Worth is described in the dictionary as: ‘equivalent in value to the sum or item specified; sufficiently good, important, or interesting to be treated or regarded in the way specified; the level at which someone or something deserves to be valued or rated; the amount that could be achieved or produced in a specified time.’
Worth! Great Worth! I like to explain it like this: better than good, average, or normal; more than just enough; more precious than diamonds or rubies or gold; of great value. You were created with great worth, of more measure than can be told.
‘You are of great worth in My eyes. You are honoured and I love you. I will give other men in your place. I will trade other people for your life’
Isaiah 43:4 (NLV)
Wow! How powerful is that! Oh to hear those words spoken over our lives. Imagine for a moment how uplifting and freeing that feels. To know that you are honoured and loved that much. It’s almost like someone saying that they would take a bullet for you.
We as women especially, face so many challenges in today’s society. We seem to start out already on the back foot or behind the game. In many ways, we have to fight to be recognised, to speak up, to be counted. We seem to have to achieve more to get anywhere thats nearly equivalent to our male counterparts.
But it shouldn’t be this way. It doesn’t have to be this way. We just need to know and believe who we are, who God created us to be, and then, we need to stand up and be counted, make our mark and make it count.
How? Well, that’s the difficult part. But, it’s possible!
The Bible is full of countless stories where women are the direction-changer, the trend-setter, the answer, the pivotal moment, the heroine, and the one who stopped Jesus in His tracks.
Proverbs 31 tells us all about incredible women:
Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character
Proverbs 31:10-31 (NIV)
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Honour her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Pretty cool huh! You may have read this particular passage of scripture many times before, but I encourage you to read it again, right now. This time, with a lens of your worth. Knowing in your mind that this may very well be written about you, because you have all of that within you and you are of great worth.
There are also many other scriptures in the Bible that talk of your value and how intricately and wonderfully you were created (see Psalm 139). It speaks of your name being written in God’s book (see Revelation 3:5). It tells you that God knows each hair on your head (see Matthew 10:30); that His thoughts about you outnumber the grains of sand (see Psalm 139); that He cares more about you than the birds of the air (see Matthew 6:26) and yet He knows each feather that they drop.
He hides you under the shelter of His wings (see Psalm 91), and He stands ready to battle for you with His angel armies (see Exodus 14:14; Deuteronomy 1:30; Deuteronomy 3:22 and Deuteronomy 20:4). He provides us with a Spiritual Armour to gird ourselves in each day (see Ephesians 6:11-18).
The Bible tells us that The Holy Spirit prays and intercedes on our behalf (see Romans 8:26-27). We have also been given gifts (see Ephesians 4:11-13) and talents to use in our every day life.
And if that is all written in the Bible – a text penned thousands of years ago, why don’t we believe that about ourselves today?
I don’t know how to answer that question for you, but for me, it was simply because I didn’t know and believe my worth. I listened to the lies of the enemy, society and culture, and I almost let life pass me by. I didn’t understand the truth – that I am special, important, enough and of great worth.
But, I am! And you are! You are the gold within the rough. The eden in the jungle. The diamond in the rock. The calm amongst the chaos.
What do all those things have in common? They are all of great worth. Yet, after pressing and forming, growing and weeding, they must be mined to be found; tended-to before they are revealed; ground-down and polished before they shine; trained and practiced to learn to simply be.
It takes work and effort before we can become who we are meant to be, but we must believe that it’s possible and then commit to putting in the hard work to reach that potential.
Together, we can make a difference in this life, in the people around us and in our world, because beautiful one, you are of great worth! …And you are worth it! …And so are the people who’s lives you come in contact with.
Don’t let anyone hold you back or put you down. Don’t believe the lies or listen to the negative rhetoric. Check yourself, tune into the truth of The Living Word of God and hold on to all the promises He has for you.
Know your worth, walk in that understanding, enable and empower those around you to know and understand their worth and let your great worth shine!
You Are… Of Great Worth!
