Are You Really Worth It? 2016.10.16
I was talking to someone and they had shared something that reminded me of myself. I listened to them share and I became overwhelmed with personal emotion & memories. How long have I struggled with the self-imposed question:
"Am I worth it?"
Let's be honest - We've all asked ourselves this question several times throughout our life. Some may have been able to move past this, but a lot of us still struggle in answering this in a positive way.
Let's look at it this way: we're not worth it at all. We may think that we are, call it pride or selfishness, but some of us live life as if our lives are the only thing of importance. (Remember Proverbs 16:18). But from a scriptural standpoint, we are not worthy of God's love because we are sinners. Look at the NET Bible version for Isaiah 64:6 and how it compares our holiness to that of God's:
"We are all like the one who is unclean,
all our so-called righteous acts are like a
menstrual rag in your sight. We all wither
like a leaf, our sins carry us away like the wind"
If that doesn't paint a picture for you, i don't know what will! We are truly unworthy of the things in our lives: cars, homes, family, love, forgiveness, ... God, the maker of the heavens & the earth, the master over the impossible, does not owe us a thing, because of who & where we are in the scheme of things... and yet, that's not how we are treated.
We are worthy of God's love because of the countless number of scriptures that says so (Psalm 139:13-15, Jeremiah 29:11, and importantly Titus 3:5). We have been given the authority over the devil, not by our power or means, but because it's through God (Luke 10:19) - How can we truly believe this if we doubt our own worth before God?! More importantly, we are worth it all because Jesus himself left his station in heaven, to live as a man, to teach & begin God's church, and then be murdered (sacrificed, but the word "murdered" paints it closer to home) so that we can have a chance at everlasting life.
Think about it - When someone buys you dinner, that's something to be thankful for. When someone comes because of your beckon call for assistance, that's something to be thankful for. But when Jesus pays your life-earned tab of death, and does so loving you through every second, that is something where you need to truly be thankful for... That is why we've dedicated our lives to God, because we acknowledge all that He's done & how living a life without Him seems hopeless. We were forgiven of our past sins at our baptism, which means that God has forgotten about all of it! We were made new! And yet, we're going to hold onto that? The thoughts of worthless (or even dampened worhlessness)?!?
Love the God to whom you've dedicated your life to, but remember the humility that's needed when reflecting upon all of God's goodness & grace that he bestows upon us daily.
