Finding Worth In Your Weakness
Throughout most of my life, I put all my worth in the things I could do, the way I looked, or the relationships I had. I had to look perfect and be the perfect athlete, student, friend, sister, daughter, you name it – I had to be perfect at it in order to have any worth. This idea was one that had been introduced to me by our culture. If you messed up or had any weaknesses, you had to hide them. Strength, beauty, and ultimately my worth came from being as perfect as possible.
The truth of the matter is, however, that this very perfection I thought I needed is not where my worth lies. Our worth does not come from what we can do, how we look, or the relationships we have – it comes from who we are. We are sons and daughters of a king, of God the Father. In that very fact, we have infinite worth. “You are a thought of God, you are a heartbeat of God. To say this is like saying that you have a value which in a sense is infinite, that you matter to God in your completely unique individuality.” – St. John Paul II. This value cannot be stripped from us, no matter our weaknesses, no matter our faults.
This concept is hard to embrace because our culture tells us that our faults and weaknesses are something to be ashamed of, something to hide. I want you to imagine this, however, imagine a little child who has just learned how to walk; she sees her father across the room and gets up to go to him. The father has his arms stretched out with a giant smile on his face. As the child begins to walk, she falls a few times but gets back up. The father’s smile never fades; his arms never lower, and his love for her never wavers.
This is how our Father in heaven looks at us. His arms never stop reaching out, and His smile never fades, even as we fall. For in those weaknesses, in those falls, He gives us strength. “My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). In our weaknesses, we can allow Christ to enter our hearts, to show us His love, and to teach us how to love. We can let others in, come to know their hurts, and love them in a greater way.
The greatest act of love in human history was once seen as weakness. As Christ carried His Cross, those around Him saw Him as weak and something to be ashamed. It was in this so-called “weakness”, however, that Christ saved all mankind. What those around Him saw as weak was actually immense strength, for from this very act came the salvation of our souls. Our world shudders at the thought of weakness, but I rejoice in it, for it is in my weakness I have found strength; it is in my weakness I have found love.
