Your Worth is Within

 Good evening to our obedient sisters in Christ!

May the Lord bless you this day as you strive on in holiness, enduring the hardships of this life and looking for the hope to come!

Today I want to talk about our worth as godly women and where it comes from. I know some of you struggle in this area and there are times I do as well so I thought it would be a good topic to try cover in what I see and have learned.  

Many women can have this struggle, finding their worth, (their perceived value) because they base it off external circumstances.  For instance, a single woman may think she's not worth much because she is not married.  A barren wife may see herself as little worth because she cannot bear children.  A married woman can base her worth off how good or bad her husband treats her.  Other aspects can affect the way a woman views herself such as her height, weight, facial features, intelligence, her voice, how many people are in her life, a job title or amount of pay, her living circumstances etc.

Let's start off by remembering that we are not to compare ourselves.

2 Corinthians 10:12 

For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Oftentimes women will compare themselves to someone else and then base their worth off how they  measure up.  For example:  You might take care of your home, a garden, maybe some animals etc and you are content with how it's run, how well you keep up with your duties, doing the best that you can and you're relatively satisfied (unless you make unrealistic goals for yourself.)  Then you meet a sister who has a spotless garden, the windows on her house are sparkling, the floors shine and her pantry is perfectly arranged.  Now all of a sudden you feel you are inferior and not quite as valuable as her.  

What about the woman who has a husband that is not faithful in their marriage with his eyes and looks at other women.  She now is comparing her looks against them and falling short of being worthy to her husband.  

There might be a sister who speaks well and can think quickly and the sister who can't now feels less worthy to be listened to.  

Another situation could be that a sister is strong and healthy, managing many things in her life and the sister who is weak in the flesh, struggling with her health, feels worthless in comparison.

Here's another one....a sister might be strong in killing her flesh, having quick victories and another sister may have many fleshly struggles that she has a hard time overcoming, which makes her feel weak and helpless and worth little.

Such women feel they are defeated, worthless, of little value, a burden and the list goes on and these are all perfect examples of living in the flesh...which we are not to do.

Romans 8:5-10 

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. [6] For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. [7] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. [8] So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. [9] But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. [10] And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Read verse 6 again and let that sink in....

"For to be carnally (fleshly) minded is death".  That's the defeat that women have when they live in the flesh and look to external circumstances to find their worth.  The verse continues with the answer...

'to be spiritually minded is life and peace.' 

Peace, what does that mean?  

Not chaos, not confusion, not being defeated....quietness, rest, tranquil.  A woman who is seeking for her worth from external circumstances is not going to have that peace is she?  She needs to examine herself...

2 Corinthians 13:5

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

If she truly has the Holy Spirit within her, she will be thankful for what He has done and see that who she is, is all about Christ within her.

1 Corinthians 6:20

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

A godly woman needs to look at herself as a daughter of the most High God who bought her with a price, not the wife of the man that mistreats her, or the woman that people walk all over, or the woman who tries hard but can never keep up in her duties etc.

Proverbs 31 has much insight of the characteristics of a godly woman and one is her strength and fortitude to press on and do the work that is before her.  

Proverbs 31:25 

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

She's not weak and worthless...

Proverbs 31:10 

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

Notice the word 'virtuous'.

Satan is going to use all our life circumstances and the people within it to try to tear us down, defeat us, make us feel worthless....and the only way he can do that is if we are in the flesh.  But if we live in the Spirit we can rejoice because....

1 John 4:4 

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

And....

John 16:33 

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Christ has overcome the world and if He is in us, we can overcome it all as we can do all things through Christ who.....strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13)

The next time you come up against your flesh trying to tear you down, look to the Lord, who is within you (if you truly are a child of God) and rise up in His strength to overcome.

I hope that encourages my sisters whose price is far above rubies :-) 

And if you are 'weary' of it all, maybe brother Jim's audio will lift you up. You can listen to that HERE.

Love to you all,

Sister Deb

Are you born from above?  

See the gospel HERE.