As a teen and young woman I formed the notion:
My worthiness = My performance.
I believed if I did things properly, I would reflect Jesus and become a better person. I would be worthy if I:
- Got good grades
- Had the right friends
- Said the right things
- Dated the right way
- Wore the right clothes
- Pursued the right career
- Married the right guy
- Used my money properly
- Kept a magazine-worthy house
If I achieved and did the “right” things I would earn my place among the hall of worthy people.
Or something like that.
I had it all wrong.
Since those starry-eyed days, I’ve been through a lot. None of it has fit into my perfect little plan.
I haven’t always worn the right clothes–at this point I’m lucky if I can find matching clothes. My second child was born with autism. No matter what parenting or therapy techniques I try, I’m always bewildered and on my knees. A battle with cancer has left me scarred physically.
My magazine perfect house? It’s more like a Wal-Mart after a hurricane. And my perfectly planned marriage? My initial great expectations of dancing through life with ease and romance have been through the meat grinder of harsh reality.
Overall, I’ve failed in all ways to live that perfect life I imagined.
And yet…
All of this has given me a new perspective. I understand Jesus’ grace and love far more now, in my imperfect, messy, tornado of a life, than I ever understood when I was trying to make myself worthy by padding my life with outward signs of perfection.
Worthiness isn’t something earned.
If it was, I slept through my alarm that day and spilled coffee down my dress.
The truth is that every person ever born, except Jesus, has failed in one manner or another to be perfect. We all say the wrong things, make wrong choices, experience hurt, and feel rejection. Jesus, God in flesh, was/is/will be the only one to live a perfect life. And He did that so the rest of us wouldn’t have to.
And that is the beauty. I–we–are worthy because Jesus declared us so. He gave us the gift of His sacrifice on our behalf so that He could declare us worthy despite our mistakes and failures.
That is grace: God’s riches at Christ’s expense.
Our worthiness isn’t based on what other think of us, on the things we have, or how perfect our lives look on the outside.
Worthiness is Jesus’ gift to us through His grace despite whatever turns our lives take. {click to tweet}
Instead of my old formula for worthiness, I see the world differently: My worthiness comes from Jesus’ grace. I am worthy because Jesus, the King of all creation, loves me.
For further encouragement…
Transformed Tuesday: Worthy Calling, Download You are Worthy, Download Living Hope.
