(just for a reminder – I write these as openings to our time of corporate singing at my church)

There are so many weeks when I feel totally inadequate as I stand before the congregation of my church. I’m not being humble just completely honest. Whether bc it was a hard week and all I can think about was the number of times I blew it with my kids and my husband or all the moments wasted thinking/worrying about trivial things. Then there’s the guilt over all the things I didn’t do. All the time I didn’t spend with God, studying Scripture or meditating on His word. And as I walk up to the microphone I cont to say “God I’m not worthy of standing before them this morning.”

Gently, patiently the Holy Spirit reminds me it has nothing to do with me. Yes, I need to submit and be willing to be used by God and open to His leading. I do have a part to play in this. However, I will never make myself worthy to be used by God. Even if I were to spend hours in prayer, mos in fasting, days and weeks meditating on and studying only the Bible, even if I were to do nothing but focus on the holiness of God I would still not make myself worthy of being used by a thrice holy God. My worthiness comes not from me, but from the One who lives in me and has decided I have worth.

You have worth this morning. You are of infinite value not bc the world says your beautiful or important, or bc it doesn’t. Not bc you have someone that loves you, not bc you are trying to do good things or make this world a better place, or raise your children well or get out of debt. You have worth today bc the One who created you said so. His opinion of you is that you are priceless, you have value, and you are a treasure. So much so that He willingly died to save you.

May we all learn the humbling and yet encouraging truth that our value comes not from ourselves but from the only One who’s opinion truly counts. Our Father in heaven says we are priceless, therefore, we are. May that gives us confidence and humility as we serve the King.