"Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what that is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2

Time and time again throughout my life I have heard the phrase, “Know your worth.” It has been said in church meetings, in school classrooms, in assemblies about being proactive and making a difference, but do we really ever think about what it means? More importantly, how many of us truly know our worth?

We live in a world that constantly tells us we aren’t good enough; that we are unlovable and unworthy. We, however, also have a perfect God who tells us that those things are anything but true. The same God who created the sun, the Earth, the moon, and the stars created each and every one of us as a perfectly imperfect being with a specific purpose that only we are capable of achieving.

Our Heavenly Father knew us well before He sent us to this Earth. He gave us talents, knowledge, families, and countless other things that not only help us along our journeys through this life, but also that remind us of His never ending love for us every single day. Most importantly, He sacrificed His son to save us. How incredible is that? His love is a love that we will never deserve, much like his grace and His mercy, but He gives it freely anyways, and for that we are truly blessed.

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” 1 Peter 1:18-19

If you learn one thing from me, let it be this: Your worth cannot be found in the things of the world. When we look for validation in things such as the number of likes we get on Instagram or how many matches we get on Tinder, we begin to fall into a downward spiral. When we compare ourselves to others or only find joy when others tell us they like our shoes or whatever “thing” we have, we constantly feel insufficient and like we need more in order to be happy. This often leads to self esteem issues, depression, and anxiety amongst many other problems. On the other hand, when we base our worth in Him and truly understand that there is no sin or flaw in us that can make Him leave us or love us less, we are unstoppable.

Whenever you begin to feel down or as though you are not enough, remember that God made you in His image. He loves you, He knows you, He forgives you. If the most perfect being ever in existence can do those things for you, anyone else can, too. It means you are enough, that you can get through whatever you are going through, that you can be whoever or whatever it is that you want to be, and that is a beautiful thing.

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Psalm 139:14