Precious in His Sight
Spiritual worth means to value ourselves the way Heavenly Father values us, not as the world values us. Our worth was determined before we ever came to this earth.
Joy D. Jones
God’s love is Infinite, and it will endure forever.
D. Todd Christofferson
As I thought about how to start this journey many different topics came to mind, but one seemed to stand out from the rest. Maybe to start I should remind myself of who I truly am. Not who the world sees me as but who my Heavenly Father sees me as. I need to start with myself worth.
Like most, I was teased growing up. I was blessed with my daddy’s thick wave hair, but that also included a thick black unibrow, I had a crooked gappy smile, I was also born with clubbed feet after corrective surgeries and weighted casts as an infant my Achilles tendons shortened, and I walked only on my toes. I remember coming home embarrassed and in tears the first time that it happened and my mom telling me that I was beautiful and perfect just the way I was. That true beauty came from within. That I was a daughter of God and he made me, that I was unique and special and to not let their cruel words make me forget who I was. I am so grateful for such a loving mother and father that tried to teach and show me my true worth and value. ( I am very stubborn and i have to learn a lot of things the long hard way.) In a perfect world that little 5–7-year-old girl would have always based her worth in Heavens Eyes, but she didn’t.
From the time I was 5 I started basing my individual worth on what the world thought of me. Braces came, surgeries where performed, and after I went after my unibrow with a pair of children scissors my dear sweet aunt gave me two eyebrows. (The surgery on my legs and the braces were for health reasons, and not to be “normal” or to “fit in”) Of course, that still wasn’t enough now I was being teased because the name of my color of hair, “dirty blonde”. There was always one more thing to change. I always felt like I was never good enough. I was chasing that worldly perfection that really does not exist.
The world will tell you, you have to be beautiful (their definition of beauty), smart, funny, well educated, have an amazing career, be rich, have a nice house, nice car and the list goes on and on and on. If you aren’t these, you are nothing a no body. You are less than if you are a real human! In the world eyes you are never enough.
YOU are worth so much more then all that. You are worth more than you can even comprehend in this life. You are a child of God! God is YOUR Father! President Spencer W. Kimball once said, “God is your Father. He loves you. He and your mother in heaven value you beyond any measure. You are unique. One of a kind, made of the eternal intelligence which gives you claim upon eternal life.” YOU have value beyond measure!!! President Brigham Young once taught, “The least, the most inferior spirit now upon the earth… is worth worlds.” YOU are worth worlds!!! In the scriptures our souls are described as being precious.
Precious is defined as: being of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly; greatly loved or treasured by someone.
As I studied this topic this week I really had a hard time seeing myself as being precious or worth worlds in my Heavenly Fathers eyes. Then one night as I was up with, my daughter I looked into her eyes and I was stuck with such awe and love. As I looked at her I saw someone of great value and worth. I saw someone that was precious to me. I saw someone that I would do anything for. I saw someone that I treasured. I saw someone with intelligence, beauty, and limitless potential. I saw someone that I loved with all that I am. There is nothing that she could do that would ever make me feel differently about her. As I stood there with her in my arms I was filled with such gratitude and wonder. If I, being flawed and so far from perfect felt this was about my little one, how could I doubt about how my Father in Heaven felt about me. He being the perfect parent, and I being his little one.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeith in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
Heavenly Father being perfect in all things is capable to love each and every one of us with perfect love, President Thomas S. Monson taught us, “God’s love is there for you whether or not you fell you deserve love. It is simply always there.” I love this quote so much and it holds a dear spot in my heart. Heavenly Father is a perfect parent. He know you perfectly he knows your talents, He know what bring you joy, He knows your inner most secrets, He knows your struggles and weaknesses. He knows you better then you know your self, He knows who you have the potential to become. He knows everything about you the good the bad and the ugly and he still loves you more then you could ever comprehend in this life.
Satan will do everything in his power to make you forget who you truly are. To make you forget how loved you are, and how precious you are to your Heavenly Father. He uses your weaknesses against you and tries to convince you that you are too far gone or not worthy of his love! Nothing could be farther from the truth.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:17
Heavenly Father sent his son to perform the atonement for each and every one of us so that we are able to repent, to change, and become more. Because of our Fathers love and the love of our Savior we have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and try again. They also love us enough to give us to give us the choice to use this incredible gift.
We can continue to do things our own way. We can keep making the same mistakes over and over, letting our weaknesses get the best of us. We can continue to fight against the voices of Satan on our own, and eventually fall into his traps, we all do at some point none of us are perfect. OR we can begin to accept Our Savior’s Gift and begin to hand him our weaknesses and he will help us rise up and fight against the lying words of the devil. Sister Joy D. Jones taught so beautifully when she said,” If the love we feel for the Savior and what He did for us is greater than the energy we give our weaknesses, self-doubt, or bad habits, then He will help us overcome the things which cause suffering in our lives. He saves us from ourselves.”
I know that personally, I am so hard on myself and that I beat myself down until all I can see are my weaknesses and flaws. I tell myself things that I would never say to anyone else. I hold myself to a “perfect standard” (that i would never hold anyone else to) and if I fall short , and I always do, I feel like a failure. I know that I need the Savior to save me from myself everyday. I need him to remind me who I am, and my true worth, that is why President Monson’s quote is so dear to me. “God’s love is there for you whether or not you fell you deserve love. It is simply always there.”
I am so grateful for this weeks study on my individual worth. It is something that I have struggled with pretty much my entire life, and at times it is amplified by my anxiety and depression to the point that I feel worthless, and unworthy of love. I as I draw closer to my Heavenly Father and my Savior I feel their love and I am able to see my worth not on with the world’s eyes but through my Loving Father in Heaven. It brings light and hope even on the dark days. I am grateful that my Savior felt that I was worth dying for and gave me the opportunity to become better. I am grateful for a loving Father in Heaven that never gives up on me or anyone else.
I hope and pray that you can always remember that you are precious to him. That you are special and unique. That the world needs you. That you are loved perfectly by A perfect Heavenly Father. I hope that you can learn for yourself if you haven’t already that you are a child of God. I know that if you pray with open mind and sincere desire in your heart that He will let you know that you are his child and that he loves you! You are precious in His Sight!
Thank you for reading! I hope that you enjoyed it and that you feel your true worth and value! Thank You!
The talks that studied and quoted from are:
Value beyond Measure, from the October 2017 General Conference, by Joy D. Jones
Abide in My Love, from the October 2016 General Conference, by Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters, from the October 1978 General Conference, by President Spencer W. Kimball
