Worthless (adj.)

This morning I was thinking about the idea of someone being worthless. And yes, it was the ex-wife. Can we please move on?

English uses one word for two different concepts. There is intrinsically worthless and selected worthless. Intrinsically worthless means the person or thing has no value in and of itself. They were made that way. And through no fault of their own, simply has no value.

When most people say "I feel worthless", they mean intrinsically. The Bible clearly dispels that myth. God created you, me, us in His image. Counselors argue, rightly so, that every person has intrinsic worth.

Selected worthless betrays that intrinsic worth. A person chooses to hide or refuses to share their worth. Laziness is a form of selected worthless. Intrinsic worthless makes you a victim. Selected worthless makes you wrong.

It's the difference between excuses and responsibility. Excuses blame other people, circumstances, or things for failure. A.k.a., "It's not my fault." Responsibility faces the truth and does something about it.

When the ex-wife said "I feel worthless", she felt selected worthless. Her declaration purposefully confuses it with intrinsic worthless. The statement was an excuse. So here's my question, if you feel worthless, is it masking a fear of doing what's right?

Limitations

Every person has physical limitations. That's not what I'm talking about here. I can't slam dunk a basketball. I'm short, in mediocre physical condition, and simply can't propel my body weight that high in the air. Our bodies, like every physical object, have limitations.

My daughter Vania has physical limitations. Physical limitations define the expression of our value, not the fact of our value. The excuse "I feel worthless" diverts attention away from the expression by confusing it with the fact.

I've been in that dark place where one questions their own worth. And this is exactly what I was doing. Seeing it in someone else simply clarified the thought processes.

In Closing

To the ex-wife, I would say "yes, you are worthless. You choose to be. You chose to hide the expression of your worth out of rebellion towards God." Value must be expressed. Hidden value doesn't mean anything. (Matthew 25:14 - 30)

To my friend, I would say "you are worth something. Not just intrinsically, but in expression. Find God's expression, and you'll reach the stars."