Worth vs. Worthy

Romans 5:8 “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (NLT).

A few years ago a friend explained to me the difference between worth and worthy. The word worthy is performance based. It implies that you’ve earned something. Worth, on the other hand, is value you inherently possess.

I didn’t feel worthy of God’s love; therefore I often found myself feeling like I wasn’t worth much at all. But my friend explained to me that only Jesus is worthy of God’s love. He’s the only one whose performance could obtain such a title. But we–each and every one of us–are WORTH God’s love; because He instilled that value into us the day He created us. That’s WHY He created us.

We weren’t worthy of God’s love, and that’s why Jesus came to die for us. But we have always been, and always will be, worth God’s love. If we weren’t He never would’ve sent Jesus to take our place.

I’m still trying to train my brain not to strive for this unobtainable sense of “worthiness.” Instead, I’m trying to calm my heart and mind and accept the fact that I am worth God’s love. It’s a gift–an inherent value He gave me when He created me. I have nothing to prove. My worth is not dependent on my own actions–it never has been.

Question: Do you struggle with feelings of worthlessness? Consider pouring out your emotions to God and asking His Holy Spirit to minister to your heart. Remember that being worthy isn’t a goal God ever intended for you to strive for. Instead, He has desired–from the beginning–for you to fall in love with Him as you realize how much you’re worth to Him, and how much He loves you.