I Am Undeserving Yet Worthy

One of the things that actually pains me when I hear it is the phrase, "You deserve that!"

And I hear it said (or written) a lot.

"You deserve happiness."

"You deserve to be treated better."

"You deserve that vacation."

The Apostle Paul speaks extremely soberly to the church in Ephesus when he says the words found in chapter 4, verse 1, "Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God."

Paul... the one who had been assigned a great privilege to issue commands to the churches in the name of Jesus Christ, here beseeches his hearers as a "prisoner of the Lord." A lowly position he humbly embraced for the sake of Kingdom advancement.

And I think it was because he understood something that many of us haven't yet adopted into our nature.

There is a distinct difference between the words "Deserving" and "Worthy."

Deserving is this, by definition = qualified for or having claim to reward because of one's actions, qualities or situations.

Worthy is this, by definition = Having adequate or great merit, character, or value; of commendable excellence; a person of worth, merit, or position.

I think the key words in both definitions are:

Deserving - "actions".

Worthy - "value."

One is based on my actions. What I have done.

One is based on my value. What price was paid for me.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for you NOT because you did anything to deserve it. Not because you were qualified. Not because of situational circumstances.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for you because you were of great VALUE to Him. Because He saw you and sees you as having commendable excellence and because you are a daughter or a son of the Most High. And because of the high value He places on your life, He calls you worthy.

Not deserving - as one who's actions have qualified you... but one who is worthy - as one who is valued and who's life is highly favored regardless of eligibility and accomplishments.

Grace is unmerited favor. It's God's overwhelming desire to treat you and I as if sin never happened.

And it is that grace that calls us to live a life "worthy" of the calling.

Notice this is a calling, not an order. We are called as sheep, not driven as oxen. Which means that while we live absent of demand, we have an amount of duty.

You and I have a responsibility to live as those who are worthy. To walk in freedom from sin. And to surrender all we are to the One who calls us into a great inheritance!

Let's erase the "deserved-ness" from our mindset, and begin living as worthy recipients of His undeserving, unending radical grace.