Many women that I speak with struggle with self-worth. Part of abuse is so often the mental destruction that comes with name calling, blame and constant criticism. Even as women turn to their faith to look for strength, too often they are met with rules and performance rather than grace.
I like to think of God as my father. That's what the Bible says that he is. But for some of us, the concept of father is distorted. It is based on our earthly experiences with our biological father. If I have a father who was absent, I may view God as distant. If I have a father who was harsh, I may view him as authoritarian.
In the book The Shack, the main character's wife calls God Papa. This may sound a little too familiar to some, but for me it hits home and feels much like a warm blanket that wraps me up in his love for me. My "Papa" is the kind of father that I run to when times are bad. Even when the bad times have come through my own poor choices.
Let me paint a picture for you. Imagine yourself as a teen. You get to borrow Dad's brand-new car. You drive along and get distracted, just for a moment. But that moment is just long enough to put a good-sized dent in that still new smelling car. There are two reactions here. One reaction is "I need my Daddy", the other is "I can't call him, He's gonna kill me."
We have the assurance of knowing that our God is the kind of father that is forever going to be there to pick us up, even when we don't deserve it. This doesn't mean we don't have some consequences for our actions. It means that he will be there to support us and love us as we walk through our trials. He can be relied upon, even when we are not reliable.
He calls us his children and that will never change.
My worth is in being his. In addition to the fact that my Papa has an amazing and loving heart, he is a King. In fact, the King of Kings. Because I am his daughter, I am a Princess. That is my birthright. I can't lose it. My value is not in what I accomplish. My value is not in beauty or intelligence or wealth. My value is not in me. It is who I am to him, and he sees me through the lense of Christ. He sees me as a completed work because I have accepted his son and become his daughter. Nothing can separate me, or you, from his love.
