The Soul Felt Its Worth

Teaching & Discipleship Pastor

Every Christmas season, a familiar tune resonates in the hearts of Christians in the Western world: the beloved and popular song, "O Holy Night." Its first verse, a nostalgic reminder of the season, goes like this:


Rediscovering the Worth of the Soul

It struck me recently that we rarely hear the language of the soul feeling its worth, even in modern churches. While our religious teachings rightly emphasize God’s glory and worth, they often overlook the importance of human worthiness. This gap must be addressed because understanding our worth is crucial to our spiritual journey.

• We are created in the image and likeness of God. (Genesis 1:26-28)
• Even though we are created “lower than the angels,” we are crowned with “glory and splendor.” (Psalm 8:5)
• “The highest heavens belong to God,” the psalmist says, “but the earth he has given to mankind.” (Psalm 115:16)
• Paul says that the hope of glory is “Christ in you.” (Colossians 1:27; note: Paul didn’t say that the hope of glory is Christ 10,000 miles away from you.)

So, while Christians acknowledge that we are in God’s debt for forgiveness and freedom from sin, we don’t need to diminish our self-worth. Instead, we should embrace our identity as valued creations of God.

G.K. Chesterton alluded to the idea that Christian truth is paradoxical: It stands on its head and dangles its feet in the air. A paradox is helpful for Christian theology, including understanding God as both transcendent and immanent and Jesus as fully God and human. This idea can also be applied to our understanding of human worth.

Perhaps this is what Irenaeus meant when he said, “The glory of God is humanity fully alive.” There’s no doubt that life comes from God, and humans are invited to live in the light as God is in the light (see 1 John 1:7).

Confidence in Discipleship

As local Ridgepoint Church member Jason Klassen once told me, “You can’t steer a parked car.” An important hallmark of discipleship is being confident in who we are and watching God guide us toward his purposes and plans.

Bowing Down and Stepping Up

I’ve found this paradox in how author Len Sweet built the custom-made doorway at his home office. Sweet purposely made the doorway shorter than the average door, requiring someone to duck their head to enter. He also built steps into his office so a person would have to step up at the doorway to enter.

So, someone has to bow their head and step up simultaneously to get inside. This posture embodies the healthiest spirituality possible: we bow in worship but step up with agency as image-bearing creatures in God’s world.

My hope for us as modern believers is that we allow our souls to feel their worth–that we choose to be Christian not solely for the opportunity to know the one true God, but also because our faith dynamically enhances every bit of our lives. Recognize your worth as a creation of God, and let this understanding enrich your spiritual journey.