You are SO worth it!

For those who follow my blog regularly, you know my husband and I are working on vision development for our ministry.  I have been reading a book on the topic in order to gain some direction and insight.

I finished it yesterday (my heart is so glad!)

In wrap up, the author discussed being an example and encouraging your team through personal struggles of esteem and self-worth.  I was encouraged by what I read... I think we all struggle at times with those feelings.

Our self-worth, our consistent performance, our feelings of inadequacy or guilt all hinge on our feelings about self and worries about what others think.  I have learned through the years of battling an eating disorder and self-esteem issues; in order to gain self-confidence my worth lies with Christ not man.  But this book added dimension to that thought...

True value. 

"Our value does not depend on our abilities to meet certain standards, whether or own or others', but on what Jesus Christ accomplished at the cross... we already have his righteousness or perfection not through what we do but what he has done for us at the cross.  The standard has already been met, and we now are fully pleasing to our Father.  In effect, to attempt to meet certain standards for our self-worth is fruitless, because the standard has already been met through our justification.  We do not need to strive after what we already have."  (Vision for Ministry in the 21st Century p.164)

It is like painting a room that has already been painted or getting married twice on the same day to the same person!  Why?  When it is done, it is done.

Human kind is not perfect, this we know for sure.  But Christ is.  When He died for us he did not die twice... just once to cover ALL our transgressions.  When he died he did not die for self, he died for love.  It is like all we give up as parents or spouses, not for self, but for love.  Love of our children or spouse, love of Christ. 

To deny this simple truth is like making your husband's favorite meal out of love for him and having him push it away and say he doesn't want it, not realizing how much love we poured into that meal for him.  Hubby doesn't mean to hurt your heart, but heartache comes. 

God does for us out of love and when we don't walk in confidence with His love, we are saying we don't want it... we hurt the very heart of God when we don't realize how much he wants us to have... not because we deserve it (we don't) but because he wants us to have it as the result of His great love.

There is no greater love then the perfect love in Christ.  It is yours, self-confidence and value of self-worth are yours... just accept them.  Say your sorry when you screw up, don't beat yourself up, don't loose hope, we all make mistakes, that is why Christ died.  Love Him as He loves you and love yourself why your at it... because He loves you not because of what you do!

God Bless you as you walk in love today.

Every life has testimonies of how God intercedes to show His power and glory.  To read the first installment in a brand new series of books about God's divine work in one person's life, click below