I remember being in my dorm room in Bible college, having gotten radically saved just a few weeks prior to admission. An “I’m not worthy” voice began to talk to me. The Lord spoke to me loud and clear and asked me one simple question that changed my life. “Who are you going to believe, them or Me?”
My abandonment, abuse and addiction were telling me I was worthless. His blood was telling me I was worthy. I wasn’t worthy because of what I did. I was worthy because of what He did.
He died, bled and rose from the dead for me. He saved me to live with Him forever. Free from that day forward, I believed I was worthy of His blood because He said so.
This belief in His blood is rock-solid in me. The blood doesn’t change in value based on past, present or future circumstances. His blood is my value and my worth, and it is unshakable and unmovable.
What do you think about this idea? Do you believe you are worth the blood of Christ?
I live in Colorado. Here, we do crazy things that don’t make sense to outsiders. For example, we climb or scale mountains. I don’t mean we hike along a path. I mean we use ropes and scale up massive rocks.
When you scale a mountain, you learn one rule very quickly. You make sure that what you’re about to put your weight on is secure. If it’s secure, you can rest your full weight on it and move forward. If not, you could get scraped on the rocks, slide down or even fall to your death.
Think of people or things in your past on which you have placed your “weight” or your worth. How did this impact your life? Today you are a worthy man or woman of God. That’s true, regardless of your beliefs or behavior. You have a choice to define what you want to believe worthy is.
Becoming a person who sees you as worthy isn’t easy. That’s because believing and receiving that you are innately worthy is hard work. More important, it is consistent work. Remember, it took consistent behaviors to spiral you into believing you were worthless in the past. It only makes sense that consistent work is going to be a big part of your beliefs for receiving that you are innately worthy.
Healing from worthless behavior has some basic principles that, when applied, help you sustain being and staying worthy. Early healing is not simply about understanding the facts; nor is it simply talking about the problem. Healing goes much deeper than simply talking about what was done in the past. Many Christians may talk about getting better. The prodigal son, who probably had some worthy issues, did not get better or become restored when he realized he was in a bad situation. He had to consistently walk back in order to receive the blessings of his healing, which took weeks, if not months. It was then that the welcome-home party started, not before.
The five commandments are simple and can be posted on your wall or mirror at home. Write the commandments down and check off if you have done them each day for the first ninety days. The behavioral checklist assures you are taking steps toward becoming worthy and behaving as if you are worthy, instead of just coming to an understanding about the problem. “Understanding” is not the only answer for you while you’re moving toward believing and behaving like you are worthy. It is for this reason the Five Commandments, when put in place, can provide an action plan.
These five commandments are simple:
- Pray in the morning.
- Read helpful material daily.
- Attend meetings.
- Call someone.
- Pray again and thank God.
Monitor your behavior for the next 90 days. When it comes to believing and behaving like you are worthy, remember to believe your behaviors only. Don’t talk yourself into believing that you feel free—you are free. Behave free, and you will be.
Doug Weiss, Ph.D., is a nationally known author, speaker and licensed psychologist. He is the executive director of Heart to Heart Counseling Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the author of many books and DVDs including Worthy. You may contact Dr. Weiss via his website, drdougweiss.com or on his Facebook or by phone at 719-278-3708 or through email at [email protected].