Where Do I Find My Worth? Page 50

I will never have enough….and I will never be enough!  The world of advertising and psychology tries to sell us this propaganda EVERYDAY.  Truthfully, there is nothing in this world that will ever fulfill us.  There is nothing in this world that can soothe the ache inside- that we overlook more than we’d care to admit.  We can search in the highest of heights for personal fulfillment: such as fame, wealth, worldly achievement, personal accolades, beauty, the ultimate display of perfection-but that will never be enough. 

We can choose to go to the deepest depths and try to escape the reality that “we are unfulfilled”! In fact, humanity finds many fearful paths into dark places and goes to great lengths to ease the pain of worthlessness:  irresponsibility, moral corruption, sexual escapades, prostitution-of ANYTHING that makes us sacrifice our integrity for gain; drug and alcohol abuse to numb our minds, divorce that devastates our family life, the personal choice to divorce our own soul from our conscious mind so that we feel NOTHING!  Regrettably, once we reach this place the hellish Gates of Consequence are close by!

We can easily find ourselves in front of the Gates of Circumstance by falling prey to envy, jealousy, bitterness, self-pity, stubbornness or obstinance! We can be in the darkest of places and desperately dabble in all of depravity of man for one glaring reason; we don’t know our “worth”!!!  

Compassionately I ask:  Why in the world would we think our worth is found in any of our earthly pursuits?  Why would we think our worth is found on this planet at all!  If we’re insightful, in even the smallest of ways, we can sense- deep in our soul- the scriptural truth that “God has set eternity into the hearts of man”.  This scripture sums up why we have that inner ache for “something more” than we can find on earth!  Through this small yet profound scripture I finally realized that my life is destined for something beyond this world and that my worth is found there!

Like me, you can flounder for years seeking fulfillment in a person, place or thing.  We can waste our entire lives away if we “choose” to be that stubborn.  Thankfully God is patient and kind and He will stand in front of us with the very hope and answer we crave- but we must recognize our need and surrender our aching hearts to God -- who “rises to show us compassion”.  WE have to choose to give up the hunt because the Lord will not coerce.  He will not force us into spiritual “rehab”.  He will simply wait until we decide we’re ready!

Why does he wait like this-almost making it feel as if He is allowing us to go through this suffering? Too many people over-look the simple answer in order to blame God for things….but this same all-knowing God purposely created us with free-will.   If we didn’t have personal control over our own body, mind and our choices…we would basically be a prisoner to circumstance, a slave to God, a minion in this world.  With the amazing gift of free-will, that is unique to man, we have been given the ability to think freely, make personal choices and discern spiritual truths such as this one –but, ironically, we must use this exact free-will and chose to be cognizant of the spiritual side of life in order to appreciate the astounding gift!

Whether we’re sitting in our Ivory Tower looking down on the world, basking in the self-righteousness of our success…. OR whether we’re so close to the Gates of Hell we can smell the stench… that little ache of un-fulfillment is there.  For some of us it’s more prevalent than others.  Recognizing the empty ache for what it is and then turning our face and heart to God is all we need to do to find change….to find hope….to find worth!

We do not have to sacrifice our lives by living in-and-through the Emptiness of Worthlessness until death finally claims us! Our creator, God as already found a way to save us from the decay of this world and he did so in such a way that we could easily relate to it; using a fellow human being named Jesus.  His life-giving teachings and the story of his sacrifice to save us is written down and preserved on ancient documents that now compile the New Testament! Here is but one passage that points out what I am reiterating:

"The God who made the world and everything in it

 is the Lord of heaven and earth

 and does not live in temples built by hands. 

 And he is not served by human hands,

as if he needed anything,

because he himself gives all men life

and breath and everything else.

From one man he made every nation of men, 

that they should inhabit the whole earth;

 and he determined the time set for them 

and the exact places where they should live. 

 God did this so that men would seek him 

and perhaps reach out for him and find him, 

though he is not far from each one of us. 

 For in him we live and move and have our being."

Acts 17: 24-28

 This was written by Luke, who was a Gentile Physician, somewhere between A.D. 63-70.  That is a while back!  There are many ancient Jewish writings in the Old Testament that prophesied that there would be a messiah sent to save the world. The New Testament writings bring the Old Testament prophesies to fruition. The fact that we actually have hard copies of ancient documents and can verify the writings of the Old and New Testament seems, in a way, mind-blowing.  Do you think that it’s accidental that we have ancient writings that show us that there is a spiritual dimension to our lives-and that humanity’s fate, it’s beginning and it’s end, is etched in these writings and within time itself?  Indeed!  

We can study and research Christianity in great detail to find out that spiritual victory over this world and eternal salvation are the ultimate gifts destined for each of us-but with our free-will we must chose to believe it.  With a believing heart we must simply pray: “Open my eyes so that I may see” it!

Yes, Jesus’ death is symbolic.  Literally, it is fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy. Analytically it is an event that seems other-worldly….and spiritually, it is exactly that!  Because of God’s Word we find that anything is possible and nothing is hopeless…..we have already been saved…..we just need to confess it!!!  Here is just one scripture from the New Testament that describes the amazing power of the VICTORY we have:

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
 through him who loved us. 
For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
 will be able to separate us from the love of God
 that is in Christ Jesus our lord.”

Romans 8:38

This scripture covers everything in creation-including the present and the future! For those of you still living with that ache inside…. Here’s the summation of truth:  Neither the riches and glory found on the highest heights nor the moral despair found in the deepest depths will fill that part inside you that was meant to belong to God.  Nothing you can do will separate you from this fact!  It is an unchangeable truth!  Your inner ache for worth will painfully persist until you chose to rise up a conqueror and find the healing power of God! 

My love, here is my sincere prayer for you:

“For this reason I bow my knee before the Father,
 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit
 in your inner being,
 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-
that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints
 what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
 that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Ephesians 3: 14-19

Song Recommendation:

Worth
by:  Anthony Brown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX59fjowutw 

A DEEPER LOOK:

Scriptural Explanation of Humanity’s Plight-

Ephesians 2: 1-5

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world

and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, 

the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

  All of us also lived among them at one time, 

gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature

 and following it’s desires and thoughts.  

Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath (madness). 

But because of his great love for us,

 God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ 

even when we were dead in transgressions—

it is by grace you have been saved.”

Scripture that shows us that there is an all-knowing God
 who is always near us…

“Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

If I make my bed in the depths, you are there!
Psalm 139: 7-8

…and scripture that shows us that the Lord
 is compassionate & concerned about us:

“The Lord longs to be gracious to you.
 He rises to show you compassion.
 The Lord is a god of justice.
  Blessed are those who wait on him.”

Isaiah 30:18

Last question:

How do we get to know an ancient, invisible God???

By knowing scripture!

GET TO IT!!!