Finding Your True Value in Light of Eternity

This month we’ve talked about aligning our perspective of life with the truth of the Bible. We saw how practicing remembrance opens our eyes to an eternal perspective. We learned three ways to restore an eternal perspective that has become clouded by the cares of the world. And we talked about how prioritizing the eternal, unseen things shapes our day-to-day life in this world. After three weeks looking up and out at that eternal horizon, our awaiting home with Jesus, I want to turn around and consider how this lens affects our view of self.

Our self-worth and understanding of God’s love for us are colored by sin in one of two ways: we think of ourselves too highly when selfishness and pride blinds us to the value of others, or we let lies and trauma convince us we don’t matter much to anyone, God included.

Sometimes help is found by focusing on people and problems outside of ourselves. There is a healthy trend I see in Christian studies and literature that encourages readers to take their eyes off themselves and train them on God and the work he calls us to. Here are two resources I highly recommend that speak to the freedom of forgetting self. (These are affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through my link, you are supporting my work at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.)

1. The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, the Path to True Christian Joy by Timothy Keller
2. Free of Me: Why Life is Better When It’s Not About You by Sharon Hodde Miller

While I agree wholeheartedly with the conclusions of these authors, I also know the pain and struggle of feeling stuck in self-doubt or even self-hatred. It’s harder to become selfless and serving when untended wounds and pain distract us. In that situation, we need reminders of truth about who we are in Christ.

When dealing with wounds and questioning our own value, it can often feel like too big a burden to hunt down God’s declarations of love. So rather than tell you my interpretation, I want you to hear directly from your loving Father today.

Before we look at Scripture, let’s go to him.

Father God,

Thank you for your Word that helps us see You more clearly. I am Your creation, and I know You created me to live in wholeness and perfect harmony with You. I also know and confess that because of sin—my own and the sins of others—my view of You and myself have become distorted. Today, as I hear from You, will You do a new work in me? Will you strip away the lies that have sunk down into the deepest chambers of my heart and replace them with Your truth? Thank you for hearing my prayer.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Why Self-Worth Matters

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:29-31 ESV (emphasis mine)

We were made for the purpose of loving God and neighbors. Jesus is specific when he tells us how much to love people—love them as you love yourself. But what if you don’t love yourself much at all? How can we fulfill the purpose of our very existence if we don’t first recognize and believe in our own worthiness of love?

How can we obey Jesus's second greatest commandment—to love people as ourself—if we don’t first recognize and believe in our own worthiness of love? #FindYourValue #SelfWorth Click To Tweet

Five Verses About Your True Value

You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?

Psalm 56:8 ESV

In different translations of the Bible, “tossings” is interpreted as misery, sorrow, or wanderings. Whichever word we use, it’s clear David is desperate and in the grip of his enemies as he pens this psalm. He knew something I want you to know today—God sees your sorrow. He holds your tears and records every one of them. A holy, eternal God cares enough to remember every tear you’ve cried. I certainly don’t know how many drops I’ve cried. But He does. He is not distant or aloof. He knows and deeply cares.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Psalm 139:16 ESV

God saw your life before you lived it. What seems senseless, embarrassing, or painful to you has purpose when redeemed in Jesus.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted

Isaiah 53:4 ESV

The suffering and death of Jesus, prophesied by Isaiah, was for his people—you and me. “He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” means he has felt the pain that afflicts your own heart because of his love for you.

Greater love has no one that this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13 ESV

Jesus put on display his love for you when he went to the cross. Would the Creator of the universe lay down his life for someone or something of little value or worth? No, he counts you as a friend. That is the position and title given to those who love and obey him.

I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.

Jeremiah 31:3 ESV

God’s love for you never ends. He displayed it on the cross, and he continues to display it day after day as he remains faithful.

Linger Longer

Let these words soak in. Reader, don’t brush them away. This is the greatest news in the world. God loves you, not because of what you have done or haven’t done. He loves you because he created you in his image, worthy and significant, and he desires to spend eternity with you.

Invite him to loosen the chains of the lies wound around you.

Some ideas to try:

1. Write out one of these Scriptures by hand each day for the next five days.
2. Memorize the one Scripture that resonates with your heart.
3. Look at the people around you. Can you love someone today by sharing one of these truths with them?
4. Ask someone close to you to pray that you’ll come to understand the depth of your worth and significance, or ask me! I’d love to pray for you.

Where are you on the journey of accepting your worth and value? What is the Holy Spirit nudging you to do in response to his declaration of love for you? I’d love to hear in the comments!