An Unworthy Paradox
Jun 18th, 2008 by ljkim
Most people think that feeling “unworthy” is a bad thing…and it often is… I hope you are not feeling unworthy when it comes to work or people or social situations… If you are for some reason then it’s something we should try to fix… However…when it comes to knowing GOD, feeling unworthy can be a good thing! “How so?” In short, it opens the way for gifts…
You can’t give a gift to someone who deserves it. If they deserve what you’re giving them (if they’ve earned it somehow) then it’s no longer a “gift.” Your boss would be an idiot to hand you your paycheck and say “Here’s your gift!” You cannot earn a gift. This is where unworthiness comes in…
Now normally people feel good when they are worthy of something – and insecure when they’re not… So if you don’t really deserve this new job, then you’ll feel really insecure… But if you DO deserve it, if your skills are perfect for the task then you will feel quite good about it! When it comes to God, however, it’s the other way around!
When it comes to God – feeling worthy puts you on shaky ground… “You may be worthy of this - but to an all knowing, all wise Creator, you may not be worthy of much else…” It’s a dangerous business trying to get what you “deserve” from God. You may deserve much less and not realize it!
But when you’re “unworthy” before God – and you know it – it leads you to the conclusion that everything good that you have (O unworthy one) is a gift. Because that’s who God is. He’s a gift-giver. That’s part of why we love Him. And this frees you from the performance anxiety of trying to get what you deserve… Perhaps another way to say you’re feeling “unworthy” but in a good-way is to say you’re “lucky” or “thankful” or “blessed…”
[About the photo: A LUCKY little ladybug...]
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