Bonnie: Are We Worthy?
I used to think ill of the term “we are not worthy” of God’s love. I think I may be getting it- understanding this way of thinking.
The part where we were made in God’s image is often thought of in the physical sense. What a wonderful miracle it is. That’s the part we call the flesh. But it’s not the only meaning.
Jesus walked on this earth. God became flesh as mentioned in the Gospel of John 1: 1-14:
“He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
So the Word became human and made his home among us.”
Many theologians say that the flesh can make us unworthy. Maybe so, but it can also produce a lot of good in this world. I say we should include and speak about a different part of being human.
You see, our worthiness is the part that we cannot feel by touch. It’s our mind, our hearts, our emotions, our spirits. It’s the hidden places within that only you and God will ever know of.
But our “thinking parts” can or have strayed away in the wrong direction, a direction away from God.
So, on the one hand, I believe that we are worthy because we are all God’s children, made in His image (of the flesh) and loved very deeply by Him. Not made only of flesh, it’s the thinking part, the emotional part, or in the heart-part, the spirit… that we are led astray and away from the divine. That is the part that is not worthy: the part that turns away.
Yet, God loves us ANYWAY! We turn away from God and He still loves us. He made every part and parcel of us; physical, mental, emotional, spiritual; every tiny bit.
This is God’s pure grace and compassion for you. For all of us. We are worthy in God’s eyes.
Don’t let the devil tell you that you are not. You are worthy in God’s eyes and will always be.
We know that we cannot be perfect. Not in this lifetime. But we will be made whole and perfect in the Kingdom of God. We walk this journey to our heavenly Kingdom where we can sit at the feet of Jesus, living in His light and His holy love forever.
For in this struggle of being human, of living in a broken and conflicted worldly atmosphere, the only trusted and holy place that we can turn to ultimately… is to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Our salvation, our holiness, our eternalness depends on it.
“He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.”
1 Corinthians 1:2b (NLT)
[April 10, 2020, revised March 16, 2025]
Bonnie Zickgraf is a retired pastor, author, columnist for The Times, and an RN in mental health nursing. Send comments and prayer requests to [email protected].