Chosen by God

   Many suffer from low self-esteem, low self-worth.  They don’t see anything in their lives that make them feel loved or worthy of love.  In some extreme cases they don’t even see themselves as worthy of life.  Some turn to alcohol or drugs; other may even turn to suicide.

   I believe most of us have a skewed understanding of self-worth.  We see it in the terms of this world.  We attach our worth to the balance of our bank account or the size of our house.  Some see self-esteem as a reflection of how many friends they have; how many people say they like them.  While there is certainly nothing wrong with having money, nice homes or lots of friends our self-worth does not derive from these things.

   My spiritual advisor recently gave me what I believe is the true source of our self-worth.  I would like to share it with you and hope you share it with others; especially those who might not recognize their own self-worth.  Whenever you feel unworthy reflect on these words:

You have been chosen by God,

Before the world began; to be Holy,

To be blameless in His site;

To be full of love.

   There can be no greater sign of our worth than the love of God.  A God who wants us as part of His family and is willing to forgive us our faults as a loving parent does for their children.  A God who sent His only Son to pay the price for our sins and to open the gates to heaven.

   Nothing in this world can increase or reduce our self-worth.  The love of God is all the proof of worth needed.

   “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3: 16)