A Woman’s Worth
May 12, 2008
By Maria Simone
My heart ached for my 6-year old son, as tears streamed down his face because of cruel words from his friends. Oh how I long to protect my children from put-downs and ridicule, but I know all too well that this is something that they will experience at points throughout their life. I experienced much of this myself, especially in middle school, and I allowed it to determine my worth as a person. I walked around much of my life feeling alone and insecure, unimportant and worthless. I tried to gain my identity through performance and the approval of others, but it was always a temporary fix for a much deeper problem. My identity was based on lies, and I needed to replace those lies with God’s Truth.
The first and most important Truth God has revealed to me is that HE LOVES ME. Not with an earthly love that can be lost, but with an unconditional, life-giving, life-saving, forever love. This love sent Him to the cross to die for my sins, so that I could live with Him forever. Psalm 136 repeats the verse “His love endures forever” no less than 26 times, do you think He’s trying to tell us something? God knew it would be hard for us to believe a love so unconditional, so pure, and so selfless, so He made sure to tell us over and over throughout the Bible.
Isaiah 54:10 (NIV) says “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Beth Moore, in the Bible study Breaking Free, states that the word “compassion” in this verse comes from the Hebrew word racham, which means, “to soothe;, to cherish, to love deeply like parents, to be compassionate, be tender…small babies evoke this feeling”. For those of us who are moms, what can compare to the love we felt when we held our little infants in our arms? My children brought out in me a capacity to love and a depth of feeling that I had never before experienced. Can you just imagine how God is looking at you right now, filled with joy and love that you are His daughter?
Zephaniah 3:17 says He sings a song of love over me, and by His grace I have determined to open my ears to hear His song of love, for I know His love is better than life. His love has given me worth that no one can take away, and is not dependent upon my performance or what others think of me. I have also determined, with the Lord’s help, to intentionally teach my children what God thinks of them, and how He loves them unconditionally. I pray for them constantly that their identities will be rooted and grounded in the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. This way, when the harsh words come their way, they will be able to say, “No, that’s a lie, I am who GOD says I am, and He says I’m awesome!”
So come, sit for a while, and enjoy the beautiful song of love Your Father sings over you…..
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