What Measures Your Value?

True or False Quiz – Answer each one for yourself.

Who I am, the importance of my life depends upon my earthly success.

My worth is contingent upon how others see me.

The mark of my success is measured upon what is accomplished here on earth.

How I view myself is based upon what others think about me.

My worth is dependent upon how I look.

Outward beauty is how I measure myself as a person, as well as others.

Success in my career determines how I am valued.                                  

How my parents and others see view me is a determent of who I am as an individual.

These questions and more plague all of us women; however, I am certain that no one is immune to them. I am also certain that these thoughts and ideas are an instrument of Satan himself.

It is my hope that you answered false to all of these questions; however, if we are honest, these thoughts plague us all as we look in the mirror, reflect upon past failures, and encounter relationships with people in our life who trigger personal insecurities. It seems women especially, are not immune to ideas that we must have vast accomplishments whether in career or ministry, to have some innate value as a person, which got me thinking…what makes someone important or have value? Am I important? Do I have worth? What will it take to make me feel important and is it even humanly possible to obtain? These questions and more have been stirring something within me. Is it possible to obtain an innate value without ever accomplishing a single thing career or ministry wise?

Let’s explore these truths and more together.

I am, the importance of my life that is, depends upon my earthly success.

The answer to this question would be FALSE. The only important tool to measure success in a person’s life is contingent only upon who God is.

Can you tell me who won the Noble Peace Prize 20 years ago? Which Best Selling Author’s book was listed as New York Times Best Seller even five years ago?

If I’m correct, not many can remember without having to look it up, which brings me to my point; if we cannot even remember a successful and earthly accomplishment of something significant of even five to 20 years ago, what makes us think our earthly success will be remembered in 100 years? Even more importantly, the Bible tells us that at the end of this life our earthly successes are merely as fading as the grass and at most done in vain – meaning pointless or for nothing.

If we are measuring the importance of our life based upon our earthly successes we will always come up short and empty. The Bible tells us that we have nothing to offer God, that we must come to Him empty handed, at the end of our life when we meet Him face to face. Therefore, the importance of our life is based upon Who God is rather than our earthly success. Our worth, success, how others view me, how I look, my weight, and success in my career or even ministry is not truly based upon our merit or our vain efforts. It’s just the opposite way around, we alone are valuable because we have been made in the Image of God Himself.

We are His Image bearers, Imago Dei, and the very best within us is merely a reflection of His light and what He can accomplish through us if we allow Him to. The measure of our success is pointless, beauty and youth is fleeting, so what are we hanging onto?

If I never sit down and a write a, New York Times Best Selling masterpiece, am I successful? Yes.

If I never get a job as a professor and I never have an important career or accomplish anything else other than raising my children, am I a success? Yes.

If I never lose the weight, am I beautiful? Yes.

If all people see is an insignificant life and unconfident one at best, do I have worth? Yes.

These are some personal ideals and questions, I challenge you to write down your own.

The answers to all of these questions that confront me are Yes, Yes, and Amen. My value, my beauty, my success, my worth, and how I feel, cannot be measured by the world's standards. 

My measuring stick begins, ends, and rests with who God is, His finished work on the Cross, who he has made me to be, and His will for my life. 

And that alone is enough.

Will I keep striving for excellence? Yes, because He has put that nature in me.

But I cannot fail because even my failures are a success because I am His image bearer.