What would happen if you got your self worth from God alone?
How would your life be different than it is right now?
Would you become more daring? More adventurous? Knowing that you no longer have to wait for the approval of others before you do that thing God called you to do?
Would you step out in faith more often because you know that God is already proud of you for taking that leap of faith, even if you fail?
God defined your self worth when He sent His Son to die in your place on the cross. He already placed tremendous value on your life.
Yes, you were worth dying for.
So what happens when you start to believe it and begin to see yourself as God sees you?
How do you get to that wonderful state of being?
The place where you find yourself walking in confidence and not covering up who you are because you finally see yourself as God sees you.
When you get your confidence, self worth and identity from God, it’s beautiful, because it’s not tainted by the world’s opinions of you; who they think you should and shouldn’t be.
The Bible says you were fearfully, carefully; painstakingly, and wonderfully made.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:14
Thank you Jesus that we get our identity from you and you alone.
Growing up without a father damaged my self esteem in more ways than I knew. Even though my childhood was filled with gladness; school, books, Christmas winters, snuggling with my mother; I still never truly felt comfortable in my own skin. I never felt like I was enough.
Have you ever felt that way?
Even after receiving lots of love and attention, I was still incredibly shy; hiding in the background and taking comfort in the shadows.
But I still wanted to please people at all costs. I still longed to be accepted.
I used to have this incredible ability to mimic what I saw others doing, like a chameleon, so that people would find me interesting. I’d copy their mannerisms, the way they talked, and the things they found funny; in a desperate attempt to belong.
Needless to say, when rejection came, especially from the boys I liked, my self worth plummeted.
I’d meditate on past social interactions until I became the victim, and then I’d put up a wall. Pretty soon I began rejecting people before they had the chance to reject me; immersing myself in my own little world of books and video games.
My imagination and fantasy life became my best friends.
Dealing with people is tough and not for the faint of heart. Especially for sensitive souls like myself.
The rejection still stings, but there is one real difference in my life now. It’s Jesus.
When God asked me to give up video games three years ago, the very games I held near and dear to my heart, I knew that’d leave me vulnerable again because suddenly I couldn’t escape anymore.
But I trusted Him. I knew that whatever God had in store for my life was so much better than anything I could imagine for myself.
And over time, my life began to fill again.
I stopped spending all day in my fantasy world and finally embraced the world around me. Where I used to spend all night and day in front of the computer, I began to dream again, to hope again. I began to enjoy the company of others.
Yes, God filled this introverted, shy & quiet girl with a deep love for people.
And the funny thing is, I don’t miss my fantasy world. As a matter of fact, I mourn over all the time I wasted sitting in front of a screen, ignoring the real world as it passed me by.
I mourn all that time that I could have been getting closer to Jesus.
This is what He has done for me: People don’t scare me anymore, and my self worth has improved tremendously. I used to shy away from parties and get togethers because I was afraid of people, incredibly shy and uncomfortable.
Yes, I called myself an introvert, but the truth is, I was just deathly afraid of people.
The thought of standing in a room full of people, alone and sticking out like a sore thumb with no one to talk to…terrifying.
But that doesn’t bother me anymore. I just get excited that I get to see people, go out and do stuff. And if there’s no one to talk to for a moment in a room full of people: It’s ok. I’m chill. And I can stand there comfortable in my own skin. That’s huge for me.
Wherever I go, I’m comfortable in my own skin.
This is what loving Jesus does for us. This is what it looks like. When you spend time with the one who gave His life so you could walk in confidence and freedom, your whole world changes. As Jesus breaks those chains of shyness, fear and intimidation, you are set free.
Did you know that Jesus gave His life for you while you were still in your sins? You were on His heart and mind when He went to the cross. And know that if it was only YOU that needed to be saved, Jesus would have still gladly went to the cross.
He accepts you.
Because you, without all the striving for approval from others, are so beautiful. You, without the worries about the opinions of those who are just as confused and miserable as you don’t want to be; are beautiful. You are worth dying for. Just ask Jesus.
How to allow God to rebuild your self worth.
1. Give your heart to Him.
Accept what Jesus did on the cross for you and turn away from a life of sin. A life that offers you “everything,” except the One you truly long for. The only One who can ever fill the emptiness in your heart.
