Tuesday: Finding True Self-Worth
If Joseph had entertained any hopes of escaping and finding his way back home, they were dashed on reaching Egypt, where Joseph is resold into a prominent household. Genesis 39:1 tells us that “Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites” (NKJV). Suddenly the young man was thrust into a strange new language and culture.
Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com
Our families and close relationships are pivotal in the development of our self-esteem. Joseph had grown up believing that he was something special — the oldest son of the most beloved wife (Genesis 29:18). He was definitely his father’s favorite, and the only one with a beautiful coat of many colors ( Genesis 37.3-4).
But who was he now? A slave, someone who could be bought or sold at will. Look at how quickly his whole situation changed. Look at how quickly life seemed to have turned on him.
Indeed, Joseph learns the lesson that we all have to learn. If we are dependent on others to tell us what we are worth, then we will be in for a rough ride and be horribly confused, because not everyone is going to appreciate who we are or what we are like. Instead, we need to find our self-worth in what God thinks of us — how God sees us — and not in the roles that we currently have.
How does God see each of us? (Isaiah 43:1; Malachi 3:17; John 1:12; John 15:15; Romans 8:14; 1 John 3.1-2).
God looks at each of us with glasses tinted with grace. He sees a potential, beauty, and talent that we can’t even imagine. Ultimately, He was prepared to die for us so that we could get the opportunity to become all we were created to be. Though showing us our sinfulness and the great price it cost to redeem us from it, the Cross also shows us our great worth and value to God. Regardless of what others think of us or even what we think about ourselves, God loves us and seeks to redeem us from not only the power of sins now but from the eternal death that they bring.
The key question, then, is always the same: How do we respond to the reality of God’s love, as revealed in Jesus Christ?
| There are many groups and individuals telling us to love ourselves as we are and accept ourselves uncritically. Why is this really self-deception? Why is it important that our worth come from outside of ourselves and from the One who made us and knows our true potential? |
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We often have arguments about the concept of self-worth in this context and much of it has to do with defining and redefining what we really mean. There are those, of course, who see self-worth entirely as a right to do your own thing in the way you want to do it, no matter what others say. Such a view of self-worth is purely selfish.
Jesus had this to say about our value:
Interestingly, Sparrows are pretty sparse in our area. I had not seen one for years until just a few weeks ago, one of my friends said she had some in her front yard. I want around to her place (actually pretty close to Sunnyside where Ellen White lived during her Australian years) and there were half a dozen sparrows. It was something to be a bit excited about because sparrow populations are declining worldwide. I sent messages to my bird-watching mates to share the experience.
I reflected for a few moments on why God chose to compare us to the value of sparrows, rather than say mighty Wedge-tailed Eagles. He is perhaps trying to tell us that self-worth in its spiritual sense is about the little things. Sparrows stick close to the ground and work hard to feed themselves and their families. You do not see sparrows on the coat of arms or symbols of nations. You do not hear lofty hymns that sing "Like the mighty sparrow ...". In that simple comparison between us and sparrows, Jesus puts our sense of worth in place.
Joseph rose to power but he did it on the back of hard work and service, preferring to honour God rather than seek self satisfaction. He had to learn the humility of service before he could lead like an eagle.
His Eye is on the Sparrow Charles H. Gabriel,
Your analogy made me smile. 😉
I often heard that in order to love others , we should love ourselves first. The second commandment reads, Love your neighbors AS YOURSELF" So what is this , Love yourself. I once had an argument with a family because , he generously gives charity but for himself he is so thrifty and to the family. I can't see justice on that. My father donated an electronic piano to a Catholic church when her daughter had been asking him to buy her one. Growing up, I told myself, I have to satisfy my needs first before others. Is that kind of self-love or selfishness? How can I Love my neighbor if I don't love or take care of myself first?
Would Jesus have been nailed to the cross if He had the philosophy of taking care of self first?
....'He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set Him free'....
Hi Cathy, please see "Do we need to Love Ourselves before we can Love Others?" and tell me what you think.
