SELF WORTH IN CHRIST

We all like to strive for best, or at least we like others to pat us on the back and say to us “well done!” We want to be known for doing something. Some want to leave legacies that will carry their names by building mega churches, stadiums, or just placing a name on a brick. Even King Solomon was commended by queen Sheba for all his wisdom and the wonders of his works established in the house he had built, described in 2 Chronicles 9:3-5. Then she said to the king “It was a true report.” She said to the king she no longer had to hear from someone else, but had seen it with her own eyes. WOW what a compliment!

Today, the worldview of self-worth seems to center on the visible appearance of things and less on the actions of people. The courts of the land seem to be less critical of gay marriages and more punitive about prayers in schools. But what is the proper view of “self” in light of God’s Word? God’s Word tells us the truth. We cannot rely on feelings to validate the truth. It is a fact that God loves us individually and places great value in us.

Through knowledge of the Word, I understand that my self-worth is not in what I do – it’s in what Jesus did. As a Christian, my who-who I am-is not based on my behavior or what I do: my identity is in Christ. When we are born again, God looks at us and sees the righteousness of Christ, not everything we’ve done wrong.
“For our sake He made Christ to be sin who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) In Jeremiah 1:5 God says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew and approved of you…” If God approves of us, knowing all the wrong we will ever do, then you and I have no right to disapprove of ourselves.

I believe that God wants our mind and mouth in agreement with his Word. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word have I laid up in my heart that I might not sin against you.” In Luke 6:45 Jesus said: “out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart (the) mouth speaks.” Satan is always busy trying to keep us out of God’s word. He wants us to think and talk about all our faults, failures and weaknesses. He wants us to go around from daylight till dark saying how awful we are WHY? Because he knows we believe what we think and say about ourselves more than what anybody else says about us. If we accept the condemning thoughts of the enemy we cannot walk in the confidence of who we are in Christ. We cannot place our confidence in anything else but Christ alone.
Philippians 3:3 says, “For we (Christians)…exult and glory and pride ourselves in Jesus Christ, and put no confidence or dependence (on what we are) in the flesh and on outward privileges and physical advantages and external appearances.”

God doesn’t want us to trust or have our value in our physical appearance, talents, education, job, children, friends, religion or anything else. He wants us to find our worth and place our confidence in Christ alone. “Apart from Him, we can do nothing” (15:5) but we “Can do all things through Christ which strengthens us.” (Philippians 4:13)

I encourage you to accept yourself in spite of your weaknesses – God does. Make the decision to get your mind and your mouth in line with His Word. Start proclaiming the positive promises of Scripture over your life, and you’ll discover that His grace is all you need to succeed.