Feeling Unworthy in a Success Driven World

Today’s definition of a good life is one that’s accomplished, well versed and successful. For years I bought into the myth that unless I pushed myself to the very brink of exhaustion I wasn’t living up to my full potential. Today, I’m learning to be present in my family’s life over creating a perfect home. Present in my own way of thinking instead of following the masses idea that to be worth something I must work, work work. 

In the back of my mind, I kept asking myself, “But what if my goal is just to raise good kids, love an amazing husband and be a servant to my friends and family? The world tells me I should be reaching for the stars but what if the world’s definition ‘for the stars’ caused more stress, more unworthiness, more exhaustion than I was created to endure?” 

I love how Shauna Niequist describes being present over perfect, “Being Present Over Perfect is about rejecting the myth that everyday is a new opportunity to prove our worth and about the truth that our worth is inherent, given by God not earned by our hustling. It's about learning to show up and let ourselves be seen just as we are. Massively imperfect and weak and wild and flawed in a thousand ways but still worth loving. It's about realizing that what makes our life meaningful is not what we accomplish but how deeply and honestly we connect with the people in our lives, how wholely we give ourselves to the making of a better world through kindness and courage.”

My worth is about honesty, connection, service, kindness toward others and courage to do the right thing. Friends, don’t get caught up in the rat race of achievement. Don’t let the idea of proving your worth even enter your mind because God has already proven  your worth in His word.

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22 NIV

We are CITIZENS of God’s kingdom! Our worth was already established through Jesus Christ’s love for us.  To those who choose to follow God, His spirit dwells within you! That noun, “citizen” pretty much declares how worthy you truly are. Next time you begin to question your simple life, just remember that you don’t have to prove anything. God has already done the hard work for you. You are His most prized possession, a citizen of His kingdom.