Embracing Our Worth in Christ

"Until you settle the issue of your own worth, it's impossible to bring holiness into anyone else's life. Until you understand that your worth is already determined by the fact of your birth, everything else is an exercise in propping up a dying tree."

~ Carol Brazo ~
"No Ordinary Home"

My parents became Christians when I was about four years old. Daddy had been raised in a Christian home but had fallen away from Christ as a young man. My mother was an Air Force brat who had lived all over the world and had occasionally visited church but never knew about the salvation of Christ.

It was a glorious day when my parents came to Christ. Not just for them, but for me too. It is so strange but I remember cornering my mother shortly after she had been saved and asking her, “Why did God pick me to be here?” She would look at me quizzically and ask me what I meant. I can still think back to my attempt to explain to her how I was so amazed and confident that God had “picked” (chosen) me to make. In my four-year-old mind I was marveling at the thought that I was made for something very special. I was somehow trying to grasp an understanding of my “worth.” Ultimately my thinking was, “Wow, God could have made ANYBODY, but He made me. He picked ME!” Even as a young child I was keenly aware of my worth.

That’s not to say that I have never doubted or questioned my worth. I most certainly have. The struggle to “look the part,” or “conform” has always been a thorn in my side. However, I realized that the energy I wasted in the struggle could be overcome with my quest for holiness in Christ.

In my quest I discovered my worth is not determined by people, my past, nor is it determined by me. I have been set apart for a purpose! I tell myself daily (if necessary) that I am a mighty woman of God and my past will not dictate my future, nor will I doubt the One Who created me! My destiny is predestined and ordained by Him!

My job is to seek Him with all my heart, allow Him to work in me, and to obey Him as He directs me. I think it is best said in Psalm 139 (The Message)

(13-16) Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.

What is amazing is once we are able to embrace this powerful truth, we become rooted and grounded in Him! How does this apply to this week’s quote? Ah, I am so glad you asked! A propped up, dying tree is not rooted or grounded in anything. It is barely hanging on at surface level because it ‘s worth, or its potential is unknown, denied, or forbidden.

When we know our worth, it is a marvelous discovery because the more we realize who we are in Him, the deeper our roots go, and the more grounded we become. As this occurs, we grow and produce fruit, and as we produce fruit, we impact and influence the lives of others. And as we touch others, they too begin to realize their own worth.

Thanks to Christine at Fruit in Season for hosting this week! Stop by and visit her!