how we should do things. Have you ever been in a situation where you have to make a decision and you can hear your parents saying, “That’s not responsible…” or “I told you that would happen?”
Many of us are so concerned about being loved that we give the opposite sex permission to evaluate our self-worth. As adolescents, we might sacrifice our own identity to get attention and acceptance, even to the extent of pretending not to be bright or kind because we think the opposite sex won’t be impressed. Or we might deny ourselves food to lose weight to try to fit in with the body images portrayed in magazines. Even as adults, we buy into the beauty myth, thinking that our appearance is our number one asset, and that it will bring us acceptance and approval from a spouse. Eating disorders abound — anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating, to name a few.
If we are living to make sure that others love us, we give people the power to determine our self-worth.
We may even feel pressure from our church community to measure ourselves according to certain stereotypes — women are supposed to be nurturing, quiet and gentle, raise well-behaved children, and maybe even do crafts. And men should be competent spiritual leaders, provide for and protect their families, be a “manly man,” and be in touch with their sensitive side, too. If we live to please our church community, we may find ourselves negating the interests or gifts that God has given us.
Related article: Dealing With Low Self-Esteem
##Our identity is found in Jesus Christ. It is rooted in his freedom-giving mercy. Our identity is that of a child of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Our spiritual inheritance is one of forgiveness, an intimate relationship with Jesus, and hope of spending all eternity enjoying fellowship with God (see Ephesians 1). These truths assure us of God’s unconditional love, and of the intimacy, security, and hope we find in him. None of this is based on what we do; rather, it is grounded in what God has already accomplished through Christ.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1:3-4
2. My past history is an all-important determiner of my present behavior; because something once strongly affected my life, it should definitely continue to do so.
You may feel controlled by a secret. You may have had something happen to you that you have revealed to no-one, or perhaps to only a few people. Perhaps you feel shame about certain aspects of the family you grew up in, or maybe you have sinful habits you feel embarrassed about, such as gossip, lust, pornography, or a critical spirit. Maybe you are ashamed of some things you have done in the past. Or maybe you feel ashamed of something that has been done to you.
If we don’t deal with issues in our past, they will continue to control us in some way in our present. But they don’t have to. We can deal with past sin, our family histories, as well as past violations to our bodies and minds.
It is important to identify whether our feelings in these situations are destructive shame or healthy conviction. Healthy conviction always separates our identity from our behavior. Shame links these two, so wrong behavior taints our image of ourselves. Healthy conviction alerts us to the fact that we have done something that goes against our internalized values.
Biblical conviction is a God-given emotion that “red flags” a behavior and tells us it is an act of rebellion against God. It spurs us to confess our sin and experience the love and forgiveness that God has provided for us through Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Biblical conviction is a God-given emotion that “red flags” a behavior and tells us it is an act of rebellion against God.
Any feelings of guilt that come after we’ve confessed our sin are not from God, but may be from ourselves or from the evil one. We still have to live with the consequences of our sin, but God does not punish us for our sin. God disciplines us to get us back on track so we can continue to experience God’s love and plan for our lives. Our struggles can bring us closer to God and heighten our faith as we experience his faithfulness in forgiving us and drawing us closer to himself (see Hebrews 12.4-13).
In this you greatly rejoice, though for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proven genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed(1 Peter 1:6-7).
Next up: Know Who You Are
3. I should be thoroughly competent, adequate, and successful in all possible respects in order to consider myself worthwhile.
Ten percent of people will struggle with some form of clinical depression in their lifetime. Depression can be biological or situational, and often can be the result of both. However, one of the leading causes of depression is setting your standards so high that you cannot possibly live up to them. You are constantly striving for a standard that is unattainable, but you wear yourself out trying anyway. One of the messages that can play over and over in our minds is that we have to “be perfect.”
We often fall into the trap of feeling responsible not just for ourselves, but for the lives of others, whether our co-workers, friends, children, or spouses. We take on the weight of everyone’s world!
Read Tia’s story of facing depression.
It is often difficult for us to separate our identity from our behavior. We feel if we don’t measure up, it reflects on who we are as individuals.
##God’s grace, charis, is a gift. In and through his grace, God heals us and brings us freedom to live a new life. Sometimes grace does not come easily to us. We have to work at changing our thinking. We need to humble ourselves to accept God’s grace and extend grace to ourselves when we don’t measure up, knowing that God already sees us as the perfect reflections of Christ that we will be in eternity (1 John 3:1-3).
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care. 1 Peter 1:10
Once we extend grace to ourselves, we will be able to extend grace to those around us, both those in the church community and those outside. We need to cease trying to live up to these distorted beliefs and learn to line our thinking up with the way God views us.
Once we extend grace to ourselves, we will be able to extend grace to those around us.
Instead of being so focused on ourselves and our failures, we will be able to extend a helping hand to those around us and be God’s vessel of grace to those we come into contact with wherever we go.
##Here are some practical steps to take to gain a true picture of yourself:
1. ERADICATE THE ROADBLOCKS
- Identify which roadblock to seeing yourself as God sees you affects you most.
- Think of new ways to look at that situation and embrace a new thought pattern that would be more helpful to you.
- Whenever you recognize that old pattern of thinking or behaving, interrupt it and substitute your new way of thinking and behaving.
2. ALIGN YOUR VIEW OF YOURSELF TO GOD’S VIEW
God uses various metaphors to describe his love and care for us — a nursing mother, a loving father, a shepherd, etc. Here are some verses to meditate on:
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