Hallelujah! You can be worthy
Bragging about unworthiness
Many people suppose that the more we talk about our own unworthiness, the more God's worthiness stands out in glorious contrast. We lift him up by tearing ourselves down, admitting how sinful we are, were, and always will be. We say his grace is amazing because it saved unworthy losers like us.
We miss the point of Scripture, which is that through Jesus and the Spirit we can be changed from unworthy to worthy. In fact, we must! And we need to praise God for this transformation, not deny that it can happen in this life.
If you have been living under the illusion that permanent confession of your unworthiness is the humility God wants from you, Worth Season is a great time to kiss that illusion goodbye.
Getting real about our worth
As you get into the idea of Worth Season, you gradually realize that authentic personal worth is a gift we receive from God and spread to others, just like the blessings of the other six seasons--Life, Roots, Freedom, Power, Mercy, and Vision.
Our worth, our value in God's eyes and for the good of the planet, grows as we participate in God's Get Real campaign. We treat other people as if they are worth something to us, not as mere objects of charity, and this helps their sense of worth grow.
God wants his campaign to connect, heal, and bless our fellow human beings. They can become campaign team members just like us. We are not any more worthy of being team members than they are. We got on the team by God's grace, and they can do the same.
CAUTION: Don't kid yourself with this common misinterpretation of human worth: "We all are created by God, which means we all have God-given rights as humans. We are worthy of his blessings as long as we respect the rights of others." If you believe this partly true but twisted definition, you will never get real about your worth. This view assumes you can create your own worth and you probably will.
The truth is that God has a campaign under way, and our worth depends on how we fit in with his campaign, how we SYNC with his plan and strategy. His plan is not just universal timeless truths, Ten-Commandment-style. He is also a micro-manager (in a good way); that is, he has a personalized plan for each of us throughout our lives. And that is where we each get our worth, letting him guide our personal participation in his plan.
This is truly liberating because it means we never have to compare ourselves to anyone else to determine our worth. My worth depends on carrying out my personal assignments in the campaign. Other people may be smarter, wealthier, or more gifted, but I don't have to envy them. Others may be poorer, less intelligent and less gifted than I am, but I can't look down on them. My assignments are mine, theirs are theirs, and that is that!
Not worthy of me (Matthew 10.37-38)
Are we supposed to be "worthy of Jesus"? If we say yes, we run the risk of being charged with blasphemy. Of course we are not worthy. Christ died while we were sinners (Romans 5.8). None of us deserved God's grace.
Yes, but. The correct "answer" to the question, "Are we supposed to be worthy of Jesus?" is, "When? Before we invited him to move into our lives or now that he has moved in?" We were unworthy before; we are supposed to be worthy now.
It is like a military uniform. The recruit does not have to show a great deal of worth in order to get into the army. The military training is supposed to make a man out of him, no matter what he was on Day One. But once the recruit is in uniform, he is supposed to act in a manner worthy of the uniform.
Following Jesus is like putting on the uniform, and Jesus expects his followers to be worthy of him:
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10.37-38)
But are we capable of that excruciating level of sacrifice? Not in ourselves but in the power of the Spirit of Jesus inside us. And when we show that level of commitment, Jesus honors it. So even if we have to go through hell to get that honor, the thought of God's "Well done" gets us through.
Worthiness is demonstrated in actual visible conduct empowered by the Spirit. It is not only ascribed worthiness as a result of the blood of Christ. By itself, ascribed worthiness is simply changing the label on the jug from "Swamp water" to "Drinking water". The water itself must change in order to make the label the reality.
That change is possible because of the Holy (purifying) Spirit in us. We unworthy ones can become worthy participants in God's campaign, and we can finish well. Hallelujah!