Worth It

"What false teaching threatens our sincere and pure devotion to Christ?  What do we put up with readily enough?  Perhaps today more than anything else, we allow the purity of the true gospel to be diluted by the false gospel of self-esteem.  Self-esteem sounds good, but it is antithetical to God's gospel.  Christ didn't die to improve our self-esteem; he died to give us his.  He didn't come to build up our self-worth; he came to knock it down.  Jesus said, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me' (Luke 9:24); and Paul wrote, 'Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves' (Phil. 2:3).  We have been deceived by the false teaching of self-esteem because, like most effective deceptions, there is a kernel of truth in it.  We do have intrinsic worth because we are made in the image of God.  But it is his image in us that gives us value." - Purity by Lydia Brownback

This is why I feel like a piece of trash when my heart isn't listening to God.  It makes sense, because without Christ I have no life, no purpose, no fruit.

I have learned that I rarely entangle myself with God on days I don't start my day with that intention.  I need that set aside time to focus on what is good, true, and holy.  For this to happen, I must schedule it into my day.  I must set my alarm an hour early to start my day attentive to God.  I never regret pulling myself out of bed for that.