23 March 2016
How do we measure our worth?
After having worked daily with Aldo’s heart wounds; this one came out:
“The stronghold in me is: Everybody has worth, only Aldo has no worth.”
This is what the lies of the enemy sound like in our spirit wounds. I started praying for the wound, and asked Yeshua to switch on His glory light so as to reveal the truth to Aldo. Because when we know the truth – it sets us free!
This got me thinking about ‘worth’. Who has more ‘worth’ than others? What determines your worth? How do you speak to people? How do you look at people and what do you say about people? Who are worthy enough that you can dare to speak to them, greet them, or just pray for them? Is it our eyes that tag people’s worth? Or even our opinion about their lives? Is it determined by where you live, the car you drive, your career, your abilities, your degrees? What determines a person’s worth? The truth is that the ‘brokenness road’ is considered to be an embarrassment to people living in pride. Pride determines a false sense of worth. The worth of YHVH, works differently than the worth of the world. Let’s look at an example.
We read in Mark 14:3-9 of a woman who lived in the ancient town of Bethany. One evening she travelled to the house of Simon the leper, because she heard Yeshua was there. She came with a mission and that was to pour out her costly perfume onto Yeshua. ‘A Woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. She broke the flask and poured it on His head.’ She did not only pour our three drops; no she emptied the whole bottle. In fact – she broke the bottle, the vessel was completely broken and in an instance the entire area was filled with a fragrance. Everyone judged her immediately and tagged her with their opinion about who she was, what she did and about the life she lived. They predicted and determined her worth pointing their fingers of judgment at her and expressing their opinions of her. She was an embarrassment to them. A woman of no worth!
Even now, when we look at her broken bottle, we can say to each other – “that bottle has no worth or value any longer”. But then I am reminded of what the Master said about her deed – ‘having given her best to Him’ - “As long as the Gospel is preached, you will speak about Mary Magdalena.” He valued her life, her precious act and her faith as great worth!
I prayed about it, because my heart cried for my child. I heard His soft gentle voice, “Retah, this is My desire for everyone. I want these earthly vessels, jars of clay, to be thoroughly broken before Me, so that I may come flowing out in all My beauty, with My fragrance, making your life a blessing to those around you. Whatever you try to do on your own becomes so thick and full of pride and I cannot get the glory for it.”
The world looks at you with eyes that tag you with a price of worth. They have their own credential of what and who is really worthy of their status, their friendship and their care.
But, Yeshua is saying to us today – when you come to the place of real brokenness, not only does a new fragrance come out, but a total change in our character. The climate of your heart changes and repentance becomes a part of our lives. There’s no more defending ourselves, shifting blame for the things that we have done. We simply say like the prodigal son, ”I have done wrong, I have sinned”.
When we come into a place of real brokenness, we also come to the end of our own strength. Our own strength is often one of our biggest enemies. But when we are broken, we realize that we have no strength except that which YHVH supplies to us.
When my flesh stops trying and I surrender all unto Him; I find that because my vessel is cursed and broken I have no strength in myself. This is when I become fully dependent upon Him. His purpose for my life becomes unhindered and then we can bring true glory to His name.
I sat with Aldo and I asked forgiveness for everyone that judged him, or said and thought that he has no worth, or just stared at him with eyes that scream, “shame, you have no worth”. I asked his forgiveness for thoughts out of hell about his life and his walk of brokenness.
I started praying and Holy Spirit flowed. The Father’s prayer followed, because he knows that prayer so well and prays it every day. “Father, our Abba Father, we choose today to forgive those who hurt us. They think they are far away from us and that their words are hidden, but in the spirit Aldo receives all those darts and it has bound him in a stronghold. We choose to forgive them, just as You taught us to forgive.” I cursed all the curses and words of death spoken over him and his destiny. We asked Him to remove the darts and vomit of other’s words from his mind and heart and I prayed that Yeshua would show him Truth and give him Life.
‘Fill us with Your Holy Spirit dear Lord. We seek no approval of man, but only our Abba Father’s approval. It no longer matters what people think, or what we have accomplished on earth. Abba, we make it our aim…. To be well pleasing to You! (2 Corinthians 5:9)
It was not through miracles that Yeshua defeated Satan. It was when he was broken and gave up his life on the cross that brought victory. It is through our brokenness – pouring out ourselves that we also find victory over the enemy. In this way we can have victory over anger, hate, discouragement, bitterness, strife and all our own selfish ways.
When we live a life pleasing to Him, broken so that He can flow through us – He will remake us and take the failures out of our lives. He is the Master Potter and is able to take a broken vessel and remake it into a precious one. He promised that He will not break the bruised reed. (Mat 12:20)
Yeshua’s life teaches me that His brokenness becomes our blessing.
I ask you today – could you find the treasure, the blessing in those around you. In your husband, your wife, your children, the broken person that works with you? Or do you tag them and bind them in the spirit with your assumed value - through the look you give them, or the thoughts you think about them, or the words you speak over them behind their back?
Let’s learn from Him who was so broken on the cross, from His humility and His brokenness. Only on that foundation will we be able to reflect His image and do what He calls us to do. No pride will see His glory!
I greet you in His wonderful name.
Retah and family