Intrinsic Value

Question: Have you ever stopped to think about where you believe your value comes from? This is an assessment that we must do in our lives, especially in today’s society. I realized that the failure to understand that we are intrinsically valuable is the recipe for an unfulfilled life.  

Let’s talk girl. The failure to recognize my value led me to not only make mistakes in relationships, but it made me settle for less than God’s best for me. I thought that the more I acquired or the more worldly success I attained it would make me worthy. Since I was 8 I wanted to be a lawyer and a part of the reason was because I thought that it would add to my value. As a child I had fallen into the trap of our society that equated quality with having things and status. I will admit that my reasons for wanting to become an attorney weren’t all very noble. I wanted success and the means to live how I wanted and buy what I wanted. I had no idea that thirsting after these things would not fulfill me but would only multiply the feeling of emptiness.  What I had failed to understand was that I was born worthy.

Dress: Melo' Day via Nordstrom Rack Earrings: Natural Girls Rock

I am currently the survivor of two job lay-offs as a working attorney. After the first lay off God started the work and after the second one He finished it. The work was to get me to see myself as He did. It’s easy to lose your self -esteem and since of self-worth when you lose your job, and I admit mine were deflated. Because my identity was attached to me having attained a level of success in my career it was hard, even though I wasn’t very happy in my position at the time. Although I was happy not to have to continue in that line of work it was still quite embarrassing to be a non-working lawyer. How could I be valuable without a job? I wanted to leave on my own terms, meaning I wanted to have another opportunity lined up. Ha, God had other plans. And I will forever be grateful because that lay-off was the beginning of a huge change in my journey. It marked the beginning to the work to become the real me. The work that would expose my lack of seeing my worth and relearning how to identify myself.

Your journey may look like mine or a lot different from mine in regards to how a lack of seeing our value can lead down a path to nonfulfillment.  But it’s important that we take the time to think about how we see ourselves and why. My career was not the only area in my life that a lack of value understanding reared its ugly head, because it shows up in many forms. Once I finally saw myself the right way, I was able to transform my life one area at a time.

God teaches us that our value is based on the fact that we are His creation. And it is that matter of fact and simple. I’m not at all saying that my becoming a lawyer wasn’t monumental in my life but I am saying that I was worthy before I ever got the degree or got my first pay check. Having a great career is awesome but our entire identity should not be wrapped into what we do, what we have, or our relationship status. What we sometimes forget on this journey is that things are temporary and I even dare say life is as well. Therefore, we have to find our treasure in the things that exist beyond us that ties us to the One who is greater than we are. God’s word says that He knew us before we were formed in our mother’s womb and also that He has a plan and purpose for our lives. I don’t think God would put in that much work for someone who wasn’t worth it. My prayer is that you discover that this is true for you too.

With Love,

Cree