Hello everyone!
In this day and age, we have many people struggling with their self-worth. A person, situation, life event or a series of events and hurts have caused serious damage to both their self-worth and their identity. They are looking for a sense of who they are with everything from social media to the latest money making venture or diet fad. They tell themselves things like this: “If I get enough followers or likes, I’m a person worthy of love. If I make enough money or hang out with certain people, I’m a person worthy of love. If I maintain a certain size or physique, I’ll be a person worthy of love. If I just change this about myself maybe he/she will love me.” Here’s the problem with that mind set: it places your happiness and your identity in the hands of people who not only don’t know you but most likely don’t love you. That’s dangerous. People you don’t even know, who have never met you, and who certainly don’t love you are signing your self-worth check. I can tell you, those self-worth funds will come up short. How do I know? I’ll answer your question with a few questions of my own.
How many suicides have we seen from people who had thousands upon thousands of Instagram or other social media followers yet they felt alone enough in this world to take their own lives? How many people have we seen both in the entertainment world and in our own lives who have had many possessions and a lot of money in the bank but who walked off the deep end or again, took their own lives? How many young men and women have we seen in the media or known personally who’ve had eating disorders that killed them? How many of us have pursued relationships that could have killed us or have wounded us because our identity and self-worth was wrapped up in a human?
I imagine most of you reading this have either heard of or known such a person as I have described. These aren’t or weren’t bad people, they were and are simply looking for self-worth (and love) in all the wrong places and people – people and places that are not stable and that won’t stand the test of time. This is why their self-worth funds come up short. They don’t know who they are and they look for their identity in things that are fleeting and that pass away. Money comes and goes. Fame comes and goes. People come and go. We grow old. Do you see what I’m getting at here? Money, fame, the number of friends you have, the amount of money in the bank, your physique, your partner or spouse – all of those things can be fluid – they can change from one day to the next in some cases. Why would you want to ask any of those things or people to write your self-worth check if they may not be around next year? Isn’t your faith misplaced? Your self-worth certainly is!
Wouldn’t it be better to place your self-worth in the One who knows you inside and out and loves you anyway? His name is Jesus. He is not afraid of you or your past. He is not afraid of your present. He is not afraid of your faults. He’ll take you faults, past and all! In Him, and only in Him, will you find your sense of self-worth and identity. Only He can fill that hole you have in your heart. Otherwise, you are coming up short on identity and on self-worth and your self-worth bank will end up overdrawn and you will end up empty. I don’t want this for anyone reading this blog! You can change who you look to for self-worth and identity – you do not have to suffer on the wheel of false identity. It’s running you ragged!
I implore you today to ask yourself, “Who is signing my self-worth check?” Is it the God who loves you, knows you and died for you? Or is it fleeting people and things who shift with time and the whims of society, who neither know you nor love you? Only you can answer that question. I can tell you this, if you turn to the One who loves you and knows you, your self-worth bank will be full and so will your love bank. His checks never bounce! You are worth it!
Matthew 11:28-30; Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Love,
Elizabeth