Giving to a church instead of taking care of family can be a form of making self look good. Some people go so far as dressing sloppily in order to look "humble." That, too, as backwards as it seems, can be a form of making self look good. We need to look deep into our own hearts, but we can't judge others, because only God knows the heart.
'Why is it important that our worth come from outside of ourselves and from the One who made us and knows our true potential?'
People tell us what we want to hear. We want to cont in sin and live a cover up life without being exposed, people tell us it is ok because that is between you and your Maker.
We feel and hear daily that we should love ourselves as we are and we are elated. Let someone come and point out our sins, we become so mad we give them the length of our tongue. Bible says men love darkness more than light. Humans like to be comforted in wrong.
One young woman from the church said to me that she is a part of a group that uses Facebook. Older people can join the group but only to say positive things despite of what is being said or what is going on. Older people not allowed to correct anyone. We are in the last days and many movements are telling us to look inside of ourselves and pick out the good in us. Jesus, please help a sinner like me. Only you alone knows the heart and sees the worth of your children.
I see self - worth as potential in you. First of all, God discovers a potential in everyone and then calls us and help us discover that potential if we will yield ourselves. Jesus did not call the impeccable, He called the Peccable. Jesus by - passed the Pharisees,the Sadducees, the Scribes and called the disciples who had no name, who were unpopular, some of whom were mere fishermen and trained them to become fishers of men.
The Bible says : And Jesus , walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren , Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea ; for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, Follow me , and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightaway left their nets and followed Him. And going on from thence , He saw other two brethren , James the son of Zebedee , and John his brother , in a ship with Zebedee their father , mending their nets ; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father , and followed Him. Matthew 4:18-22.
As we can tell from the above scripture, Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen and I would like to say that they recognised Him who called them and they straightaway, immediately , left their nets and their father and followed Him, in other words they left their occupation. We all may know how Jesus trained His twelve disciples to become Apostles when all surrendered themselves except Judas Iscariot. Look at the day of Pentecost how the the Holy Spirit used these people to win even some of the proud Pharisees etc. However, self worth does not happen on a silver platter, it's achieved through hard knocks, self discipline, humility. Like Joseph we all need to yield to God who sees the potential in us and He will use us for His own glory. We may rise from Grass to grace and grace to glory. A slave, a prisoner, who became a Prime Minister in Egypt is absolutely incredible but that's the way God works. Today, He ( God ) is looking for men and women, rich and poor, bond and free , the literate and the illiterate, and whoever will to be used like Joseph. Let's us yield ourselves and He will surely help us to discover our self worth, the potential in us !
As the world continues to crumble in its process of 'passing away' (1 John 2:17), many people's sense of self-worth is also crumbling.
Technically, self-worth is the sense of worth I have about myself. And most typically that sense of worth is based on things about myself. As long as the things that my sense of worth is based on hold up, self-worth holds up. But when those things crumble...
Personally, I find that my sense of worth needs to be God-worth: the value that God sees in me. And for me, that value is summarised in passages such as John 3:16 where God loves and values me so much that He would open Himself to unimaginable intensity of anguish and sorrow (Isaiah 53:3) - even risking the loss of His (eternal) existence in the process of making redemption/salvation available for me. And why did He take on such a risk? So that - I can have the opportunity to spend eternity in close personal relationship with Him.
It is easy to miss seeing the significance of the costs and risks that were expended by God in the course of His 'cosmic rescue mission' for me/you. Jesus actually could have 'fallen' - this was not beyond possibility. And Satan spared no demonic effort in trying to make this risk a reality. Jesus was literally pushed to breaking point on every level.
If Jesus had 'fallen' in His effort to rescue us, God would have come to an end (John 1:1-5; John 17:11,21; Hebrews 1:3). And because God is the sustainer of all life, all life throughout the entirety of His creation would also have come to an end. The possibility of this happening was very real. Everything was literally laid-on-the-line.
Think about that for a moment - God actually values me/you so much that He would stop at nothing in order to rescue and restore me/you back to what we were created to be and to experience: a relationship so close and special it is described as "oneness" (John 17:20-21, 26).
