How much effort do we put into trying to prove our worth? In ancient civilizations once you were too old, sick, handicapped, or disadvantaged in some way, and could no longer work or be of any working value to society, you were put on the side of the road to fend for yourself and eventually die.
Interestingly it was the early church and the people who called themselves followers of Jesus, that took these people into their own homes and cared for them and valued them as fellow human beings.
But today the question many people still face is, “What makes you valuable and of worth?” Much of our society and the world’s system says that unless you can “bring something to the table”, achieve, accomplish, and accumulate you better keep striving and toiling because you are yet to prove your worth and value! Sadly for many their value is what they can do and not in who they are. Even when you may have proven yourself, the system says you have to keep pushing because if you don’t, you’ll be put aside by the next “somebody” coming up behind you. There is very little honor or esteem for anyone.
As a woman, a wife, a mother of six, and a pastor of a church, I’ve realised that too often I have succumbed to the pressure of working very hard to prove my worth and value. As women, unfortunately I think we still feel we have to prove we can do everything. That we can look amazing, have brilliant accomplished children, a happy husband and a sparkling clean ordered household, (including our spare room) at all times. Add being a pastor of a church, or whatever vocation you are called too, and the pressure intensifies to prove your worth and ability. Men struggle with juggling family, careers, body image, and accomplishing the balance of being a sensitive, intuitive, and loving new age man, while still being a bloke with a six pack. Everyone wants to feel valued and respected, but too often we feel we aren’t, or that what we do is never quite good enough.
Yet Jesus says we don’t have to prove our worth. He says the the exact opposite of what the system of the world teaches us from childhood. He says we are all of great worth, not because of what we are able to do and achieve, but because we are created in God’s image, and valuable to him. We are valuable enough to give His life for.
Jesus demonstrated we are worth Him going through the cruelest, harshest death imaginable on a cross. Why? So that we no longer have to toil and strive to be good enough, smart enough, beautiful enough, or successful to be loved and accepted. He says we are worth dying for, and nothing we do or don’t do will change his love for us.
“But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:4)
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they” (Matthew 6:26)
So you can relax. All you need do is believe, receive His love and accept that He has already proven your worth! You don’t have to!
Prayer: Lord thank you that I don’t have to prove my worth to be good enough. Help me to understand, and receive your love for me, and that I can live free from the pressure of the world’s system of striving for value. Thank you that you see me as valuable enough to be worth dying for. In Jesus Name. Amen.
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