Worth

You Are Worth It.

/ Jana / 1 Comment

I know you know this. But, I am saying it again. As long as you are trying to “do” something to get your worth, you will be miserable, exhausted, disappointed.  And worse, you will be demanding. Demanding on you and the people in your life.

You know why? Because you demand that they “do” for you to make you happy, pleased, satisfied. Performance is really a subtle form of pride, because the lie is you somehow “add” to your status by your own works.

Worth is a fact. No, better, worth is a truth. Fact is something we humans have figured out through science or study. Truth is divine. It is originates in heaven and smells of heaven. Truth is a person.

So when you talk about “your worth,” what you actually need is for Truth (Jesus) to make known what He values. Your response? Faith to believe what He says.

You cannot have worth apart from Christ. Can a clay pot, or field, or piece of gold, have any value apart from the shaper of the clay, the planter of the field, the finder and refiner of the gold?

Your actions do not determine your worth. Quite the contrary. The more you soak in just how much God values you, just how much Jesus paid to be with you, just how much the Spirit is working with you, in you, the more you see that your definiton is quite “apart” from your efforts.

You is. You have. You are. You don’t have to “do” to prove anything because Jesus “did” already. He’s already proved who you are and your worth.

He is already happy, pleased, and satisfied with you. Right now. No matter what you have done or will do. It is settled in His mind. And, unlike humans, He is not swayed.

“There is no shadow of turning with Thee.”

Performance is not the answer. Jesus the person is your definition, your solace and ultimately your freedom. Once you get that you have the Heavenly Worth of Christ, no one can take it from you. THIS truth is what changes what you do, how you do, why you do.

Letting God Reveal What’s Real

/ Jana / 2 Comments

My daughter, Salem, was writing a letter to a friend and I was so struck personally by the story and the parallel to all our lives, I thought I would share it.

“I was reading The Edge Chronicles: Midnight over Sanctaphrax in school, and one of the characters so reminded me of you. She’s the ship’s stone pilot, and she always wears this hood so you can’t see anything of her face. Nobody knows who she really is or what she is capable of.  One day, she gets hurt, and the captain has to take off her hood and her coat to heal her. Under that hood and concealment, she’s actually really beautiful.

That reminded me of you because you hid what you were made to be and concealed what God had made you to be.

Underneath, there was someone so incredibly_________. Let Him fill in the blank.

The reason the character wore the hood was because she didn’t live up to what people wanted her to be, and she was ashamed of who she really was. She thought she wasn’t enough. She was wrong. Even though you don’t think you’ve pleased everyone and you think you’re not enough, you come in first place in His eyes. And He sees everything the way it is. He sees His most prized creation being unmasked to bring out the Him in you. He sees someone who’s gonna do great things. He sees someone who he’s gonna change and reveal new things to.

I think God loves His job. Getting to show you (and me) new things we could never have imagined. I’m glad that mask of shame got taken off.”

Thank You, Lord that You love Your job of revealing the Real You inside the Real us. Take off our hoods of shame and “not enough”. Fill in our blanks. We are all incredible in Your sight. Amen

A Question of Worth, by Guest Blogger, Laura Jones

/ laurajones / Leave a comment

Hi, sisters!  Pray for Jana as she’s getting ready to teach ANOTHER retreat this weekend.  She asked me to share one of my stories with you, so I wanted to let you in on a conversation Lyschel and I had the other day.  Hope her words bless you like they did me. ~ Laura

A Question of Worth

“I’m so mad!  She’s just so belittling and nit picky.  I can never please her!  And it was the STUPIDEST argument anyway.  And I was right!  And she wouldn’t admit it.  And I don’t want to appologize to her because she’s being a ____.”  I dumped all this in Lychel’s ear.

“On top of that, I had to take out a school loan.  I’m embarrassed that I even need one.  I should manage my money better,” I added. “Moreover, I cried at the bank because I was so upset over the argument. That’s embarassing too.  I feel like a total loser.”

Lychel just listened.  “You have permission to be mad, if that’s what you’re looking for.  And you’re not a loser.  You’re God’s.   You’re so good. Remember that your value isn’t based on your performance.”

“I know you’re right.  I just want to know why it bugs me SO badly when someone acts like I’m stupid. Why am I feelng so much embarassment?  Why does it matter so much?”

“Sounds like there are a lot of  ‘worth’ questions in there to me.”  Lyschel replied.

Bingo.  I knew she had just hit home.  Jesus has been talking a lot to  me lately about my worth to Him. Why is it that He treasures me again? 

Because of how smart I am?  No.   

My service? No. 

My loving others well and always being kind?  No.  Good thing, because I just blew that one.

He loves me because of Who He is.  Because it delightes Him to do so.  He calls me a pearl.  Because of WHO He made me. My worth is a WHO not a WHAT.

And in loving but uncomfortable ways, He’s letting me see that too!  He’s letting me see that I can’t determine my value by anything other than what He determines it by:  What HE says, and Who HE is.