What kept Jesus going when the going got tough - and the going did in fact get overwhelmingly tough (Matthew 26:38)?
For the 'joy' that was set before Him, Jesus endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). That 'joy' was the benefits that His salvation/redemption would bring to me and to you. Now when it is talking about the cross, it is referring to everything that was involved in the entire journey that culminated in the cross - the stepping down from Creator to becoming human and every subsequent step of choosing self-sacrificing and self-giving over self-seeking self-protection along the way (Philippians 2:5-8). At every point when Jesus faced things becoming too painful (his emotional pain far outweighed his physical pain), He thought of me, he thought of you. And His determination to have me/you restored back to abundant life (John 10:10) and to share that abundant life with Him kept Him pushing on no matter what.
That is the basis of my worth and value. And it is the true and deepest base of your worth and value too. So, for me personally, I embrace God-esteem over self-esteem.
[PS: Although I have referred to Jesus in the above description, we easily miss that God and the Holy Spirit were every much a part of this experience as was Jesus (2 Cor 5:19; John 17:11,21). Unfortunately Satan's misportrayal of God all too often has us thinking Jesus was doing the hard yards while God was not so intimately involved and/or that Jesus is the one who is more compassionately disposed towards us.]
Wow Phil! If what you are saying is true, then every universe God created would have ceased to exist, not just our little world. No wonder every other world was intensely interested in what happened here. Their existence also depended on what Jesus did here. What amazes me is that Satan would have destroyed his own self by destroying Jesus, did he think this through? He must have. This is the depth of his hatred. I guess he knew he was doomed either way, so if he was going down, he was taking God with him. This is just mind-boggling to me! Everything ceasing to exist, without form and void, darkness on the face of the deep and no Spirit to change it. Powerful.
Really appreciate you sharing your reflections Tammy.
This is absolutely spot on. We are potentially familiar with the phrase "hell bent on destruction" without giving it too much thought. But your words start to enter what that phrase is really referring to - the nature and character of evil that seeks both the process and outcome of destruction as its most desired experience (eg Genesis 6:5).
So glad God is completely opposite to that... let there be Light and Life (Genesis 1:3; John 1:4) to displace formless, void - the hallmarks of the domain of Darkness.
"If Jesus had "fallen"...God would have come to an end."
Upon what do you base this conclusion Phil, beyond the 3 passages you cited, since they do not confirm this as I understand them? Also, since God foresees all, don't you assume that God would have moved forward with such a plan, or do you suggest God can be surprised?
I think it's also fair to ask you a question or two, Robert:
Was it possible for Christ to fail? If not, what does that say about Him being an Example for us? Was He only play-acting?
If He could have failed, what would failure look like for the Creator of the Universe who had bound Himself to a human body forever?
Neither your question to Phil nor my questions to you can be directly answered by Scripture. But we may infer things from what we do know about God from Scripture.
Good questions Inge.
Could Jesus fail? Weren't Adam and Eve sinless? Wasn't Lucifer created holy? We understand 2/3 of the angels remained faithful, and there is no record of any of the other worlds were sin has entered. We also have Enoch, a sinner who came to "walk with God", as well as those shown to be "undefiled"(Ps 119:1-3), which could be any of us if we choose. Does this answer the question adequately?
We must also realize Jesus was the son of man, who did not live by his own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, just as we can. His failure, as the son of man would have been unbelief, just like us. How that would have affected His Divine entity we have no way to understand. This is above our "pay scale", and we are simply not told, and must conjecture to respond with any opinion.
Had Jesus failed, we can be sure things would be different, including those who have been forgiven and already taken to heaven. God is not limited by time, and the future to Him is an open record. God knew Lucifer would fall, as well as Adam and Eve. He knew Jesus would be victorious against sin, having seen the end from the beginning, even before saying "Let there be light" when the world was "without form, and void".
