Do You Know Your Worth?

I did a little checking, and depending on how you calculate it we all are worth somewhere between $4.50 and over a million dollars, dead or alive. Or are we? How we calculate our worth depends on what perspective is used.

I have been praying for years to see life from God’s perspective. That eternal perspective kind of wipes out the possible calculations I started with. For many of us, we find ourselves defined by the noise in our head that comes from what our parents or other authority figures told us about ourselves. That can range anywhere on the spectrums of:

idiot >>>>>>>> brilliant

ugly >>>>>>>>>> handsome/beautiful,

poor >>>>>>>>>securely provided for with never a financial concern

And the assessments can change with every circumstance. There are many other ways to measure ourselves as we consider every role we play. I am a daughter, mother, sister, lover of Jesus, missionary, student, intercessor, spiritual warrior, sports fan and athlete, gardener, photographer, writer, cook and friend, just to name a few. Each one of these offers a way to be measured. I have both succeeded and failed at each of these and so many more!

But what about “Child of God?” Is that not the most important definition of who I am? Where do I fit on that spectrum of value judgement? Every human being on the planet is created in the image of God. Regardless of their belief system, they are valuable to God.

What if I told you that God does not hold a value judgement of who we are the way we do?

I was in prayer at a conference last weekend about how we are loved by God. As I sat and listened to our heavenly father, my Abba/Daddy began to tell me who I am from His perspective. The first thing I heard was, “Andy [That is what I was called growing up] I do not see you as you see yourself.” Abba began to tell me who I am NOT. Beginning with some of the common lies that float through my head all too often.

“Andy, you are not shameful or insignificant! I will never reject you or treat you badly.”

I was sitting with Isaiah 62 in front of me. Without debate about who this is written to, or other contextual questions, please allow it sink in to you personally:

³ You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
⁴ You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
⁵ For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

Other scriptures I know began flooding my mind. Like Jesus in the wilderness when Satan tempted him, Abba began to give me scriptures to counter the lies in my mind. Not all in neat little chapter and verse sets, but in a very personal way with: “I see you as my precious jewel, my irreplaceable treasure that I died to posses! My pearl of great price.” Tears of recognition that He had hit the mark of my woundedness soon swelled to sobs as I let the truth be heard and received. The lies began to be replaced with Abba’s tenderness.

I have choices to make. Every minute of every day I get to choose who will define me. Will I let science define me by saying I am worth $4.50 in basic elements? Will I take the free market estimate of my body parts be my definition? That says my various organs are worth in the millions to people who need new hearts and lungs and more? Do I listen to the old tapes of elementary classmates calling me derogatory names that make me feel worthless? Or how about my 8th grade algebra teacher who proclaimed to the class, “Light dawns over marble head!” when I FINALLY understood what she was talking about?

All these decades away from those events, there have been life events and people who have spoken death, and those who have spoken life to me. The only one who is actually reliable with the truth of my value, is the God of the Bible: The Father, His Son Jesus and Holy Spirit.

When I allow this One to define me as so valuable that He sent His son to die for me. . . yes for you, but for ME . . . I need to let that sink in. God’s definition of me, His continual rejoicing over me, His assessment of my worth must to go deeper every day. It needs to be the standard against which all is measured.

Jesus promised to never leave me or forsake me. The Holy Spirit resides in me as a sign and a seal of my salvation. He marks me as chosen for eternity. I am adopted into the family of God. CHOSEN! WANTED! Not cast off! I have Christ in me the hope of glory! From that valuation of, “priceless,” I have hope to offer to a hopeless world around me.

What definitions of your worth are you allowing to define you? Can you share some of the ways God has encouraged you with how He sees you?