Maneuvers - No. 85
Your Immeasurable
Worth
As we go through life, one nagging question tends to replay in the back of our minds:
Do I matter?
For many of us, our biggest fear is that someone will answer “No” to that question. And it can drive us to find our worth in many places—our popularity, our career, our relationships, our talents, even our own moral goodness.
But in our search for meaning, it’s easy to overlook the true source of our infinite worth—Jesus. The one who created us, who knows us inside and out (flaws and all), and who loves us like no one else can.
What would happen if we stopped searching for our worth in those other things? What if we simply accepted Jesus’ love for us and the value he places on us? Can you imagine how that would change things?
Psalm 139:13-16 is a beautiful picture of the love and care our heavenly Father puts into dreaming us up and creating us. We love how the Message phrases it:
“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.”
Do we believe that’s true of us? Do we dare?
Today, Holy Spirit is gently inviting us to see ourselves through his eyes. So let’s listen…
01.
The Message
“I hear you asking them—the questions tucked deep inside that eventually rise to the surface: What do I have to offer? What can I do with my life that someone else isn't already doing better? How can I move forward when I feel like moving is pointless? What is the value of being mobilized to action when I'm unsure how my actions will make any difference anyway?
“The pain is a weight you carry. You feel it in your body, the tightness, the fear of uncertainty about your role in this world. So when you feel upset, overwhelmed by these emotions—the doubt that covers you—consider this: What agreements are you making about your identity that are not true? Do you know? Also, who is doing the measuring of your worth? Are you? Because unless you are perfectly good and perfectly wise—all of the time—you might be thinking up some things about yourself that aren't completely true. I see you. I know you.
“First, let's start here: it is one thing for me to tell you that I love you. Because I do. I love you. But it is another thing for you to know this in your body, heart, mind, and soul. To feel grounded, sure, and okay, you must know my love by experiencing it. Without experiencing my love, you are an arid land, thirsty without drink. Without experiencing my love, you are a desert with the world's winds blowing away the good soil.
“You can't fight the battle of this world without my love—this world that plagues your mind and heart so that you are distracted, forgetful of the miracle you are. You are a miracle, dear one—nothing less than a miracle—one I dreamed up and was delighted to create.
“Remember that you live on a battleground, a world fraught with danger. So let me fortify you in your inner being so you can withstand the evil of comparison, the disease of insecurity, the poison of envy.
“You have everything you need. There is nothing you lack, and what you have to offer, always, completely, is love. So when doubt paralyzes you, filter everything through this one question: Am I offering love?
“Let me pour into you now—my whole heart. With it, you have everything. Will you take it, soak it up, and enjoy this life I've given you by pouring love out?”
02.
Listen
After reading the message, what’s your prayer? Let’s journal a response to the Lord.
03.
Think
“What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries” (Matthew 10:29-31, MSG).
1. What agreements are you making about your identity that are not true? What’s influencing these untrue thoughts about yourself?
2. Where do you feel thirsty for God? Where do you long to experience more of his love?
3. Holy Spirit said, “You have everything you need. There is nothing you lack, and what you have to offer, always, completely, is love.” What makes it hard for you to believe this truth?
04.
Trust
The way we think God sees us impacts how we, in turn, see him—and how we see ourselves.
So let’s dig deeper. For this exercise, we’ll need a pen and paper (or a journal). Let’s start by writing down how we view God and how we believe he views us.
As we write, let’s be careful not to censor ourselves. This part of the exercise isn’t about jotting down the “right” answers or making sure our list lines up with Scripture. We’re simply putting onto paper how we honestly feel about God.
Now that we’ve finished our list, it’s time to take a break. We could go on a walk in the fresh air, sip coffee at our favorite café, listen to worship music, do some gardening, or read a chapter of the Bible—anything to calm our hearts and reset our minds.
Next, let’s read our list, word by word, aloud to God. And as we do, let’s share the “why,” too. If it helps, picture Jesus sitting in front of us and listening to every word as we share the experiences behind our descriptions of God, the hurts we’ve faced, or the beliefs we’ve grown up with.
As you read your descriptions, did any of them feel “off”? Did any remind you of something you’ve read in the Bible—even if you can’t remember where?
Let’s now surrender each word on our list to our heavenly Father. As we do, let’s ask him to show us what’s true and what’s false in what we’ve written about him. Ask him for discernment and to speak to the experiences you shared earlier.
Keep in mind that this process may take only a few minutes, or it could take a few hours. If you need to break it up into several chunks throughout the day (or over several days), that’s okay. What’s important is that we’re giving ourselves the opportunity to be open with Jesus—and that we’re giving him the opportunity to respond.
05.
Pray
Father, I confess where I’ve believed things about you and about myself that weren’t true. I confess my pride, my self-righteousness, my doubts and fears.
I want to hold tightly to the truth in your Word. It’s hard sometimes when I feel beaten down by the world, but I do believe—help me overcome my unbelief!
Right now, I surrender my heart and mind to you, my hopes and dreams, my past and my future. I let go of shame and receive your forgiveness, love, and righteousness.
Fill me—I want all of you. I love you, Lord.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Waving the banner with you,
