Worthless

By Zoe Elmore

“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)

“You are absolutely worthless! Why do they even pay you?” Everyone in the reception area overheard her shrill, piercing voice and waited for my response. I could feel my face flush with embarrassment as all heads and eyes turned 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 she turned and left the office angry 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 and swallow me up. I smiled back at the watching eyes, apologized 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. 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 uncontrollable 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 people for validation and self-worth has been exhausting and fruitless. Perhaps it’s my increasing age, or maybe my spiritual maturity is catching up with my age. Whatever the reason, I’ve discovered it is better to walk in the confidence of my value in Christ, than worry about other people’s opinions. Being secure in my heavenly Father’s love for me and finding my worth in the pages of His Bible equips me to let situations like this “roll off my back.”

I wonder how many other women struggle 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 “secret sisterhood,” let me encourage you to resign. Being a member only brings you heartache, heartburn, 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. You can too.

Dear Lord, I’m grateful to be Your daughter and to experience the benefits of finding my worth and value in You, my King. Help me encourage other women to do the same. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?

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.