What Are You Worth?

Today I'm delighted to feature a guest post from my friend Mary DeMuth, who has a new book out:

I’ve been thinking a lot about my childhood lately. I saw a Netflix show where drug abuse was rampant, and I had to shield my eyes. I simply couldn’t see people snorting and drinking and shooting up. It brought back memories of my early life where my life was anything but safe.I was five, then. And the adults around me had parties. They would get stoned and unsafe. I would try to hide in my room, but the only route to the bathroom was through my bedroom, so they would parade through on unsteady legs, eyes red, hands flailing to keep balance.I turned my head to the wall, trying to escape into the well made between my twin bed and the wall. I fit like a snake into that skinny place, wanting to be so small no one would notice me. If you’re unnoticed, you can’t be hurt, at least that's what I hoped.This trauma affected me throughout my growing up years. I constantly found myself running—away from strangers, adult friends, and anyone who smacked of substance abuse.I couldn’t articulate it then, but deep down I felt my worth was tied to either being so small no one would notice or being noticed and finding out some people in the world liked to steal innocence from children.Worth has been a titanic struggle in light of that.So it’s strange that I would write a book about it. I’m not 100% healed of this little girl afraid of druggie parties. I literally shielded my eyes, hand in front of my face, when I watched the Netflix show.But I’m growing.I’m realizing that I’m not alone in this battle for worth. Most of you struggle too. We may have different reasons as to why, but that doesn’t lessen the fact that we desperately want to know we’re worthy.My worth, I realized, was tied to lies I believed about myself. I tackle ten of those lies in Worth Living: How God’s Wild Love Makes You Worthy.One of the lies is one that’s tied to my past: I deserve to be overlooked. The problem when you try to make yourself small and unnoticed is that eventually, you are. And then you feel unworthy of attention. What has helped me is healthy theology. The truth is God has chosen me (and you!). Before the foundation of the world, He has noticed you. He sent His son to die for you. And because of that love, you can live knowing that the Almighty God sees you. His love ushers in worth.I don't know when I’ll be able to watch drug parties on TV (or if I would ever want to). The nausea is real. But I’m grateful for bedrock truth: God saw me even then, and He set in motion a plan to save me before I even knew I needed saving.What about you? In what ways do you struggle with worth? How has God healed your understanding of who you are? Want to uncover the 10 lies and 10 truths that inform your worth? Get them free today at http://www.marydemuth.com