I cannot imagine how I would still value myself when I need to retire. My government wants me to retire at age 66 and 5 months. My organization requires the same. It is hard for me to imagine how I will feel when it happens. Because in general I derive a lot of my self-esteem, my value, my worth and my satisfaction from work. Working with people gives me something I wouldn’t want to miss. It satisfies to a high degree. But one day that will not count anymore. 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Nowadays there is a lot online and in magazines on developing your inner self, knowing your value and strength from within. ‘Listening to your inner voice,’ they call it. I think that is not unimportant. What is in our heart matters to God. He looks at our heart. I know also that our heart can even deceive us. Jeremiah 17:9 says, ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?’ So, it is good to be aware of what is in our heart. The heart or the soul is the seat of all of our emotions. We need to guard it as well. (Proverbs 4) ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.’
So deriving our meaning or value only from work is not going to do it. We need to do a thorough heart search on who we are, not only from our own perspective, but also from how God views us. I myself have struggled to love myself, to see myself as worthy and valuable, among other men. In the long run I have discovered that it is good to have a sufficient amount of self worth. And if you don’t have it, that you can glean it from the Scriptures. There are so many Bible passages that can help us focus again on who we are in Christ.
The link below refers to a short list of Scriptures that was originally compiled by Neil Anderson and it’s very useful to keep it handy. Especially when you feel low about yourself. Keep reading it and remind yourself who you are in Christ and know that your true worth can never be taken away from you.
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