Self-worth – Page 2 – The Will to Wake Up

God Uses Every Version of You

Do you feel embarrassed about the past? Here’s some encouragement!

Do you ever look back and immediately cringe? Usually it’s not just for the outdated trends or gastly hairstyles, but for the person we used to be, so unknowing and just plain embarrassing! But our memory does change over time, and we don’t always see ourselves as the people we truly were at the time. God will use us no matter what stage of life we’re in. Just think about the people who have touched your life. They hadn’t reached “perfection” when they helped you, yet they were impactful.

I was reminded of how God moves through us, even at young ages, while reading an old journal entry last night. Back in 2019, God had given me “instinctual sympathy” for a girl at my barn who I didn’t know very well. In my journal entry from that summer, I wrote that I felt I needed to pray for her because I might be one of the only ones who was. I even off-handedly remarked that perhaps God would use me in her life someday. I had no clear reason why I felt the way I did or how true my words would be.

Fast-forward two years. I started getting to know her better and understanding what was happening in her life. She didn’t have a clear relationship with God, but I could tell she was struggling. God has given me so many opportunities to be there for her in ways I never imagined in 2019. I got chills just reading how God was preparing me to be a friend to her back in the years were I felt “ill-equipped” and “unusable”.

How often do we let age or status or other people’s opinions of us define how much impact God can have on our lives, or even how we’re able to affect others? Has that held you back from reaching out and being there for someone you know needs a friend? What if that mindset is keeping us from being the reason someone smiles or has hope for the future or even starts a relationship with God?

You have the potential to change people’s lives. We were created to positively change lives, to change the world. God is ready to grow you into an extraordinary person. The only thing holding you back is not believing you’re worth it.

Well, guess what. You are so worth it.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13

Made in God’s Image

What keeps you from believing that you are fearfully and wonderfully made?

You are made in God’s image.

If you grew up in the church, you probably heard that phrase a lot. Following that, you’d hear at least verse 14 from Psalm 119, if not the entire chapter.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

Maybe that verse sends shivers down your spine as you take in the realization that you were made by God, the most powerful being in all existence.

Or maybe, like me, the phrase “made in God’s image” has grown dull over the years. It has lost its significance to you.

But if you think about it, how can this powerful truth ever lose meaning? Here are a few reasons I can think of:

Distractions

My mom used to read Psalm 119 on my birthday every year as a reminder of who I truly am. But I would always squirm at the part about our innermost parts being knit and all those “gory” details that stood out in my young mind.

Sometimes words and culture’s definition of what it means to be human distracts us from the wonder and complexity of being made in God’s image. These days, there’s all this emphasis on how humans have destroyed everything and we should be ashamed of our existence.

Before I contradict those words, I will say that we should do more to protect our environment, but we should not be held responsible for the mistakes of our ancestors. Living in constant guilt doesn’t solve any problems and harms our self-worth.

Anyway, as beings made in God’s image, we should not live in fear. God sees us as His perfect creation living in a fallen world, which is why we do not always live up to who we truly are. But God’s grace allows us to still be in relationship with our Creator once we repent from our sins.

If we let the criticisms others make about us define us, then we are losing sight of who God says we are. God is perfect, thus being made in His image means we were created with a perfect purpose. Nothing can change that.

2. Repetition Leading to Boredom

As I mentioned earlier, that one verse is the only one people seem to focus on when providing evidence of how we are made in God’s image. While that’s a great Psalm, there are many other places where the Bible proves our worth.

For example, right away in Genesis we see that God created us with a plan and purpose. He calls us “very good” after telling us to take care of everything else He has made. We are different from all other creation because we have a job to do. God entrusts us with the world and wants us to follow His plans for us.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Genesis 1:26

There are many other verses throughout the Bible, some in Paul’s letters of encouragement and instruction, which reminds us of who we belong to. Even in the verses where it isn’t spelled out for us, the fact that Jesus sacrificed His own life for us shows how loved, valued, and special we are to God.

3. Denial

The third and final reason we don’t always fully accept that we are made in God’s image is because we can’t bring ourselves to comprehend the true meaning behind those words.

We are made in God’s image.

Write that on a sticky note and put it on your mirror. Remind yourself of that fact daily, and support it with Bible verses.

No matter what the world tells you, you have a purpose. You are valuable. And the more you read God’s love letter to you–the Bible– the more you’ll begin to believe His truths about you.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10

Who Defines You?

Do you often feel used or deemed worthless by others? Do you feel burned out by trying to live up to others’ expectations?

I don’t know about you, but I can often exhibit people-pleasing tendencies. If you aren’t sure if you are a people-pleaser, consider this list of statements and see if any resonate with you:

I feel worn out because of other people’s demands, yet I can’t say no
I often feel used by others
I get my fulfillment through making others happy
I often just go with what others want, even when I have a different opinion
I hide my own feelings if they differ from others
I get hurt by criticism really easily, even if it’s constructive
I try to figure out what other people think of me, because that affects my self-esteem
I allow others to decide how worthy I am

If a few of those (or all) really clicked with you, then you have probably had issues setting boundaries and you’ve been really hurt by others for either not appreciating you or for things they have said that you’ve let get to you.

