From Worthless to Worthy

Have you ever had one of those weeks where things just did not go the way they were supposed to? Everything went wrong. The car died. The kids drove your insanity level to new heights, and at every challenge, you failed the test. By the end of last week I was exhausted, defeated, and bordering on depressed. If I had been accused of being a Christian, a jury would have found me not guilty. Then I got a startling revelation from two people I admire.

Beth Moore has coined a phrase that I am going to adopt. She says that when she dies, she wants her tombstone to read, “God got tired.” It feels so good to know that I am not the only person on Earth who is high maintenance. If Beth Moore struggles, that means there is hope for me and everyone else out there. We have unfathomable promises any time we start to wonder or worry if we are good enough for Heaven. As if to demonstrate Beth’s point, my pastor’s wife consoled me with these thoughts…

“You need to remember that there is a big difference between conviction and the enemy making you feel defeated. The Holy Spirit convicts and the enemy will sometimes try to make us feel defeated and hopeless. In Christ, you are an overcomer and yes, there is always hope for us all thanks to His grace and mercy…We recognize our mistakes and grow from them…”

As I ruminated on her response I began to wonder. What exactly does God say about me? Who am I, really? For anyone else who might feel defeated and wondering who they are in Christ, I have just a few of the answers. Every now and again I have to go down the list and remind myself of these simple truths. When read out loud and in the first person these affirmations offer great encouragement when needed most.

I am royalty. (1 Peter 2:9)

I am his adopted child and deeply loved. (Romans 8:17)

I am more than a conqueror. (Romans 8:37)

I am a friend of Jesus. (John 15:15)

I am a new creature in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am redeemed and forgiven by the grace of Christ. (Ephesians 1:7)

I am blessed. (Ephesians 1:3)

I am God’s beautiful work of art, created to bless others with my talents and abilities. (Ephesians 2:10)

I am engraved on his heart and on his hands. (Isaiah 49:16)

Everyone makes mistakes and misses the mark now and then. This does not make us a lost cause or an immediate defect that deserves to be thrown away. It makes us human. There will be challenging days or weeks when we fail. Every day is a new opportunity to grow and remember who we really are in Christ. The truth is that all of us are worthy of God’s attention. The time he takes to perfect us is only proof that he cares about every detail of our lives.

How has God spoken to you during a challenging time in your life? Do you find it easy or difficult to believe that you are worthy of God’s time and affection?

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