Beyond this, we cannot but speculate "what if", which would be a waste of time. The truth is: we have a victorious, living Savior, and God remains Sovereign for now and for eternity, and soon sin will be an ever fading memory.
My question to Phil was for the evidence that makes him seem so certain, in the event he has such evidence. I simply know of nothing that would support his conclusion.
I must agree with you on this one Robert. Remember the Hymn "He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels"?
Suppose Jesus did exactly that... He would have saved Himself instead of us.
There is no Biblical basis for conjecturing that God would have ceased to exist at that point. The truth is, we really have no idea what would have happened next, besides knowing that all of mankind would be eternally gone, and thus shouldn't be dabbling in "what ifs."
The problem with calling 10,000 angels to save Himself instead of us is that it is contrary to the eternal law of self-sacrificing love. It is in harmony with Satan's law of self-preservation and self-aggrandizement. You see the problem?
Jesus did have a choice on the cross (Luke 23:39). Jesus could have saved Himself or us, but not both.
If Jesus had "fallen"...God would have come to an end.
If this reasoning if followed to its logical conclusion, then Satan could argue that Jesus (Son of man) died to save Himself (Son of God).
I hope we can all agree that is certainly not was happened at the cross.
Absolutely Jesus Christ the Son of God took a risk that He would be eternally separated from God the Father and the Holy Spirit.
The question I and I think Robert has is what is meant when Jesus said I and my Father are One.
According to our Fundamental Beliefs God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit - a unit of three co-eternal Persons.
We see in John 14-17 Jesus prays to the Father and sends the Holy Spirit - there are 3 beings united in character and purpose.
On the Cross Jesus cried - My God why have you forsaken me! Clearly He felt there was a possibility of separation, but not that God the Father would cease to exist.
Even in Hebrews 1:1-3 and Rev 4&5 we see the Son as a separate being to the Father.
Even in Gen 2:24 God said the man & woman - the two would be one.
What does Jesus mean when He says we will be one with Him and the Father? John 14:20 At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
I believe being One means united in character and purpose and accordingly I don't believe that if Jesus Christ had sinned that it would mean that God the Father and the Holy Spirit would have ceased to exist.
God is immortal and thus not subject to death
1Tim 1:17; 1Tim 6:15-16
The only reason that Jesus Christ could die was because He laid down His divinity John 10:17-18.
Hi Robert
The point you have asked me about was secondary to the main focus I was writing about – our worth from God’s perspective. However, in order to not ignore you yet at the same time not go beyond the focus of the day's lesson, I provide the following concise response. Perhaps this topic may come up at some point down-the-track more directly within the scope of the lesson and we can constructively explore it further if you wish at that point.
In order to be brief, I mention the following for now with regard to my 'evidence-base' behind my proposition:
1) To reduce the risk of misunderstanding where I am coming from, consistent with what Inge has mentioned above, we infer (from my perspective, extrapolate) things from what we are provided in scripture. I view this as evidence-informed extrapolation. I agree with Ellen White that we are not to entertain speculation merely for the sake of speculation motivated by ego, yet at the same time I believe we are invited to seek to know God more and more (Isaiah 1:18; Jeremiah 9:23,24 principles): not for the sake of merely accumulating mere 'knowledge', but that we may grow in our (informed) love of God (as per 1 Corinthians 8:1-3).
2) Fundamental belief #4 states (in part: italics mine):
Bible verses I have consulted that provide support for (and do not preclude) the view that while Jesus did not draw on the prerogatives inherent to His divinity, neither was He divorced from His Divinity, include: John 1:1-4, 14; 8:58; Colossians 1:16,17-22; 2:9; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Philippians 2:5-8; Matthew 17:1-6; 2 Peter 1:16.
3) The nature of sin and other associated dimensions (In line with comments I have mentioned to date but beyond the scope of what I can get into here).
Thanks for the reply Phil. I can see how you could arrive upon your conclusion based on the references given.
What we must always consider is that God is higher than our highest collective thoughts could hope to reach, which includes His being 3 persons, all Divine, all equal, all alike, all in perfect agreement. We cannot hope to understand the incarnation of Jesus as God "with us", but accept the reality of His humanity, life, death, and resurrection. We understand He will be always the Son of man, while being of the Godhead.
