“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:13-14
In a world where everyone is striving to be the best, we can all struggle to know our worth.
We might try to define our worth by money, social status, or our relationships with other people. But in the end, that deep-seated sense of insecurity still remains.
We long for someone to tell us that we’re important, that we’re valued, and that we are loved for who we are.
That sense of worth can never come from this fickle and superficial world.
But when we look to Christ, we can rest assured that we are treasured by God; and His opinion of us is the only one that matters.
We Are Image Bearers
We must first remember our worth as image-bearers of our Creator.
Genesis 1:27 tells us, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
We are not haphazard products of evolution. We are not aimless creatures like all the other animals.
No, we reflect the qualities of the God of the Universe. Like Him, we have the capacity to love, think, create, and destroy. No other creation can do that.
God gave us a conscience and an ever-expanding mind – and that is of infinite worth. It is truly a gift that we take for granted each and every day.
Every time we feel emotion, every time we make a work of art or muse about the world around us, that’s God’s character shines through us. He loved us enough to put that in us.
But once God created us, He didn’t just leave us on our own. After all, how could He ever forsake His most precious creation? Instead, He unveiled a beautiful plan of redemption so that in spite of our sins, we could have a relationship with Him.
Romans 5:8 tells us the good news: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Would Jesus die for a rock, a flower, or even a gorilla?
Of course not.
God would sacrifice His only Son only for something of great and matchless worth – mankind.
For those of us who follow Christ, our worth doesn’t stop at being image-bearers and recipients of Jesus’ sacrifice.
When we make the choice to follow Jesus, He adopts us as His own. We take on new value in our new identity as children of God.
Romans 8:16-17 says, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
By the blood of Jesus, we are no longer simply citizens – we are royalty! Oh, how God delights in those who love Him and accept Christ as Lord and Savior.
Lest we think too highly of ourselves, we must remember that God’s great love toward us is not because of anything we are or have done.
It is because of His character.
We have worth in Christ not because we are worthy, but because He is worthy.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
When we come to Christ, we die to ourselves. Our sinful desires and old natures – are not valuable.
In return, Jesus gives us a new identity –
His identity.
An identity of holiness in the eyes of God that can be exchanged for eternal life.
Fruit Bearers
We have even greater worth when we consider that we are not only image-bearers but now fruit-bearers for the Kingdom of God.
We each have the ability to make a difference for Christ as no one else can!
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
God has placed each of us in a strategic place at a strategic time to accomplish a mission that only we can fulfill. And if that’s not a marker of true worth, then nothing is.
So when you find it hard to believe that your life matters, may you always run to the Word of God and be reminded that far above every other creation, Jesus died for you.
He formed you in your mother’s womb; He breathed life into your nostrils for the first time; He died for your soul, and now He longs for you to walk in a deeper relationship with Him.
You are treasured by God more than the most precious jewel. When your battle with self-worth wears you down, may you rest in the words of
Romans 8:37: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
