Earning is for Wages, not your Worth

I was never satisfied. I always wanted more. More comments, more praise, more anything that told me I was worthy, valuable, that I mattered to someone, anyone. This led me down dark paths with no light at the end of the tunnel. I was constantly trying to earn my value. It was an unhealthy, unsustainable way to live. Once I crashed hard to the bottom of my pit, there was only one place to look: up.

Once I realized that Christ is who I needed, then I found my significance in Him. Oh, how beautiful that moment was for me! However, I still struggled with the pattern of thoughts that led me to believe I needed to prove my worth. Through many counseling sessions, I was able to release the belief that I had to earn my worth, prove I was valuable of one’s love. I accepted that I was worthy and valuable simply because I was God’s creation. The peace that comes with that shift in thinking is almost indescribable. Instead of exhausted, I felt excited; instead of fearful, I found freedom.

Maybe like me, you struggled with, or are currently struggling with, knowing your value and worth. The enemy is good as what he does, and what better way to keep us from fully embracing all God has for us by making us believe we have to hustle for our value, worth, and significance. But that is not God’s truth. Below are three truths that we can hold to in knowing our value, worth, and significance in Christ.

 Truths

 1)    Earning will leave us yearning

Trying to hustle for our worth, earn love, clamor for the next compliment will not satisfy us. It will only leave us yearning for more. It can become almost like an addiction.  We seek the next hit of praise so that we can convince ourselves we matter to someone. There is nothing satisfying about leaving our worth in human hands.

Psalm 146:3 reminds us, “Do not put your trust in princes. In human beings, who cannot save.” We are fully human. We are all sinners. We are going to fail each other. If we place finding our value in human hands, we will be earning our worth for our whole lives. And we are placing our value in hands that will fail us because they are only human. However, if we find our value in the One true King, the one who created our inmost being, we will find our value and significance. A worht that will never waver.

 2)    Earning is exhausting

Sometimes after a hard day of work, I could crawl in bed at 5:30 p.m. and not wake up until the next morning. It is exhausting sometimes to work and do all the things expected at work. The same can be true when we are doing this for our worth and value.

Trying to keep up with everyone’s demands for what they deem valuable and worthy can leave us feeling ragged and rundown. And, when we are in this cycle, there is no end in sight. It is like being on the hamster wheel, but someone else is keeping the wheel spinning.

This does not have to be the way of life though. We can take back control of determining our value and worth. We can do this through counseling, studying God’s word, and/or surrounding ourselves with people who encourage our worth rather than make us earn our worth.

 3)    Earning is for wages, not our worth

Earning is defined as “to receive as return for effort and especially for work done or services rendered.” It is a transactional act. And our worth should never be an transactional act. First, Jesus has already paid the price for our worth. We cannot get more worthy than the blood he shed for us to be his. Secondly, no other human can accurately determine our worth because they are sinners in need of saving just like us.

1 Corinthians 6:20 reminds us, “You were bought at a price.” Jesus has already paid the price for us; we do not have to do it for ourselves in proving our worth, value, or significance. Jesus has already deemed us worthy. We can own that.

I understand that if you are new in the process of knowing your worth, it may seem difficult to accept these truths. And for a time, the truth may not feel true. However, the first step in shifting our thoughts to the truth is to introduce new thought processes. Reading these truths or Scripture that offers the truth of your worth will provide new positive thoughts which will enable you to begin the shift.

Below are a few verses to help you begin finding your worth in Scripture. However, there are so many more available! Bible apps such as Bible Gateway or You Version can help you find more Scriptures to uncover just how valuable you are!

 Verses to help you hold on to the truths:

 1)    “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” – Genesis 1:27

 You are made in God’s image. You have inherent worth, value, and significance because you are his workmanship! And you are created uniquely to display how beautiful his workmanship is!

 2)    “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” - Psalm 139:14

You were not just an “afterthought.” God took time and precision to make you! You are beautiful in his sight. And nothing you can do, or have done, will change the love he used to craft you.

 3)    “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever would believe him, would not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

God loved his children more than we could ever understand. And sent his son to die for us. YOU MATTER! The enemy will certainly try to make you believe otherwise; however, remind him that he has been defeated, and you’ll take the Winner for your worth!

 4)    “You are a royal priesthood, a people belonging to God…God’s special possession...” -1 Peter 2:9   

This is a verse I quote often for myself and my clients. It is such a beautiful reminder of just how valuable and worthy to God we are. And we did not have to prove a thing for that worth and value. We are his “special possession.”

 5)    “But God demonstrated in his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8

No earning, no proving, no hustling; he simply loved us. Even in our sin, even knowing the things we would do, he chose to show us just how worthy, valuable, and significant we are. He did this not demanding we become blameless first. Rather, by offering himself as a sacrifice for our sin, he made the way for us to be blameless and holy. No greater demonstration of our worth exists.

 Final Thoughts

We can rest in the truth of whose we are! We can hold onto the truths God has provided us in knowing our worth, value and significance. He is never changing, and neither is his Word. We are made in His image, we have been bought and fought for, we are sons and daughters of the King! Now let us live like it!