In all of this, it seems impossible to expect the outcome you described if the Son of man had failed in His humanity, for His humanity was/is not Divine. He is Mary's son, who died. If His humanity was Divine, He could not have been our propitiation or example. Satan would have come out of "hiding" to protest and the whole plan exposed as an unjust farce.
Putting to death Divinity could no sooner happen than quenching the sun with a garden hose, even if draining earth's oceans with the attempt.
While I don't disagree with the fundamental belief you cite, how do we understand it? How do we comprehend the "eternal" sonship that created all things when this Being is "echad" with God Almighty, an equal? Only through Phil 2:5-8 can we begin to scratch the surface of this impossible knowledge. Whatever He was as Creator, became something else prior to and in Bethlehem, and the language of FB #4 allows this. Besides, He had to, or we would have no sacrifice for sin. Before becoming a creature, He became Michael the "chief messenger(archangel)". He was "meek and lowly in heart" long before the manger, and we have no idea what that means(regarding Him being an angel). We only have the record in scripture to consider.
We also know Jesus death was real, yet God did not perish at Jesus' death. The only difference if Jesus had failed would be no resurrection for the son of man. His divinity, having not sinned, would still be "alive", as far as we understand that term. He IS LIFE, and we are simply matter animated by His life, as was the Son of man, though He still has "echad" with Almighty God. But how do we comprehend/explain this?!!
Perhaps this helps to explain my questioning.(?) Appreciate the dialog, and remain open to hear every thoughtful idea.
Hi Robert, while I do not know what would have happened if Christ had failed, I do believe that His incarnation is real. He will have a human body for eternity. That has implications for His possible failure ..
I'm pretty certain that your apparent "no-consequence" scenario is not a true one:
What your statement seems to imply is that there would be no real consequence to the Godhead. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit would still be God. Only the salvation of man would have failed, and life for all the rest of creation, and for God, would just go on as before.
It seems to me that your statement also implies that the incarnation was only temporary and could be reversed at will.
I don't think so!
You conjectured this scenario, just as Phil conjectured his scenario. It seems to me that your scenario greatly diminishes the risk God took, while Phil's scenario magnifies it.
The redeemed will study the mysteries of the incarnation and the plan of salvation in eternity, so we surely cannot know all the answers now. But let us not diminish the risk God took to redeem us.
Hi Robert
I am glad you can see where I am coming from and for correspondingly sharing where you are coming from. Yes, it does help explain your questioning.
I too appreciate the dialogue and the spirit in which we are able to do so respectfully - even though we see some things quite differently. As I have mentioned before, we both share a heart-desire to seek to know God more.
I hope that other readers see the spirit of respectful exploration and dialogue between us in response to our mutual thirst to progressively more and more know God and the riches of His glorious inheritance (Psalm 42:1; Ephesians 1:18-23). And I hope that inspires others to join in too with their perspectives as part of ssnet community - a space where we can grow and learn together.
Thank you.
Thanks for the insights, Robert. There is indeed a mystery that, when Jesus died on the cross, His divinity did not sink and die. No member of the Godhead, including the Son, could possibly cease to exist. The risk was eternal separation between Father and Son, a potential consequence so real that the very taste of it literally broke the heart of the Son of God. The consequences for the entire universe would have been unthinkable.
There is another mystery, how God could know the future and yet take a real risk. I don't have to understand every truth. I am willing to take God at His word by faith.
Hello Phil,
I agree with your thoughts. The actions of Love are a measure of its greatness. Infinite Love displays infinite sacrifice at infinite risk. This is mirrored in the life of Joseph, whose story we are reviewing. Joseph was willing to risk harm to himself to extend and develop true love in his relationship with Potiphar, and then with his jailer, and then with Pharoah, and finally with his brothers. And this love was reciprocated. In this story of Joseph, I see God working with Jacob and all his family to make their relationships more functionally loving through the actions of Joseph. In all of this and in this respect, Joseph’s life was a type of Christ’s.
