Being humble does not mean that I am worthless. This is a concept that I have struggled with for a long time due to low self-worth. When I first got cancer (about 10 years ago), a brother in Christ came to check on me and ask how I was doing. I told him that I was not concerned with the outcome of the cancer because I knew where I was going when I died. But my struggle was that my family would have to go on without me. His response shocked me. He said, “That is just your arrogant sin nature.” Then, he walked out of my office.
His comment left me appalled. I could not believe that this brother in Christ honestly thought that I was arrogant! I thought, “Arrogant? Me? Do you even know who you are talking to?” Then I thought, “Do you not know how humble I am?” Sadly, once I really dissected what I was saying, I found that he was absolutely correct.
Although I thought that I was humble, what I was really saying to God was, “Who are you going to get to do what I do? Who can take care of my family the way that I do?” Now, the answer was that I wasn’t taking care of my family at all. God was. He may have been using me to do it, but He was actually the one taking care of them. God loved my family more than I did and He would continue to care for them… with or without me.
My issue was that, because of my dysfunctional childhood, I suffered from very low self-esteem and self-worth. I constantly felt inferior and apologized for everything. And somehow, I thought that made me “humble”. But being humble does not mean that I am worthless.
Scripture does tell us that we should strive to be humble and walk in humility. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3.
But it also shows us that being humble or walking in humility are far from lacking self-worth. Being humble does not mean that I am worthless.
In fact, Jesus Himself was humble, but He was far from worthless. And scripture says that we are to be humble as well. “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death– even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:5-8.
Jesus, the one who was with God and the Holy Spirit creating the earth and all that is in it, humbled Himself. “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:15-16.
Jesus didn’t struggle with self-confidence or self-worth. He knew who He was in God. He knew the power that He possessed. And He knew what His purpose and plans were.
Being humble or walking in humility means recognizing who we are, in light of who God is. And who we are as followers of Jesus Christ.
God is loving. “We love because he first loved us” 1 John 4:19. We are able to love others, because God first loved us. And the love that we are able to show to others is a supernatural love that can only come from God. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:8-10.
He is our creator. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” Genesis 1:27. And we should be humble in serving Him. “But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8.
God is our creator. We, on the other hand (apart from God), can do nothing. “”I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 1:5. And, even our attempts to do anything good (when we do not know Jesus), are worthless to God. “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away” Isaiah 64:6.
God, however, is merciful and, through Christ, has shown us mercy and forgiveness, resulting in eternal life. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5.
In light of this, we must recognize that we have NOTHING to boast about. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. It is all God.
But, we must also remember that we are God’s creation, CREATED IN HIS IMAGE.
We are wonderfully made! “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” Psalm 139:14.
God created us with a purpose! “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10.
The God of all creation created each one of us with a specific purpose and plans. Not plans to be an airplane pilot or a waitress or a furnace repairman. He created us with a purpose and a plan that would impact all of eternity.
We do that by considering others greater than ourselves. “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39.
We make an eternal impact on the Kingdom of God by humbling ourselves and making ourselves available to God for His plans. Not because we are worthless, but because we are precious in His sight and created with a purpose and a plan. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. So remember, “Being humble does not mean that I am worthless.” Gain your self-worth by viewing yourself through God’s eyes, not the eyes of the world.
Father God, we praise You that You loved us enough to send Your only Son as a sacrifice in our place. We praise You that He paid the penalty for our sin, a penalty that we could not pay. And we thank You that He was the perfect example of how to walk in humility and to be humble. Thank You for creating each of us with a purpose and a plan. Help us to be humble and to seek Your will and plan for our lives, moment by moment. Be glorified in us, Father. We love You and pray this in Jesus’s precious and holy name. Amen.
Have you struggled with a lack of self-esteem? Do you (like me) have a poor self-image? Remind yourself that, “Being humble does not mean that I’m worthless.” God wants you to see yourself through His eyes. He wants you to recognize how precious you are to Him. And He also wants you to begin living out the purpose and plan He has for you.
Please go to our Life Preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/). On this page, you will find a pray outlined. Please pray that prayer. Because, through that prayer, you can find forgiveness and love. Once you pray that prayer from the bottom of your heart, God will forgive you. Then, you will begin an intimate and loving relationship with Him and you can humbly begin to live out the plan He has for you.
After you have prayed that prayer, please reach out to me and let me know. I’d love to be in prayer with and for you.
Luv Ya!
