Do you ever feel like “if it’s going to be, it’s up to me”? I’ve felt that way and it’s exhausting. Erica Wiggenhorn and I discussed the tie between self-sufficiency and our fear of inadequacy on a recent episode of Your Hope-Filled Perspective podcast. If you missed it, you can listen here [How To Untangle Yourself from the Fear of Inadequacy – Episode 131]. So much of our self-esteem or feeling of inadequacy really comes back to knowing our worth, our true worth. Today, Erica shares with us the secret to understanding your worth.
Read to the end for a book giveaway!
The Secret to Understanding Your Worth
By Erica Wiggenhorn
I’ve never looked at a $100 bill the same since. The speaker stepped onto the platform to give us a teaser as to why we should attend his workshop the next morning. He pulled a crisp one hundred–dollar bill out of his coat pocket. “Tomorrow morning,” he boldly announced, “I will give this away to someone in the audience of my workshop! Is there anyone out there tonight who would like to walk away with this bill in their hand?”.
The crowd of cash starved college students cheered loudly. He then took the brand–new bill and crumpled it up in his fists. He threw it on the ground and stomped all over it with his shiny black shoes. We all sat in dismay over his actions. He bent over, picked it back up, smoothed it out across his pant leg and held it up for us to see, small tears surrounding the edges and creases and black smudges contaminated the bill. “Still want it?” he asked. Most still clapped and cheered and one young man called out, “It’s still $100!”.
He then took the bill and tore it down the middle and again into fourths. A few audible gasps could be heard throughout the packed auditorium. “And now?” as he pulled out a roll of scotch tape, “Still want it?”
Recognizing our true value and worth
How about you? Would you still take it? If your answer is, “It’s still a $100 bill,” then you know a secret many people don’t.
You recognize true value. Whether the bill is crisp and perfect or dirty and crumpled, you still see its value. You resolutely affirm that most things in life come crumpled, crushed or dirty, but that doesn’t make them less worthy or important.
That bill represents our lives. We’ve been crushed by circumstances, stomped on in situations, and maybe completely torn apart. But that hasn’t changed our worth.
And Jesus is that tape that puts us back together again through His death and resurrection and the Holy Spirit living within us. He has pieced us back together, reinstating the broken pieces of our lives into wholeness. Affirming our worth.
The powerful work of Christ in our lives
And that bill now? Which section of that crumpled piece of paper is now the most resilient? The least likely to be torn apart?
You guessed it! Where the tape is! This is the powerful work of Christ in our lives making us ever stronger by His grace. Were there no tears? There would be no tape. This is what Paul meant when he said in 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ might rest upon me.
The world only wants to see a crisp, tidy version of ourselves. But Jesus wants His bright shiny tape to show the world His power. Those things that you saw as bad? Pieces of your past you lament as limitations? Those are actually divine invitations for Christ’s power to rest upon you.
The secret to understanding your worth
The secret to understanding your worth is knowing Jesus and the sacrifice He made for you because He deemed you worthy!
Do you know Jesus? How has knowing Him helped you appreciate your worth and value? We’d love to hear in the comments below.
About Erica Wiggenhorn:
Erica Wiggenhorn is an award-winning author and the founder of Every Life Ministries, bringing you the truths of Scripture to transform your life. By digging deeply into God’s Word, Every Life Ministries encourages you to discover your unique purpose, accept God’s promises, and live by His power. Erica is the author of three Bible studies released by Moody Publishers: An Unexplainable Life, The Unexplainable Church, and Unexplainable Jesus: Rediscovering the God you Thought You Knew.
Her latest release Letting God be Enough: Why Striving Keeps You Stuck and How Surrender Sets You Free just hit the shelves. Erica’s first trade book through Moody Publishers examines Moses’ fear of inadequacy and how God invites Moses to rest in his identity and God’s sufficiency.
Erica serves on the women’s ministry leadership team for her church and regularly teaches in various venues. She’s also taught women in the Arizona State Prison system, and overseas. She loves to bring God’s Word to anyone who’ll listen whether it’s a large women’s conference, a church women’s retreat, or her own kitchen table.
