Babies are not born feeling worthless … okay, maybe feeling wet, hungry, sleepy, needing cuddling, etc. However, it is the treatment they receive from conception to adulthood, which contributes to their distress. As they age, this may turn into hopelessness that comes from a lack of self-worth.
Belittlement, neglect, chronic physical illness, rejection, dejection, mental and physical and emotional abuse, etc. all give us the message loud and clear that we do not matter. Lies from satanic forces, and discouragement from our significant others also erode our positive feelings about our self.
Our inability in school, in basic household chores, during ministry opportunities, and failing to attain goals that we set or that are arranged for us, will all continue to destroy our self-esteem. We may also be ignored by significant others or treated as dispensable, ugly, forgotten or undesirable.
These behaviors force us behind self-erected barriers in our soul. We bury, in our subconscious mind, our disappointment in our self and in our life. We hide behind fierce negative emotions in an attempt to control life and to protect our self from further ill-treatment and discouragement.
We build our worth on our accomplishments and successes, or on our failures and insecurities. This method is anti-climactic and fleeting at best. It depends on our own strength and imagined value, rather than on our value to our Father God.
Once we realize that the best that we can do is worse than a pile of old, filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), we turn to God’s Word to change our measuring stick for achievement. God loves us with a love that is four-dimensional. It has width, length, depth and height. His love surrounds us completely.
He also shares with us His divine presence (Ephesians 3:16-19). As an authentic, Born Again Believer, we are adopted into God’s family. Our heavenly Father rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). We are made in the image of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and we are precious in God’s sight (Isaiah 43:4). He loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).
Prayer:
Father God, help us to discern between Your conviction of our thoughts and behavior, or the devil’s attempt to lie to us and to shame us in order to render us ineffective in furthering Your Kingdom on the earth (Romans 8:1). You planned for Jesus to die for each of us individually, and You never would have done that for someone who was not valuable in Your sight. You also have our healing ready to appropriate into our daily walk with You.
We simply need to seek Your truth about the lies that are debilitating our thoughts and emotions, and to get in touch with the negative experiences that we buried deep within our subconscious mind. You required Paul to continue walking in His infirmity, but You gave Him your grace for each moment of his life (2 Corinthians 12:9). Thank You for loving us so much, for walking in us and through us, and for inspiring us with Your love, peace and joy. We sing praises to Your name, our Most High God.
Thought for the Day:
We are immensely loved by the One who caused our conception in our mother’s womb; He has mighty plans for us that fit into His overall scheme of things in our world; He helps us to thrive in the beauty of His holiness within us, and He will walk in us, with us and through us every step of the way.
- Ephesians 2:10; Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 29:2, 96:9
