Self-Worth

“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” (Psalm 139:14 NLT)

On what do you base your sense of self-worth? Most of us rely on our physical attributes (intelligence, talents, accomplishments, education, wealth, power, etc.) as a measure of our worthiness. We use whatever we have as currency to gain validation from those around us. We stroke each other’s egos, trading approval to gain a sense of significance.

This interplay of affirmation only works as long as we all agree on what is valuable. For example, if someone no longer buys into worldly standards, then his worthiness is difficult to measure. He is like a football player who switches to playing cricket. He can no longer depend on his old techniques, teammates, or fans to measure success.

Those who choose to follow Jesus can no longer expect worldly validation. We are playing a different game, with different rules, on a different field. Our sense of worth comes from our intimacy with Christ. We know we were marvelously made. We know we are wonderfully complex. We know to whom we belong.