You Are Already Worthy--February 2, 2023

You Are Already Worthy--February 2, 2023

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." [Matthew 5:5]

What if you didn't need to get applause from other people in order to feel acceptable?  What if each of us didn't need to be the loudest voice in the room?  What if we didn't constantly need to validate ourselves by making ourselves the hero of every story or the center of attention?

In other words, what if we knew we were already worthy of love without elbowing our way into the limelight?

I have a feeling we'd be able to love other people better, for one.  In fact, I get the sense from Jesus that the more thoroughly we are grounded in God's love for us, the less we need to rely on getting approval or admiration from other people as a cheap substitute.  And when we are less focused on fueling the engine of our egos with other people's acclaim, we actually have more bandwidth to lift other people up, to listen to their stories and needs, and to celebrate their accomplishments without becoming jealous or comparing ourselves to them. When I know I am loved as I am already, I won't be threatened by the notion that you are beloved, worthy, and precious to God as well.  I won't have to puff myself up or push you down out of envy, because I'll know that I am already accepted.

That, in a sense, is the big secret: the way to grow in love starts with knowing we are already beloved by God, so that we are freed from needing to win other people's approval or admiration.  We're freed from obsessing over ourselves, because we're already comfortable in our own skin and know we cannot lose God's love for us.  It's kind of like that old line about humility that says "being humble isn't thinking less of yourself--it's thinking of yourself less."  And starting from the place of knowing we are safe and held in God's love allows us do just that--we don't need to spend nearly so much time, energy, or effort seeking other people's attention.  We don't have to toot our own horns, belittle other people, or suck up all the oxygen in the room by our presence.  We can make room for others without feeling threatened ourselves.

Now, to be sure, the world will look at all of that and think it is "weakness."  It is an awfully tempting way of seeing the world--that you have to be an "alpha male" or "Type A" sort of go-getter, that you have to command everyone's attention and make everything about yourselves.  An awful lot of the voices around us sure think--and act--that way, and they would have us believe that being "meek" is a euphemism for being a "loser."  And to be sure, if we dare to choose to believe Jesus that practicing meekness is actually a blessed way of life, we will have to decide not to play the game those folks are playing.  

But to be honest, I think Jesus himself is the one who shows the truth of his words.  To read the stories of the way Jesus interacted with people, you get the clear sense that Jesus walked into every situation he ever faced knowing down in his bones that he was Beloved of God and centered in that love, so he was free to be fully present for the needs, stories, and concerns of the people around him without needing to have his ego stroked.  Jesus can sit at the well and go toe-to-toe in verbal sparring with the woman at the well in Samaria without scolding or belittling her, because he doesn't need to make her feel small or insignificant in order to look like the "winner" of the conversation.  He can let himself be the guest at Zacchaeus' house because he doesn't constantly need to make himself the hero or the host. He can engage earnest seekers and hostile critics alike without becoming either self-absorbed or cruel in response because he doesn't get his sense of worthiness from them.  He is already grounded in the love of God, and so he is utterly free to be present for the others around him.  In other words, Jesus knows that meekness is blessed, because he himself is meek--and it allows him to love others more fully.

That's the life we are invited to step into today.  It's not about practicing a fake humility or needing to beat ourselves up or tell ourselves we are wretches.  It's about being so solidly grounded in knowing we are beloved of God that we don't have to use other people's attention or approval to recharge our batteries.  That doesn't sound weak at all to me--that sounds truly free.

You are already worthy.   Know it.  Own it.  Let it free you.

Lord Jesus, ground us in your love so that we will no longer have to seek the attention or admiration of others.