I think this is the ideal to which Christ calls each of us.
Richard
In Joseph's life, we see one who placed himself in the service of the Lord(instead of self), which would eliminate any desire or plans to escape from where he believed God had placed him. True self-worth is found when sinners become meek and lowly, and then able to understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God(Pr 2:5). If enlisted in God's service, we will find delight in fulfilling His “good, acceptable, and perfect will” for us(Rom 12:2, Ps 40:8). Joseph's new environment would work to further cultivate his good traits while uprooting those objectionable traits that would have flawed his character if remaining at home under his father's partiality and special favor. Do we trust our lives with God's leading? Do we accept His leading at all times, or do we prefer our own plans?
The passages cited in the lesson guide, along with the many “exceeding great and precious promises of God”, should leave no doubt concerning the truth of God's regard for fallen man, and His desire to restore them into His likeness.
Along with the great promises, there are those faithful warnings in God's word that we “take heed, lest any deceive you”, including OURSELVES(Jer 17:9, Prov 16:25, Mark 13:5). As Jesus taught: "let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me"(who made himself of "no reputation, and took upon him[self] the form of a servant..."(Phil 2:7)).
I think ‘finding true self-worth’ can be considered finding true happiness, because 'true' self-worth is directly linked to the Creator who formed me in His Image. If I know who I am in God’s eyes, if I consider Him to be the only authority to judge my ‘worth’, this will take away the power from all other sources who attempt to influence my mind.
The forces influencing Joseph’s life-experiences are ours, no difference other than the time and place; mental, emotional, physical forces – these still influence our mind and sense of self-identity/wellbeing today.
Joseph's life was a piece of the puzzle in the greater plan of Salvation of mankind. I think it is very important that we do not forget the eternally lasting aspect of the work being done in and with us.
If we consider to be participants in God's plan of Salvation, being 'trained/prepared' to live as His sons and daughters to live eternally, this will put ourselves and the worth we represent into perspective.
This ‘worth’ represents one of the mysteries to me to be revealed through the active faith-relationship we have with our heavenly Father.
Since the faithful, led by the Holy Spirit, are called ‘sons of God’, does this not imply that they comprise a special family unit as the children of God living in His heavenly, spiritual kingdom? Rom.8:14KJV
I want to reframe the question: “Why is it important that our worth come from outside of ourselves and from the One who made us and knows our true potential?” I ask: ‘Why is it important that we accept the establishing of our ‘worth’ only from the One who made us?’
The influence of the ‘multitude of voices’ coming out of the world makes it very difficult to hear God’s voice, but He is actively seeking to meet those who actively seek Him.
Only He who made us can reveal to us the reason behind our existence, His intent and aspirations for our existence, His explanation for humanity’s dilemma, His hope that we will believe Him that He loves us, and so establish our 'worth'.
His desire is to draw all who hear His voice to live as brothers and sisters in His kingdom here on earth; this is where we find our true identity reflected and true self-worth finding its resonance!
I wonder if the fact that Joseph was valued by his father in formative years and the fact that careful attention was given to teaching him about the God of his father, the law and the covenant made had an impact on his decisions when in troubled situations.
I believe it did. This isn’t to say he didn’t have challenging choices to make or that he couldn’t have chosen poorly. He had the real option to despair or try to blend and follow the customs of the Egyptians. I do believe that because he was valued from babyhood (even though inappropriately favored), he could believe he was a loved child of God. The idea that God would be with him was a reasonable option for him as well. He chose to trust the God of his father, who loved him and taught him about his God. God was with him through not just the initial trouble but through the whole series of difficulties arising from it.
Our families do have a serious impact on our beliefs concerning our value as human beings. I believe God holds us accountable for our influence on those who are connected with us in family relationships.
Joseph’s life and example is one that reminds me that God can overcome any challenge set before us. He’s able to overthrow negative ideas and difficulties that we find ourselves in because of faulty human family relationships.