when God calls you worthy
your are worthy by being, not by doing
*this post is all about finding your worth in Christ.
it's pretty safe to say that everyone wants to be rescued at some point or another. growing up, i wasn’t a big fan of disney movies and still keep that same energy. i always thought the stories gave a false sense of reality. a helpless girl needs rescuing, a knight in shining armor comes to save her, and well, you know the rest. i thought (and still think) ideas like this gave girls the wrong impression—one day someone will go out of their way to save you because they consider you worth the fight. this might be a good time to mention that i can be a bit of a pessimist. i had never seen that played out in real life. i couldn’t relate to those beautiful, near-perfect princesses. i knew if anything close to this was to happen, it would only happen to someone like them. then i stumbled upon mark 5:1-20, again.
before this account, Jesus tells his disciples they are going on a trip. while out at sea, they find themselves in the middle of a storm. Jesus quiets the storm, and they make their way to an area unfamiliar to them; a demon-possessed man immediately meets them. you might be thinking, “what does this have to do with princes saving princesses?” hold that thought. this man was naked, wounded, and alone. he spent his days and nights crying out in the darkness. he was tormented and utterly alienated from society. yet, when he sees Jesus get out of the boat, he runs to meet him. he had never seen Christ before, but Jesus had heard him; he’d seen him. while this man was crying out day and night, Jesus was on the other side of galilee praying. he had heard this man in his state of hopelessness (psalm 56:8).
Jesus met this man where he was. he goes against all societal norms and beliefs to heal this man. his intense emotions and physical state didn’t scare Jesus. his issues didn’t overwhelm Jesus. this man, whose name isn’t even mentioned in the Bible, was worth the rescue. he was tormented and defeated, yet Christ quieted a storm to come and heal his brokenness. he then wants to stay near to Christ, where it’s safe, but Jesus says no. he instructs him to go back to his hometown and tell everyone what happened. my thoughts were always, “really, Jesus? you’re telling him to go back to the place where he was isolated and in darkness and speak to the very people that judged him and ignored his pain. if i were him, i’d be disappointed.”
this man, with his past fresh on his mind, scars still evident to all, shared his story with others. he must have been so accepting and empathetic towards others because he remembered who he once was. this man, who experienced judgment, rejection, and isolation would become the first person to share the good news throughout the area of decapolis—philadelphia, and damascus being within that region. philadelphia, the very church that would later be commended for their spiritual strength and endurance (revelations 3:10-12). damascus, the place where saul met ananias and was converted to christianity (acts 9:1-22).
about a year ago, i found myself in a dark place, emotionally naked, wounded, and feeling alone. i would pray, yet hear nothing. i would ask, yet receive noes. i would wait, yet see no change. i didn’t know how to navigate through the darkness. as each day passed, i became more and more insecure knowing that other people could see me at my lowest point. i questioned if i was worth the rescue. that place and those thoughts became my identity. i’m too emotional. i’m not enough. i can’t seem to get it together. but that's not how Christ sees me. he quiets the storm and meets me where i’m at because he considers me worth the rescue. he goes against my beliefs about myself and heals my brokenness. he completely transforms me. he gives me the grace to stay in a place that was once so dark, a place where i faced isolation and rejection. he tells me to share with those who know how bad it’s been. he gives me a new identity, a new life. and in my moments of self-doubt and fear, he reminds me i am worthy, that i am enough, and that he will fight my battles for me. he’s given me a story that is worth sharing. he’s given me a hope that is worth proclaiming.
God gave each one of us a knight in shining armor. we know him as Jesus Christ. his love for us is so perfect, so unchanging. he sees our brokenness and gives it meaning. he sees our pain and gives it purpose. he sees our wait and gives it reason. and he sees our future and gives us promise. God always proves himself faithful. his saving grace never fails because we are worth the rescue.
HELPFUL BOOKS
beautiful disaster: finding hope in the midst of brokenness by marlena graves
we’re going to need more wine by gabrielle union
*this post is all about finding your worth in God.
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