June 6, 2008
Worthless
“You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” Isaiah 62:3 (NIV)
Devotion:
“You are absolutly worthless!” “Why do they even pay you?” Everyone in the reception area overheard her shrill and piercing voice and waited for my response. I could feel my face flush with embarrassement as every head and all eyes were pointed in my direction. I let out a nervous giggle and muttered, “Oh they just pay me to look cute.” I thought a little comic relief would soften the woman’s anger and the tension in the room. I was wrong! She screamed, “You’re not even cute! “You should give them back their money!” then turned and left the office angry and frustrated because I was unable to fulfill her demand for an appointment. Once again all eyes were on me as I prayed for the floor to open up and swallow me. I smiled back at the watching eyes, appologized for the disruption and returned to work.
Welcome to the glamorous and exciting life of a receptionist. While every patient I encounter is not as outspoken as the one I just described, my job does require me to be gracious no matter how angry or frustrated the patient becomes. It’s interetesing to see how I’ve learned to handle these uncomfortable situations. If the same situation had occurred five years ago my reaction would have been radically different. I would have completely fallen apart, broken into uncontrolable crying, and disrupted the entire office because I would have believed her words and placed them on my shoulders like a wet and heavy blanket … wearing them for all to see.
I’ve spent much of my life looking to people to validate my self-worth, relying on their words as truth and not relying on the words of truth from my heavenly Father. Friends, I’m here to tell you that looking to man for validation and self-worth has been exhausting and fruitless. Perhaps it’s my age or maybe my spiritaul life has simply caught up with my chronilogical age. Whatever the reason, I’ve discovered a way to walk in the confidence of my value and self-worth in Christ irregardless of other people’s opionions or beliefs. Being secure in my heavenly Father’s love for me and finding my self-worth and value in the pages of His holy Bible, I’m better equipped to let situations like this “roll off my back.”
I wonder how many other women strugggle with self-worth and value? I use to be a charter member of the “secret sisterhood of low self esteem.” In fact, I probably invented the “secret” handshake. Friends, if you’re still a member of that same “secret sisterhood” let me encourage you to resign. Being a member only gets you heart-ache, heart burn, and ulcers.
When I took the time to discover God’s truth about how valuable His children really are, I resigned and stepped instead into the glorious light of self-worth and value in Christ.
Dear Lord, I’m grateful to be Your daughter and to experience the benefits of a woman who has receievd true worth and value from You and in You, my King. Show me how to encourage other women to seek the truth of their value, for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Beautiful in God’s Eyes by Elizabeth George
Visit Zoe’s Blog
Application Steps:
Begin to record scripture verses that confirm your true value and worth.
Choose a different verse and mediate on it each week.
Reflections:
Who can I encourage to find their value and worth through God’s word?
Power Verses:
John 15:15, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (NIV)
Luke 12:24, “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” (NIV)
© 2008 by Zoe Elmore. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G,
Matthews, NC 28105
Originally published Friday, 06 June 2008.
SHARE
