Our Incredible Worth

And hope does not put us to shame, 

because God's love has been poured out into our hearts 

through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 

                                                                      Romans 5:5

I have been going through a big challenge in my life. It is something that I began working on last November. It was hard work, and in the beginning I asked God to help.
I pointed out to Him what He already knows…that I needed His help…that I was not strong…that I could not do it by myself. I was right and so was He. He helped me, and I did the work. The road was long and steep, but I began to feel some hope.

Today I “officially” came to the end of it. God has been good, and I am feeling empowered and blessed. People who were aware of what I had been going through said
incredible things to me about me. It was amazing to hear what they said about me and my path. I received respect, compliments and love.

Later I was thinking about the whole morning, and I remembered what I had heard earlier on the Christian radio station, K-Love. One of the morning DJ s said that it would be wonderful if we could only see ourselves as God sees us. That brought to mind what I had figured out when I worked in the Recovery Program at our church. A big part of the problem is what drives us not to receive a compliment. We become embarrassed. Someone says, “You did a great job putting that meeting together.” We say, “Well, it did not turn out so well. I wish I had done (such and such).” We invalidate whatever the person has said to us for many reasons.

I defined the reason to others in the groups I worked with as a result of our knowing our own underbelly. We know our hidden shortcomings and shame. We carry guilt around, and sometimes it is hard to let it go…to accept that Jesus died for us. We allow things to eat away at our sense of being God’s child. So we undermine the earnest words of those who see something praiseworthy in us.

I am trying to latch on to what I know in my head but need to make a part of my every belief. God loves me. I know that. He sees every shortcoming. He knows who and how I am. He loves me anyway. He sees who He knows I can be and is leading me toward it. In the meantime He loves me even though
I am a work in progress.





Yes, we have incredible worth! I have incredible worth. You have incredible worth.
Embrace this, and never say, "Yes, but....."