Okay, confession time.
I struggle big time with my self-worth. This is in part why it has taken me ten-years to stake my claim on this blog and put my writing out in the world. My husband has faithfully paid for my domain name for over ten years waiting for me to get something up and going. He wins the medal for Faithfulness, for sure.
I really wish I could pin point when or why my self-worth became a stumbling block, but I cast no blame on anyone particular. A lot of it came down to where I thought my value came from.
I let my friends define my worth
I let how many friends I had define my worth
I let how others thought I looked define my worth
I let grades, jobs, and success define my worth
All were changing values, like watching the stock market over the last year. All the above thoughts were after I came into a relationship with the Lord. So the enemy really knew how to get under my skin, to cause me to hide in fear of what others thought of me.
This is also how I came about revamping the story of Red Riding Hood in Beneath the Hood. Because we all need to be reminded that we are prince and princesses of the King of all creation. And because of our value God was willing to come down in human form to redeem us into relationship with him. We were worth dying for, and isn’t that what all great stories reveal to us.
It is my hope that my kiddos will have a firm grasp of their self-worth and value so that fear doesn’t become a stumbling block for them as it was for me.
So for the next few weeks we'll be looking at some Key Truths about God our Kids need to know. This week we'll be talking about:
Value
We all have an innate need to have value. To do something of value to have meaning and purpose. Those desires are somehow written in our DNA, and no matter how old or how young that need remains.
But what defines our value says a lot about who we are and the choices we make.
It is easy for kids to define their value in the attention they receive from their parents, the grades they get, or the trophies they receive. But those imperfect measures of value, change, tarnish, and fade.
How do we communicate the true source of our value that comes from God?
Every year before school kicks off, I take my kids out for some sort of treat. But before we make our order, I pull out a twenty-dollar bill. Wide eyes abound, because $20 is big money to little eyes.
I ask them what is the value of this bill?
“Twenty dollars mom,” is the response.
I nod, and crumple the bill into a wadded ball (Sorry Uncle Sam)
Jaws drop, and I uncrumple the bill. “Now how much is the bill worth,” I ask.
“Twenty- dollars, Mom.”
“But what if I tear it a little, then how much is it worth?”
“Twenty-dollars?”
“But what if I write on it, then how much is it worth?”
“Twenty-dollars?”
“What if I told you, it was only worth ten cents?”…….. (Crickets and confused faces)
It’s still worth twenty dollars. The value of the bill doesn’t change, no matter what is said or done to the bill. The bill isn’t the same as it was when I first pulled it out of my wallet, but the value hasn’t changed.
Why?
Because the value of the bill is not defined by me, but by a higher authority. For the twenty-dollar bill the United States Government defines its value. Then I proceed to use the twenty-dollar bill for our treat, and the poor cashier has to go through a few questions, just to make sure the bill can be used to pay for the treat.
Then once our treat is in hand, we sit down somewhere and I ask my kids who defines their value?
Is it their grades?
Is it how many friends they have?
Or number of trophies on the shelf?
After a series of ‘no’ answers, one of the kids usually shouts “GOD DOES!”
And that’s a key truth I want my kids to hold on to before entering a new school year.
Because if we believe that God made us. (Psalm 139) has a plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10) then he is the one who defines our value. If he is the all-powerful, all knowing, all seeing, creator of everything then he is the only one with the authority to define our value.
But where does the Bible define our value?
We are made in his image (Genesis 1:26) To be created like the creator. To be separated and different than every other living then. And then to be grated dominion over God’s creator give us inherent value.
Though Shal not Kill (Exodus 20:13) - is a command between humans. We are valuable enough that to kill another human is offensive to God. This gives our lives value. Each one of the ten commandments states we have worth and value and don’t deserve to be lied to, stolen from, to receive malice and resentment.
Then You are worth rescuing. “For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
You are worth dying for
You are worth knowing
You are worth eternity.
That is what God says about our kids, and about us.
No matter what people do to us, speak to us, or scar us, our value doesn’t change. God is patiently waiting for as many as possible to know they are worth dying for, as Christ died for us, because he wants no one to perish. ( 2 Peter 3:9)
God is who I want my kids to get their worth from. I want then to know they are valued and loved by God and by their parents no matter their grades, their trophies, or accomplishments.
How will you communicate value to your kids today??
Check out All Five Key Truths in this FREE PDF