Am I Worth It??

“You are precious and honored in my sight…” (Isaiah 43:4a, NIV).  Many years ago when my husband made like 1.90 an hour and I was a SAHM I found a mohair jacket at Belks that I wanted.....a lot!  it was near Christmas so I told my husband about it.  Christmas came and went....and I did not get the jacket.  My husband thought it was a waste of money.  I was very sad.  I watched the jacket over the next couple of months and it began to be reduced.  One day, with a discount card I had gotten, a coupon from the paper, and a sale I walked into Belks....and there it was.  My jacket....in my size.....I trembled as I looked a the price.  I had a 20.00 I had earned babysitting and yes, I could have used it for groceries....or gas....or a bill....but I thought....maybe....just maybe....this would be my day.  I took the jacket up to the cashier and had her figure out the price.  When all the discounts were applied....with tax and everything....it was 20.00.  I thought I would die.  I paid quickly and hurried out into the day....thrilled with my jacket....and my bargaining powers.  I decided then and there to never jump on the first price.  I became the bargain shopping queen.  In life when we speak of the worth of something, we often consider it to be a relative term. One that has shifting factors. For example, the jacket I bought was twenty dollars. It was originally priced at 200.00.  Did the worth of the jacket change?  So, now, lets consider the worth of a woman. Are the factors that determine her value based upon variable and shifting factors or are they based upon fixed factors? Seems to be a silly question, doesn’t it? Fixed, of course! But, if the answer is so glaringly obvious, why do we struggle so much as women with feelings of worthlessness? Why do we walk around feeling like that red lined jacket? I think it’s because we often allow variable earthly factors to define our worth.
There are so many reasons why women feel worthless:  Because they’ve been abused (raped, molested, physically abused, verbally abused…) Because they’ve been told that they’re worthless (by a parent, spouse, sibling, teenage child, or another…)Because of choices they’ve made or that have been made for them (divorce, infidelity, abortion, promiscuity, eating disorders, addictions, uncontrolled anger…) Because they’ve been cheated on (infidelity, internet affair, pornography…)
Because they’re co-dependent (conclude their value based upon other people – “If my husband isn’t okay, I’m not okay.”)  Because they don’t collect a paycheck (stay at home moms that have left the work force, laid off employees, displaced employees, those on disability…)  Because they’ve battled an illness (unable to care for family, perform basic home duties, participate in ministry or Bible study like they once did, can’t drive, cook…) Unfortunately, the  factors that we use to define our worth are endless. Many of us feel worthless. Why? We’ve felt ignored, invisible, insignificant, useless, undesired, ugly, unloved, or forgotten. We girls are emotional; broken in many ways. Great portions of our identity and of our personal value are wrapped into combustible packages of emotion - how we feel about this or that. The truth is, our worth has nothing to do with our feelings.  I find myself constantly tempted to define my worth with activities, emotions, and accomplishments. I’ve come to realize, however, that way of thinking is a spiritual dead end road. Scripture tells us that anything we do in our own strength or of our own goodness is of no value to God. “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6a).
What I DO know is this: because of Jesus Christ, I’m a woman of highest worth. Not because of anything else. We are His daughters, made in His image, precious in His sight. In light of this, we need to set aside feelings that diminish our value, and embrace our proper identity: Child of the King of Kings.  Listen carefully....those feelings of worthlessness are from Satan himself.  God wants every one of us to experience hope and healing in Christ and have an appropriate sense of self-worth.
So back to my new mohair coat for just a moment. Imagine walking into God's department store. There on the rack, you spy a coat that is just plain fabulous – I mean stop-you-in-your-tracks fabulous! One-size fits all, the tag reads. Yeah, right, you whisper under your breath. Then you flip over the price tag and it’s crazy expensive – way beyond what you could ever dream of paying. Like, if you added up every dollar that ever passed through your hands – then multiplied that by ten thousand – that kind of expensive. Then imagine the storeowner walking over to you, slipping the coat off the rack and onto your shoulders.  “It's a perfect fit,” He smiles.  “Sir,” you manage with a whisper, “I could never afford such a coat. This is meant for royalty and I'm, well, just an ordinary girl.”  “Oh precious one, this coat is made especially for you, and the price has already been paid in full.”  As the owner straightens the sleeves on your arms and adjusts the collar around your neck, you notice his hands - nail pierced hands. And suddenly you realize that this is the covering you were meant to wear all along.  You are precious and highly valuable in the eyes of the One who sees. Even though I am a huge bargain shopper I can rest assured in the peace that I, Karen Korb, never, never, never have to worry about being on anyone's bargain rack again.  I am the daughter of a King.  I am royalty.  I am blessed.