What Are You Worth? Part 1 Finding Our True Identity in Christ

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2Corinthians 5:17-19 (NKJV)

Q:    What do I determine or gauge my worth as an individual by?

• Is it by how others receive me, such as a friend, co-worker, neighbor, or even my spouse?
• Is it by how successful I may become in the business world, or in some other sporting activity?
• Is it by my worldly perception of value or by what the Word of God teaches to be valuable?

Chances are, we have "All" failed in looking at our own individual worth at some point.  The question is, are we willing to look to God to find the truth and then walk in the light of what He says?

I ask these things because I see the affects of the enemy's lies almost every day in a number of people.  

• It can be a person who is frustrated because someone else doesn't seem to appreciate or respect them for what they do.  
• It can be a person who has come to believe their value or acceptance is based on their looks.
• It can be a person who believes their value is based on how they perform in comparison to another individual (Works based).

Truth be told, it can be any number of lies the enemy has successfully placed within their mind - lies they have chose to think and meditate on, causing their attitude, countenance, and actions to reflect this new belief.

The bottom line is we must understand our worth is based in how God views us, and not in how man views us. At some point, and in every relationship, either one or the other will, at some point, let the other down - they won't be what the other feels they should be.  

Let's take the situation of a husband and wife for example.  Let's say the wife is not feeling loved because the husband appears to be disappointed in her, and her actions.  She may very well be doing what God has asked of her, but still not be what the husband wants.  He can express his disappointment by both verbal and non-verbal communication.  His very actions are telling her how he feels, and she is feeling as though her one-time worth is now diminishing or possibly gone.  

At some point, if her feelings are not brought into check by the truth of God's Word, she is going to manifest into a self-destructive way of thinking, and eventually acting.  When this happens, many different emotions and thoughts are racing about within the wife, and the result can vary.  

• It can be retaliation against her husband, by displaying outward anger and acting in the same way towards him as he has done towards her.
• It can be an inward anger, by simply shutting down within the relationship and withdrawing quietly - eventually quitting or even abandoning the relationship.
• It can be she becomes depressed because she feels herself to be of little or no worth.  

Q:    What can we, as Christian men and women, say to an individual who is experiencing the affects of the enemies lies with regard to their worth?

A:    We can give them a number of Scriptures to point out this lie, and then encourage them to act upon the truth of Gods Word, rather than their feelings - feelings can mislead us in our actions when they conflict with Gods Word.  Here are just a few of the truths we should all learn and remember as Christians. 

Col. 1:14           I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins 
Col. 1:27           Christ Himself is in me.
Eph. 1:7, 8        I have been redeemed, forgiven, and am a recipient of His lavish grace, 
Eph. 1:13, 14    I have been given the Holy Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing my inheritance to come.

As a result I can say in truth:

John 15:15    I am Jesus' friend.
John 1:12      I am a child of God - I am part of His family.  I am a new creation - a new person, the old is gone.
Eph. 2:10       I am God's workmanship created in Christ to do the work He planned beforehand that I should do.
Eph. 4:24       I am righteous and holy-by the cleansing blood of Jesus.
1 Thes. 1:4     I am chosen and dearly loved by God.
1 Pet. 2:11      I am an alien and stranger to this world that I temporarily live in - this is not my home.
1 John 3:1, 2  I will resemble Christ when He returns.

In Part 2, we will continue to look at how we should approach dealing with, and helping others to overcome the enemies lies which devalue our true worth and identity in Christ.  

STUDY QUESTION: What can we learn from the Scriptures contained within this devotional with regard to our worth in God's eyes?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you willing to base your worth off of what God says you are worth to Him, or will it be on what man thinks of you?

APPLICATION: Continue to fix your eyes upon the Lord, and His Word - it is only through Him we will feel true love and acceptance continually.