What If My Efforts Are Worthless?

A destructive, sneaky lie has been echoing in my head for days. Maybe you’ve heard it too. “Everything I do is worthless.”

I’ve believed all my efforts–writing, piano, you name it–are garbage. Junk that deserves to be tossed out on the curb and thrown in a landfill. But, the truth is: my efforts aren’t worthless trash, and neither are yours.

If you gave 100 writers the exact same novel outline, and they each wrote a novel following that outline, would you expect all the novels to be the same? Yes, they’d have the same plot. And yet, they’d be vastly different stories, because they were uniquely crafted by different authors.

In whatever you do, you bring your own beliefs, emotions, experiences, and personality to the table. No one else can photograph a sunrise, write a story, or play basketball exactly like you.

You are unique.

What you do is valuable because you are valuable.

Our Value

What is your value? In The One Year Adventure Novel, Daniel Schwabauer says, “One of the most basic rules of life is that something’s value is equal to the highest amount someone is willing to pay for it.”

The Bible tells us that Jesus purchased us with his blood. Jesus–fully God, completely holy, just, and perfect–gave his life because he wanted us.

God is our Creator. We are his beautiful masterpieces, and he loved us so much that he claimed us as His own.

“For You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:13-14)

In the first verse, the psalmist talks about how God created his inward parts. He isn’t referring to his organs or his veins. His inward parts are who he is–his dreams, his personality, and how he views the world.

God didn’t haphazardly throw us together. He lovingly crafted our specific dreams, interests, and personalities.

So many times I’ve asked God why he created me to be me. I’m a quirky fourteen-year-old girl who’s a shy extrovert, weird blend of leader and follower, indoors-y, and who’d much rather write a fantasy novel than play a single game of dodgeball.

My personality makes social situations interesting. Although I love being around people, I feel as awkward as a figure-skating elephant when I start a conversation. One time I welcomed two girls to my youth group, and after the first minute of conversation I thought, “Great job, Rachel. You blew it. They are never talking to you again.”

I have a strong desire to lead others and to share my thoughts, but my words get frozen in my lungs. As a result, most everyone believes I’m an introvert, when in reality I’d happily belt out “Let it Go”, if only I had the confidence.

And I compare myself to others. Christians who are strong in their faith, young writers who are published on popular websites, and people who are always so confident. I ask God, “Why did You make me a writer? There are tons of people who could write this message better than me.”

His Power

But maybe that’s the point. Our worth and the value of what we do aren’t based on how eloquently we can act and speak, and they can’t be dissolved by our own self-doubt. Our worth is in what God has done for us.

He used Moses, who wasn’t an eloquent speaker, to lead his people to the promised land. He used Gideon, who was in hiding from the Midianites, to set Israel free from them. He used Peter, a man who denied Christ three times, to start the Christian church.

God isn’t held back by our flaws. Rather, he works through them to show the world his power and the love he has for his children.

What you do matters. God created you to be who you are, and he will use you–unique, quirky, valuable you–to bring glory to him.

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