By Lauren "Kat" Dufrene, Guest columnist
The Picayune Item
PICAYUNE —
Why is it that many of us seem to have this terminal struggle with worthlessness? Why is it so much easier to believe those digging, passing phrases quoted over the years that create in us a point of view that says, “I’m just not good enough,” than to believe the encouraging, life-giving words from friends, family members, and the Word of God? Why does the negative outweigh the positive in our minds?
It all starts with where we believe we get our worth from. Think of the most important thing in your life that you feel makes you valuable. Now that you have that in mind, I want you to ask yourself one question. If it is completely taken away from you today, will your sense of self-worth disappear with it? If you answer yes, then your sense of self-worth is based upon what your own ability. It is going to be as faulty as our flesh is. Your self-worth is on the same rollercoaster as your day-to-day emotions.
Chew on this. If we look to Christ for our identity — if we base our self-worth on who He is and who we are in Him — then if everything that we do on this earth is removed from us, our identity is still as solid as it was the moment before. Chaos can ensue, circumstances can change around us, jobs and people can come and go, and our value remains intact, never-wavering, sure and true. Our confidence becomes as steadfast as Jesus’ character.
If we are believers and followers of Jesus Christ, accepting the beautiful truth that we are the creation and the children of the Most High God, then there is only one opinion that is 100% honest and true: The Creator’s. I dare you to read Matthew 10:29-31 with that idea in mind. He created you, knows you with such detail, and places such value and worth in you.
John 14:20 says that Jesus is in the Father, and we are in Jesus, and Jesus is in us. If we picture that in the physical, then that means that, to the natural eye, all people will see is the Father. Because Jesus is in us, His worthiness to be in the Father becomes our own worthiness to be in both Him and the Father. Jesus takes our current state and transforms it by His own goodness, righteousness, and value.
