Self Worth

FRI., JAN. 21, 1994, 8:14 AM
FARM, STUDY

This concept, in the title is an interesting and important one. This morning it applies to what you heard in the lecture yesterday and, somewhat, to what you have experienced this week… and continuing. I’ll begin with some thoughts on the lecture.

The speaker was obviously talking about Western culture, even as this was not identified as such. He emphasized that in the “modern age” the human individual came to be seen as important, with a right to freedom in what he did. Thus self worth was related to how successful you were, by your own perception and in the judgment of others. With no real criterion other than production and accomplishment self-worth became more and more tied to what you actually did and how well you did it. The concept of self actualization is akin to self worth, with the premise that your self actually develops out of goals and accomplishments.

Thus, being part of a family, a neighborhood, a fraternity, a team, even a gang became secondary to your own objective performance and your evaluation of it, by cultural standards. Being part of a national community became important during wars and comparable threats, but was not powerful. Identifying with the world was not normative, even when communication about world events became so dominant. Importantly, the notion of self worth stemming from relationship with Me – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – was submerged by this cultural idea of individuality. My Holy Scriptures came to be interpreted in this way of thinking. Christianity was an acceptable religion to acknowledge because God, Who had been rather non-personal as Yahweh, came to earth as a human individual, and the Scriptures could now tell of what God, as Jesus, said and did. Thus, Jesus could become a model, and in addition to accomplishment in the secular world you could judge your self worth by how well, often, and faithfully you lived as he said you should. Now what’s wrong with that? Well, it seems to be applying the secular concept, in just a different frame.

So what do I tell you about self worth? It is much more related to what is called an “eastern concept,” that of self-realization. Fundamentally you are spirit, within a soul that is experiencing a variety of ways of growing and developing. Toward what? Toward return to Me, from whence “you” came. You have self worth because you are a part of Me, and I am a part of you. Accomplishments should be judged solely on how they contribute to spiritual growth. Spirit should reach out to spirit, so that having identity and sense of self in a marriage and family relationship, in friendships, in the church family, in colleague and student relationships is quite desirable. I also call on you to see this Farm as an aspect of your self worth… and that is part of your personal “suffering” just now.

It is good that you identify yourself with this place, but I want it to be a spiritual identification, not just a functional one. I want you to appreciate the beauty and functionality of this Farm with your spirit. But your self worth does not come from maintaining it perfectly, but in identifying with it as a “gift” from Me, for your spiritual growth.