WHO OR WHAT DETERMINES YOUR WORTH?

WHO OR WHAT DETERMINES YOUR WORTH?
“When he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have an abundance of bread, and here I am perishing with hunger!   I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”  So he arose and came to his father. “But while he was yet far away, his father saw him and was moved with compassion, and ran and embraced his neck and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ Luke 15:11-17

The Prodigal Son believed his sins were too great for his father—or God—to ever forgive. He was wrong on both counts. There is no restoration without forgiveness.                                                                                                                    
“That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation  Corinthians 5:19                                                                                                
Both the Prodigal and his elder brother measured their worth by performance—what they had done or failed to do. But their father revealed something far greater: his love for them had nothing to do with their successes or failures. Their worth was defined by his heart, not their track record.                                                                                          
The same is true for you. Your heavenly Father’s love—not your past, your performance, or your failures—determines your true value. You are not worthy because of who you are or what you’ve done. You are worthy because of who He is and what He has done for you.                                                                                
God proved how valuable you are to Him when He gave the most precious thing in heaven—His own Son—to redeem you.

 How you live as a believer today flows directly from how much you believe God values you. When the Prodigal finally saw his father’s forgiveness and love, he stepped into intimacy, joy, and celebration.

 Don’t let your past define you. Let God’s unwavering love determine your worth and unlock the bright future He has prepared for you.  

ED ELLIOT