Self Worth: Depreciation vs. Appreciation
Rev. Alan Lee
We are living in days in which we have become lovers of ourselves. Our society has become self-centered and satiated with self-fixated words like self-esteem, self-fulfillment and self-actualization.
We try to exalt ourselves through worldly pursuits of success, accomplishment, praises, wealth, possession and social status. In the process, we tend to compare ourselves with others. This not only focuses our eyes on man and off God and His grace and His eternal plans. It also creates feelings of inferiority, jealousy, pride and factions. These false standards ironically lead to self-depreciation with the belief that we don’t measure up.
Our sense of self-worth is derived from the recognition of our identity in Christ. We are all created in God’s image. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in our mothers’ wombs (Psalm 139:14). We are His children through a new birth in Christ! Moreover, God has a personal purpose in our lives (Psalm 139:16). Our fulfillment comes through an intimate relationship with Him and living out His ordained purpose in our lives.
This was Jesus’ teaching about our self-worth. Every morning when you look in the mirror, have you ever wondered how many hairs do you have? Have you ever counted the number of your hairs?
“And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Luke 12: 7) …. We have a Father who loves us so much that He counts our hairs everyday! He is very much delighted in us! “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1: 11).
Let us come before the Father everyday to be in union with Him and receive this affirmation from Heaven. Let Him set us free from the worldly standards of self-worth and self-love.
Reflections:
- Do you love yourself? What is your self-worth based on?
- Spend time before the Father today and receive His affirmation and embrace your true identity in Him.