Your worth, your calling.

We’ve all done things that we’ve looked back on later and thought, “That was not worth it.” Some things just aren’t worth the time, the money, or the energy. Sometimes you get what you pay for, but sometimes you just don’t. And it’s regretful. You want your time, your money and your energy back. But life isn’t a Bed, Bath & Beyond (may she rest in peace), it's not generous with refunds and exchanges. You have to live with the choices you make.

In the decision-making process, the only thing more important than knowing if a choice is worth making is knowing the worth of the one making the choice. That’s you. Know your worth! This is the secret to making good decisions.

If I was really brave, I’d say it’s the secret to life. But I’ll stop short of that and just say that knowing your worth is critical. Crucial. Imperative. Paramount. You get it, right? 

What you believe you’re worth informs every decision you make.

What you eat, what you think, what you wear, who you’re with. Everything. 

So, there are two questions to be answered. One, do you know what you are worth? And two, does your life say so? I’ll do my best to offer some sober truth here.

You are worth the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord and Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Every miracle he did was done for you. Every drop of His blood was spilled for you. And when He rose on Easter morning, He rose for you. Because you. Are. Worth it. 

You are so worth it that He has called you to join Him in His amazing, world-changing mission. The Bible calls it a “high calling” (Phil 3:14 KJV). And if you’re truly going to answer the call, you have to believe that you are worth it.

So, this little essay is about to pull an Abraham (or Sarah, or Jacob, etc.) and get a new name.  Instead of “Your worth, your calling,” I am effectively renaming it “You’re worth your calling.” It sounds exactly the same, but it means something different entirely. A comma becomes an apostrophe, add an e and now we’re in a totally different conversation.

Yes, we are still talking about the interconnectedness of your worth and your calling. But what connects them is the belief that you are worth your calling. Do you believe it?  God does. And He endured unspeakable suffering to prove it.

If your self-worth is tied up in yourself, you’ve got it all wrong.

And it’s likely that your heart is not at peace, which is another topic for another day. In fact, it might be fitting to throw that term out of our vocabulary. “Self-worth”. It’s a bit of an oxymoron. Self-worth is essentially worthless. We should be talking about Christ-worth. Or cross-worth. Or heaven-worth? Take your pick.

The point is that you are called to participate in the greatest adventure that life has to offer—following Jesus to the ends of the earth. Well, maybe that’s not where he’s calling you. Maybe you’ll follow Him to a small town in Iowa or a tech job in Silicon Valley, or maybe you’ll just stay where you are. No matter where you are phyiscally, the best place for your heart to be is nestled into God's call on your life. Whether you live in one zip code your entire life or your mailing address is on a world tour, you are worth it.

I repeat…You. Are. Worth it. 

The second question is one that only you can answer. Does your life say, “I’m worth the cross,” when you go about your daily business? Do your habits (academic, spiritual, etc.) say, “I am worth His life,” even when the pressure is on?  

Because you are.

And it’s not as if you barely made the cut and maybe, just maybe, God will use you on the “B Team” when his star players get in foul trouble. You are His first choice. His number one draft pick. Before you were even born, He called you and called you worth it (Jeremiah 1:5). 

So, the question becomes, who are you to question God? Because nothing can unspeak what He has spoken over you. I know unspeak is not a word, but that’s how serious I am about this—I’m making up words! 

When you are faced with a new decision to make, remember that you have been called and that you are worth your calling. Anything that doesn’t line up with that truth must be evicted from your life, forever. 

It will be worth it. 

Jesus is worth it.

You are worth it. 

So know your worth! And don’t be afraid to fulfill your calling, wherever it may lead.