September 1, 2020
The Bible actually has many passages that tell us what God has to say about our worth and our value in His eyes. Genesis 1:26–27 says we are made in His image, the very image of God. Psalm 139:13–16 says we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and all the days of our lives were written in God’s book before we were ever born, confirming God’s prior knowledge and plan for our lives. Ephesians 1:4 says God chose His children before the foundations of the earth were ever formed, and in Ephesians 1:13–14 we’re told we are God’s own possession, chosen for the praise of His glory, and that we have an inheritance in heaven with Him as His children.
But notice the wording in each of the above phrases: “are made,” “are fearfully and wonderfully made,” “were written,” “God chose His children,” “we are God’s own possession,” and “we have an inheritance.” These phrases all have one thing in common: they are things done to us or for us by God. These are not things we have done for ourselves, nor have we earned or deserved them. We are, in fact, merely the recipients of “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”1 Therefore, we can conclude that our worth is not really of the “self” at all; rather, it is worth given to us by God. We are of inestimable value to Him because of the price He paid to make us worthy—the death of His Son on the cross.
The Bible tells us that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”2 In fact, we “were dead in trespasses and sins.”3 … God imputed to us His own righteousness4 not because we were worthy of it, but because we were unworthy, unlovable, and unable to make ourselves worthy in any way. But—and here’s the miracle—He actually loved us in spite of our condition,5 and because He did, we now have infinite worth.
John 1:12 tells us that to those who received Christ and believed in His name, God gave the right to become His children. First John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we focus on how much God loves us and the price He paid to redeem us, we’ll come to see ourselves as God sees us, and that will help us understand just how much we’re really worth as children of the most high God.
Our self-worth is too often based on what other people tell us about ourselves. The one, true authority on our self-worth is Jesus Christ, and since He gave His own life for us by dying on a cross, that should tell us just how valuable we really are.—From gotquestions.org6
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A conviction that you are a [son or] daughter of God gives you a feeling of comfort in your self-worth. It means that you can find strength in the balm of Christ. It will help you meet the heartaches and challenges with faith and serenity.—James E. Faust
When the life of a follower of Jesus is lived as Jesus intended it to be, it becomes a thing of beauty. Being a Christian and having a relationship with God should be something that permeates our daily experiences, is integrated into our decisions, and brings color to our perceptions of ourselves, others, and this life.
Like a beautiful painting, a Christian’s greatest glory is often made up of countless little things. The tiny globs of color in the painting that appear to be so insignificant when viewed up close become breathtakingly beautiful when seen in their totality. In the same way, the countless expressions of God’s love shared with others in the course of a Christian’s life may at times appear to be insignificant in themselves, yet God sees them in the context of the totality of a life that glorifies Him, and He revels in their beauty.
We are God’s handiwork. As we allow Him to blend the hues of His love and mercy and develop the beauty of form that He intended for us, we become His masterpiece that will speak to the hearts of many. Let’s eagerly embrace the priceless gift of His presence in our lives. And as we cultivate the captivating beauty of God’s love in all we do and say, others will be drawn to Him through us.—Maria Fontaine
No two leaves, no two jewels, no two stars, no two lives alike. Every life is a fresh thought from God to the world. No man in all the world can do your work as well as you. And if you do not find and enter into God’s purpose for your life, there will be something missing from the glory that would otherwise have been there. Every jewel gleams with its own radiance. Every flower distills its own fragrance. Every Christian has his own particular bit of Christ’s radiance and Christ’s fragrance which God would pass through him to others.—James McConkey
God wove you. Like a tapestry, each of us is a complex creature.7 … The Psalmist correctly identifies God as the Master Worker who is the source of our origin.
This should elicit praise and thanksgiving from our hearts.8 We are “fearfully” (awe) and “wonderfully” (to distinguish) made. Each of us [is] unique in many ways, but also similar in many; each an original masterpiece of the Creator. Don’t deny this aspect of your identity (too many have done so). God can use your special abilities9; He has a purpose for you!—Jon W. Quinn
You are part of a magnificent, vast, overall plan. You can’t see that plan, but I can. You can’t see how beautifully you fit in with the overall panorama of life and the balance of the universe, but I can. Someday you will see it too, and you will marvel together with Me at how wonderfully it all came together.
You are unique. There has never been a person like you, nor will there ever be another just like you. Resist the temptation to look negatively at yourself and focus on what you think are your shortcomings, weaknesses, and inabilities, a less-than-perfect body or personality or whatever. I love you just the way you are, and I love you as though you were the only person in the world. You are special to Me.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy
Published on Anchor September 2020. Read by Reuben Ruchevsky.
Music by Michael Dooley.
1 Ephesians 1:3.
2 Romans 5:8.
3 Ephesians 2:1.
4 2 Corinthians 5:21.
5 John 3:16.
7 See Exodus 26:36.
8 See Psalm 139:14.
9 See Psalm 139:16.
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