What does the Bible say about self-worth?

Self-worth is an internal sense of our own personal value as human being or how much we believe we're worthy of being loved and included by others.

Our sense of self-worth often fluctuates over time, depending on the people, places, and circumstances of our lives at any given moment. Sometimes the world influences how we see ourselves because of unfair comparisons. Sometimes our friends or family influence our self-worth because of what they say (or don't say).

Most often, our sense of self-worth gets skewed by the lies we tell ourselves about not being good enough, smart enough, or whatever enough.

Where We Find Our Worth

If we base our self-worth on external things like people, places, and circumstances, we're bound to be disappointed. Even if we have people who compliment and love us, deep down, many of us still tend to feel pressure to maintain that approval. And when we're met with failure or mistakes, our sense of worthiness may plummet.

If we base our self-worth on how God sees us, we'll find a much more solid foundation in WHY we are worth everything to God. God never changes and that goes for His love for us too (Hebrews 13:8; Romans 8:39). The Bible tells us that we are unique creations, made by the Creator of the Universe, and that each one of us is 100% worth dying for (John 3:16-17).

You are a unique creation.

"You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." —Psalm 139:16

You are a celebration of God's creativity and design of the human body (Psalm 139:13-16). You are proof of the awe-inspiring wonder of how God made us. God found you worthy of investing in—even before you were born. Your Creator knit together your unformed body with the story of your life already written. God found you worthy enough to love intensely and unconditionally and to give you a unique purpose and calling.

You are a reflection of God.

You are made to have the attributes of God, reflecting His glorious attributes in you and through you (Genesis 1:27). God loves and values His creation, and we know that, as God was creating the universe, He called it "good" over and over (Genesis 1). We believe that whenever a new human life is created, God lovingly gives that life a soul that will live forever. And God chose YOU to receive this incredible gift!

You are chosen.

"Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes." —Ephesians 1:4 (NLT)

God has placed such a high value on us that He chose us to be His sons and daughters before He started to create the world (Ephesians 1:4). A believer's self-worth can be captured in the undeniable truth of being a child of God (John 1:12).

The Creator of the entire universe says YOU are His child and that He loves YOU with unconditional love that cannot be shaken or moved (Romans 8:35-39). God values you so much that He brought you into His family and promised that He will never stop loving you—ever (Psalm 103:11-12).

You are worth dying for.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." —John 3:16-17

God loves and values you so much that He wants you to live with Him in Heaven for all time. In order to do that, a sacrifice had to be made to pardon your sins, because no sin can enter Heaven (Romans 6:23). God sent His Son, Jesus, to become a human being and sacrifice His life on our behalf (Mark 10:45; Colossians 1:21-22; Philippians 2:6-11). THAT is how much you are worth. You are worth Jesus' very LIFE.

All of This is True:

  • You are a unique creation made in God's image (Genesis 1:27).
  • You, your mind, and your body are awe-inspiring, wonderful things made by the Creator of the universe (Psalm 139:13-16).
  • You are chosen by God and belong to His family (Ephesians 1:4; 13-14; John 1:12).
  • You are worth dying for (John 3:16-17).

Notice that these are truths of what God has done for us. He made us, chose us, and He offers us forgiveness of sins and eternal life with Him. Our self-made "self-worth" is something that changes and fluctuates with our moods, our daily circumstances, and what people say. Our sense of self-worth can be distorted by unhealthy, sinful influences. But what would happen if we allowed ourselves to find our worth in how GOD values us?

Remind yourself of that list above. You are an awe-inspiring, unique creation of God whom He loves enough to sacrifice His Son for so that you can be a part of His family forever. Taking all that into account, there's really no limit to our worth in God's eyes, is there?

"No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." —Romans 8:39 (NLT)

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TL;DR

If we base our self-worth on external things like people, places, and circumstances, we're bound to be disappointed. If we base our self-worth on how God sees us, we'll find a much more solid foundation in WHY we are worth everything to God. God never changes and that goes for His love for us too (Hebrews 13:8). The Bible tells us that we are unique creations (Genesis 1:27), made by the Creator of the Universe (Psalm 139:13-16), and that each one of us is 100% worth dying for (John 3:16-17). Our self-made "self-worth" gets distorted and fluctuates daily. But what if we allowed ourselves to find our worth in how GOD values us? Taking all that into account, there's really no limit to our worth in God's eyes, is there?

Writer: Vivian Bricker

Vivian loves learning, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She is dedicated to helping people learn more about Jesus and is ready to help in any way she can. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, cooking, drawing, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, you can find her soaking up the sunshine or going on an adventure.

Writer & Managing Editor: Catiana (Cat)

Cat is the web producer and managing editor of 412teens.org. She is known as "412teens" on the 412teens Discord. She loves audiobooks, feeding the people she cares about, and using Christmas lights to illuminate a room. When Cat is not cooking, gardening, or practicing creativity, she enjoys spending time with her two adult kids, six socially-awkward cats, and her amazing friend-amily.

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