When You Suspect You're Not Worth Very Much

Fear Thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I with strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.

The Bible says that every wise woman builds her house. From the moment a woman decides to follow Jesus Christ, she embarks on a building program that can change the course of the world. Whether you’re in the beginning stages of building your home and it doesn’t seem to matter that much, or you’ve already built a beautiful home that nourishes generations, your life matters. The future of the world is affected by your decision to turn your heart toward home. Every wise woman builds.

Susan needs to get to sleep, but her fingers won’t slow down with the clicking to and fro on her phone. She mindlessly clicks over to her Etsy page and sees she has a new review! Yay! That makes two!

She reads it, confused at first because it only has two stars. She’s not sure it’s a review for her product until the words penetrate:

“Cute idea, but poor execution. The item is cheaply made, lacking skill or creativity. Could have done better to buy the supplies at Walmart and made it myself. Would not recommend.”

Like a wound that hasn’t registered yet, her mouth drops open before the emotions hit. Of course, it’s cheaply made. I couldn’t afford more than that and still turn a profit. Did you not appreciate the free shipping, lady? But the defenses dissolve as a tear forms. Every fear she ever had about her ability to do this is unearthed in that review.

Have you ever had your worth called into question? It’s one thing to doubt yourself. It’s quite another for someone to confirm that you’re as worthless as you feared.

Sarah was named by God. He called her “princess.” She was married to a nomad who believed God was leading him, even though he had no idea where. He also believed God was going to bless them with a great lineage.

All around them, there was fertility. Flocks multiplied as God blessed her husband. Those flocks and herds fertilized the ground. Servants multiplied around them. Even her nephew had a growing family. Yet Sarah, the princess, went month after month with no news. Year after year. Empty. A useless eater, never producing the firstborn of that lineage that would multiply like everything else Abraham touched.

Today we know Sarah was the mother of nations. She’s the woman God tells every godly woman to emulate. Kings saw her as desirable even when she was old. I wonder, though, how Sarah saw herself.

Did she ever wonder if she was worth keeping around?

Did she ever feel in the way, as decade after decade revealed her inability to produce the promised child?

Did she ever feel the need to apologize for herself, defend herself against accusations only she could hear?