God Values Me

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? 

Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.  

Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 

Don’t be afraid; 

you are worth more than many sparrows."

Luke 12:6

Self-esteem.  The quest to build a child's sense of worth is a fairly new concept.  No parent of my parent's generation would have even considered their child's self-worth when deciding how to raise him.  Instead, the parent was more concerned with building character, and instilling a good work ethic and understanding of how they fit into society.  The pursuit of our children's self-esteem has destroyed good parenting sense and the consequences are evident all around us.

I cannot feel good about myself apart from God.  This is because God created me and my sense of value and worth comes from Him, not from myself.  Attempting to build my self-esteem based on my own performance, qualities and traits is futile.  It is like trying to find a speck of light  within the depths of a cave; it can't be found.

David knew his worth to God.  He told God that, "I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back;  I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence.  I look behind me and you're there,  then up ahead and you're there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful— I can't take it all in!" (Psalm 139:1-6 MSG)

Since David knew how much God valued him, he didn't suffer from low self-esteem.  It wasn't because he thought he was so great.  Rather, he knew God was great and loved him as one whom is lovingly created in God's own image.

Because I am aware of God's great love for me, there are a lot of things I don't have to do anymore.

Find My Worth

Irving Berlin, composer of such classics as "God Bless America" and "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas," once said that he thinks the songs he wrote which did not become hits are wonderful.  He valued those songs because they came from his heart and were reflections of him.  It mattered not so much whether others liked them, but that the songs were special to him as their author.

It is easy to look at my own life and judge success or self-worth based on the world's values.  How much money do I make?  What is my title?  How many people do I influence?  What neighborhood do I live in?  What kind of car do I drive?

But God does not judge my worth in this way.  Like Mr. Berlin, I am worthy because He created me.  As one of His children, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:14)

As one made in God's image, I need not look for my worth.  My esteem comes from knowing the One who made me.

Prove my Usefulness

I have spent a lifetime trying to prove my usefulness.  If my mother asked for three of four paper towels, I would make sure to fetch four.  If she needed my help at 3 in the morning, I would rise from my slumber to lend her a helping hand.  I was trying to prove myself to her.

As I grew older, I translated this pattern over into my relationship with God.  I went out of my way to serve in the church, trying to be helpful wherever needed.  When we lived next door to a single mother of four girls, I mowed her lawn each week, just to be helpful.  I tried to do everything I thought I needed to do to prove myself to God. 

Soon, I grew weary and bitter.  No one cared what I was doing!  My neighbor never offered a word of thanks.  Why should I continue putting myself out when no one gives a rip?

I was doing all these "good' things for the wrong reasons.  I did them out of a selfish desire to prove myself useful to God.  As Oswald Chambers said, "It is never a question of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself.  When we are abandoned to God, He works through us all the time."

I was not allowing God to work through me out of my love for Him.  Instead, I was trying to make myself look good to a God who already knows everything about me, including my motives.  I cannot hide from God. 

As one made in God's image, I need not prove my usefulness.  My value comes from loving the One who made me.

Fear

I have many fears.  There is the fear of my true self being discovered by others.  The fear of losing everyone I love.  The fear of pain.  The fear of failure.

As I grow closer in my walk with the Lord through faith in Jesus Christ, I discover that He loves me with a love that can never fade.  As I take this truth to heart, the fears fade.  John explained the kind of love God gives us in 1 John 4:18 (NLT).  "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love."

Allowing God's love to flood through my being washes all my fears away.  My worth to Him is not based on who I think I need to be, or what I think I need to do.  Instead, my value is found in His great love for me.  

As one made in God's image, I need not fear.  My significance comes from the amazing love God has for me.

Possessing high self-esteem does not guarantee my well-being.  Instead, it usually leads to self-centeredness, a high level of self-awareness and overestimation of self-importance.  

As I understand my worth to the loving God who created me, I can stop trying to find my worth and prove my usefulness as His child.  I can also find the strength to let His love wash away all my fears.  In this way, I will truly realize my value to my Father.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will look to God for my worth.

How do I hang onto the belief that I need to prove myself to God or anyone else?

What fear am I unwilling to surrender to the God who loves me no matter what?