Here’s the thing, yes part of it might be on them for not being diplomatic or for not realizing how you feel. But you need to be honest with yourself and realize that if you’re allowing others to determine how much you are worth, then you are going to be in an endless cycle of feeling less-than. You will never measure up to everyone’s standards of excellence.

I’m in a writing class (there’s a pro-tip coming ahead if you’re also a writer) and we comment on other people’s short stories. As a people pleaser, I often get upset when people don’t like what I’ve written, or even when they’ve found a tiny flaw that doesn’t satisfy them. I’ve allowed their ideas, these random-people-who-I’ve-never-met’s ideas, affect how I view myself as a writer. I am so easily discouraged that I dread reading their comments, even when many of them have both positive and critical things to say.

But here’s the thing: they don’t know me. They don’t know my story. They have their own struggles that they are dealing with. And they have different perspectives. So I should listen to what they are saying, but take it with a grain of salt.

As I read the most recent comments, I noticed a similarity between them and ones from previous work. None of them agree with each other. One person likes the opening monologue while another thinks it’s boring. One person feels like a character is their best friend while another can’t relate to them.

My bottom line is this: Whether you are a writer or not, you can’t please everyone. There’s just no physical way.

And the truth is, no person can fully understand you or your whole story. Only God knows you deeply and loves you.

Imagine you see this gorgeous painting that you want to further understand. You wouldn’t let some fifth-grader who just got dragged into an art museum explain the artist’s intent behind their work, would you? Not if you wanted the truthful, deep, thought-provoking answer dripping with love and affection for their masterpiece.

That’s why you shouldn’t let the people you meet online, your coworkers, or even people close to you define you. No one can express how much you are truly worth like your Creator can. He’s the only one who knows your full purpose, how intricately designed you are, and how long it took Him to breathe you into being.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Never let yourself believe otherwise.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139:14

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.
Isaiah 48:10-11

Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Genesis 2:7

The Past Me: A Different Look at Comparison

Do you struggle to live up to your own standards? Do you feel like you don’t have the freedom to change?

So last post, we were talking about the dangers of comparing ourselves with others. When we fixate ourselves on other people’s accomplishments and thus feel insignificant and incapable, then we lose sight of our worth and our joy. You may have heard similar teaching in the past, but I hope it was an encouraging reminder.

Today, though, we will be talking about a different sort of comparison that I have struggled with a lot recently.

Have you been through a life-altering event?

When I asked that question, some of you may have immediately thought, “Yes”, and proceeded to think of the story related to your answer. Others of you may have thought, “Nothing that significant”. But let me tell you something, any event, even something that might be meaningless to another person, can be life-altering.

Your mindset affects much of your life, yes? They say 10% of how you feel is related to the actual event and the 90% is how you react to it. (Don’t quote me on that, but it’s pretty mind-blowing to think how much our attitude affects our life.)

Anything that has changed the way you view a person, situation, or life in general is a life-altering event. It has changed how you see the world.

Okay, back to the comparison thing. Stay with me here, and it will all make sense!

Last time I talked about how I was comparing myself to my riding partners and how that stole my joy and excitement about riding. Well, I eventually realized what it was doing to my self-esteem and enjoyment of one of my favorite hobbies. I slowly began to regain my appreciation for the sport and felt more fulfilled. But then, about a month ago, I fell off of a horse who I had previously trusted. I know that happens to every rider, and I’ve fallen off under worse circumstances before, but it still caused me to build up this fear towards riding again.

And as the past month has gone by, I’ve struggled with being disappointment in my regression in riding. I’ve taken on some poor habits that I had worked through and I’ve lost my excitement about riding again.

I’ve been so angry at myself. So frustrated. I keep comparing myself to how I used to ride and how I’ve changed since then.

And you might be thinking, Hannah, it’s not that big of a deal. You’re fine. Or, it makes sense that you are afraid. You shouldn’t be mad about that.

But haven’t you ever had a life-altering event change your perspective, and suddenly you can’t enter a situation, activity, or relationship the same way?

We all think that change is such a bad thing. But the issue is not the change in us. It’s how we try to enter these spaces as the same people we used to be.

I heard a message on the radio that really spoke to me. When we walk into a room, sometimes we get a weird vibe that makes us want to leave and re-enter. Sometimes, we have to re-enter the rooms of our relationships, situations, and activities. We need a fresh start now that we are not the same as we used to be. We should have different expectations for ourselves.

We need to stop comparing ourselves to a past version that no longer exists. We often get told to not judge others based on how they used to be. But now we need to extend that same grace to ourselves.

The reason these life-altering experiences happened may not be known to you yet. But they all have a purpose. God is shaping us into the people we are meant to be, and we have to trust that.

No matter how we change, we will always be loved by God. That never changes.

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
2 Corinthians 13:5

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20