Have you heard the good news about Jesus and what He’s already done for you? When you finally get tired of living for yourself and want to give your heart to Him, He’ll be right there, waiting, ready to take all that sin, sadness, depression and shame…and make you brand new.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17
When you give your life to Jesus, you feel clean, like a brand new person; who no longer belongs to the world, but to Him. You are now His forever, and will inherit everything He paid for. He did all this because He loves you.
Giving your life to Jesus is the only way to truly rebuild your self worth.
Now following Jesus will not always be easy, but it will always be worth it because I promise you, He’s better than anything you can imagine. And as you’re discovering the great depths of His love, you start to finally become who He created you to be.
2. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you the truth about who you are.
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
Ephesians 1:4
After you’ve given your heart to Jesus, He gives you His Holy Spirit. God’s wonderful Holy Spirit will teach you everything you need to know about following Jesus. He always leads you to the truth, and as you continue to allow Him to do just that, He shapes and molds you to look like more Jesus.
You will shine like Jesus. And you will fall in love with Jesus. It happens every time; just ask any Jesus freak you see walking on the street. 🙂
When you sit down to read your Bible, remember that you actually have the author living inside you; the Holy Spirit. He’ll help you understand what you’re reading, teaching you about your true identity in Jesus Christ. And as you make a habit of reading and studying, the Bible begins to read you and transforms your heart.
It is God’s inspired Word, and it’s powerful; feeding your Spirit and giving you the strength you need to believe the truth over the lies of the devil.
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Hebrews 4:12
3. Begin to meditate on God’s truth until it settles into your spirit.
Spend time throughout the day thinking about and repeating scriptures that speak to your heart.
Scriptures like: “God has not given me a spirit of fear.” Or “No weapon formed against me will prosper.” Or “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Meditate on His Word until it sets you free. According to something I head Bill Johnson say, we already know how to meditate. If we’re constantly worrying about something or we keep thinking something terrible is going to happen; we’re meditating…just on the wrong things.
But when you meditate on scripture, or renew your mind every day; the truth will sink in deep and finally become more real to you than the lies.
And if they continue to run through your head; those self accusing, fearful and negative thoughts; continue to speak the Word of God aloud. Take those thoughts captive. Don’t let them continue to torment you.
…bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5
When those thoughts tell you you’re not worth it, know that you’ve got over 66 books in the Bible that tell you “you are worth it. ” You are worth more than you know.
Begin to whip out that Bible and speak out loud, the truth of His Word.
Did you know that God’s word is settled in Heaven?
In this world, nothing is truly settled. The only thing that’s settled, established, unmovable and unshakeable is the Word of God.
And it’s a mighty weapon against the lies and negativity that have plagued you your whole life. Those lies don’t stand a chance against the what God has said about you.
We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
By renewing your mind every day and meditating on the truth, you are retraining your mind to begin to believe the truth, which will change how you see yourself.
4. Follow God’s leading and step out in faith.
The Bible says that faith without works is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
James 2:18
If we truly believe what God said about us, then our actions will follow. Because we act upon what we believe.
God wants you perfect and lacking nothing. He loves you and hates to see you bound by shame, shyness and fear. He wants you to be bold, confident and fearless! So when He prompts you to do something, to take a step of faith, whatever it is, even if you don’t understand, do it. Trust Him and obey.
He is trustworthy. It may not be an easy thing to do, but know that it is always for your good. Your highest good; because that’s what on His heart.
I know you’ve been hurt and depressed by this world.
The bad things that took place in your life; you blame God or may have even given up on Him. But He has never given up on you. Give your life to the only One who who can truly heal the hurt and pain, and has shown how much you are truly worth. Trust Him to rebuild your self worth.
You know, He thinks about you constantly.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
Psalm 139:17-18
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
God alone has the right to determine how much you are worth. And you are worth everything to Him. Jesus gave His life for you; not only when He suffered and died on the cross, but He dedicated His whole life to you while He was alive on the earth. And now, seated in Heaven next to the Father, Jesus still pleads for you; He’s still invested in you and will never give up on you. The One who created you loves you just that much.
Now ask Him for anything.
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.”
Mark 11:22-24
Pray and ask God to rebuild your self worth. Ask Him to show you how much you mean to Him and then begin to trust that He will do just that.
Be encouraged.
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