A graduate and post-graduate of Azusa Pacific University, Erica lives in Phoenix with her husband, Jonathan, and their four children only two of which are human, and the others furry and adorable. You can connect with her and find out more about her ministry at ericawiggenhorn.com.
Connect with Erica Wiggenhorn: Website / Facebook / Instagram
Book Giveaway!
In conjunction with this post and the podcast interview, How To Untangle Yourself from the Fear of Inadequacy – Episode 131, Erica Wiggenhorn is giving away a free copy of her book, Letting God Be Enough: Why Striving Keeps You Stuck and How Surrender Sets You Free.
Leave a comment below sharing with us one thing you’ve learned about understanding your true worth and value and you will be entered into the contest for your chance to win a copy of her book.
You could also share this blog post on Facebook or Twitter then comment here to tell us where you shared it and you’ll also be entered into the drawing.
The winner will be selected at random and announced next Monday, October 25, 2021. Continental United States only.
Wow, what an amazing example of the value of the $100 dollar bill and even more our value as a child of God and a joint heir with Jesus. I grew up not knowing my value unless I performed perfectly, which was impossible for a young girl but I sure tried to be so good to be loved. It was exhausting and totally impossible. I guess that is why as an 11 year old girl sitting in the Junior choir at the little church around the corner that I realized while singing that I needed Jesus in my heart. So I knelt by a chair in the pastor’s office and prayed to receive Jesus as Savior. I went home and told my parents but there was no celebration. I spent my teen years going to church with my mom but still not knowing my value according to Jesus. Still trying to perform but when I married and we went through several revival meetings with really good messages, I began to have a glimmer of what Jesus really thought about me. I LOVE the podcast and I LOVE this blog message. Thank you Erica for sharing so clearly, boldly, lovingly and for you, Dr. Michelle, for all you shared from your own life of struggle to recognizing your value in God’s eyes. You both are a great blessing to the body of Christ. I have a little poster in my spare bedroom that says: I know I’m somebody cause God don’t make no junk.’ I would love Erica’s book. I have shared this on FB.
What a great story and example. That would make quite an impression on people. I am still wondering, though, if he gave the taped version away the next day? Knowing our worth, and that we get stronger with scratches, tears, and crumpling, is so important. It allows us to look at ourselves and others with new eyes and see that it is not all about us, but about Jesus. he gives us worth.
Thank you for this beautiful illustration of our lives.
Yes, we are put together by the tape of the Lord. Only He can make is whole which is something we cannot do on our own.
Praise the Lord for His goodness.
I am beginning to realize my worth though I feel inadequate whenever I fail to do the things precisely the way set out for me. I am married to a man who has OCD and also believes his way is the best and my efforts are never enough. He feels I’m not measuring up to what a woman should be like. It’s a lose/lose situation until the Lord opened my eyes to the fact that I need to let Him be my guide and will give me His strength. It’s still a struggle to let go of the efforts to please everyone except myself. To know that I have self-worth and value from the Lord makes all the difference. He loves me so much that He gave His Son for me to experience His love and presence. I must stand firm in my faith in the Lord and trust He will bring me peace despite the distance between me and my husband. God is in control. Thank you for your message and the importance of living by faith and dependence on God alone.
This is absolutely beautiful! I grew up with abuse, and it took a long time for me to believe that God actually – really loves me! I felt so unworthy of being loved. This verse is special to me now. Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
I am also mentoring a young girl who has had many kinds of abuse. She asked me just last week, “Do you think there is ANY hope for my future?” Almost before her words were completely out, I responded with a quick, firm “YES! Absolutely!” I think she was astonished that I felt that way. I am printing this out for her to read, hopefully over and over!
Such a vivid analogy! This >> “Pieces of your past you lament as limitations? Those are actually divine invitations for Christ’s power to rest upon you.” May we remember our identity and worth come from Christ and not from our past. No limitation can limit His work in our lives.
What a blessed message today. Such a great analogy combination. Jesus is the tape for my brokenness, holding strong.