As a little girl, I never felt I was worth very much. I always felt that I wasn’t pretty enough, smart enough, or good enough. I sensed my parents tolerated me, but certainly didn’t delight in me. And if your own parents couldn’t love you, then who could?
Then there was the definitive day in the eleventh grade that took my self-worth to an all-time low. I can still remember what I was wearing: lavender bell bottom low rise jeans (back then we called them bell-bottoms), a bubble knit short-sleeve top, Dr. Scholl’s wooden sandals, and a blue bandanna tied around my head of long oily hair I hadn’t had time to wash that morning. This was acceptable attire for teens when I was in high school, except for the days when a special awards or recognition assembly was held.
In homeroom that morning, the principal announced over the intercom that an unscheduled assembly would take place at eleven o’clock to recognize students being inducted into the National Honor Society. That’s when I understood why so many of my friends were dressed a notch above the norm. Their parents had received the secretive congratulatory call the night before and made sure their kids had washed their hair and left the frayed jeans in the drawer.
Four hundred teens found seats in the darkened auditorium. The principal made a speech of commendation from the podium and then said, “Will the following students come forward when your name is called to receive a certificate and a candle to be lit by last year’s inductees?”
The principal called each name, and I watched several of my friends walk across the immense stage. Then, to my horror and surprise, my name was called. Why didn’t my parents warn me, I thought. I look horrible—and I did.
When the houselights went up, I panned the back of the room where proud parents snapped pictures and pointed out their progeny to others standing on tiptoe to catch a glimpse. My parents were not among them—they never were.
I later discovered that my dad had received the call from the school the night before, but forgot to tell my mom. Even though they both worked across the street from the school, they didn’t come to the ceremony. In my mind, their absence confirmed what I’d suspected for the past 17 years. I’m just not worth the trouble.
I didn’t care about the certificate or the principal’s accolades. What I really wanted was to know I had value to the two people who mattered most.
Perhaps you had painful experiences in your past that left you feeling worthless, but Jesus wants you to know you have great value. He gave His life so that you would!
Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?” he asked His disciples. “Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29-31, emphasis added).
You are worth more than the money in your bank account.
You are worth more than the number of friends you have on Facebook.
You are worth more than the number of children or grandchildren you have.
You are worth more than the number of meetings and appointments on your calendar.
You are worth more than your successes or failures.
You are worth more than your level of education.
You are worth more than the price tags in your closet.
You are worth more than your accomplishments or lack of them.
You are worth more than many sparrows.
The lies of the Enemy had created limitations in my life. It took many years, but I finally learned how to rejectethe lies and replace them with truth.
Jesus says, You are worth more. That’s what He wants you to know today.
Lord, thank You for caring about me and loving me. Sometimes I feel so worthless, but on those days, help me to remember my great worth to You. That’s all that really matters. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Extra Exercise
On what do you tend to base your worth? How does that line up with what God says about you and your worth? Make your own list of “I am worth more than…” Leave a comment and note one of your “more thans”.
Digging Deeper
Do the voices in your head tell you that you are not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or just not enough, period? If so, it’s time to stop listening to the lies that sabotage your confidence and start embracing the truth of your true identity in Christ. In Enough: Silencing the Lies that Steal Your Confidence, I expose the lies that keep you bogged down in guilt, shame, and insecurity. By recognizing the lies, rejecting the lies, and replacing the lies with truth, you’ll be able to
- silence the voice inside that whispers you’re not good enough.
- accept God’s grace and no longer allow past failures to define you or confine you
- be preloaded with the truth to fight insecurities
- walk in the surefooted confidence of God’s unconditional love
© 2025 by Sharon Jaynes. All rights reserved.
Comments 54
It would help me to know if your parents ever knowledge the hurt they caused you on that day or at all? Did they receive Jesus as their Savior?
I’ve wondered the same thing.
I’ve wondered the same. I can’t imagine disregarding my daughter so much. I am truly so sorry. I’m so thankful you came to know your true worth.❤️
Author
Yep. They both came to Christ. You can read all about the amazing story in When You Don’t Like Your Story!
I am worth more than my successes and failures as a teacher.
I’m a Trauma survivor of Acute Childhood Experiences. I’m worth more than a Prince’s ransome because the Prince of Peace gave His life for me. It took me years, every now and again I get frustrated with myself and slip down. However Jesus always comes when you are lost, that was the whole point of the Cross.
That’s the whole point of the CROSS! Such a powerful perspective.
I am worth more than my successes and failures as a teacher.
I am worth more than my job title.
I’m worth more than work
I am worth more than other people’s opinions.
I am worth more than my educational level or occupational status. I am chosen by God.-1 Peter 2:9. Amen.
😃🙏🏾✝️
I am worth more than the job that I get a paycheck for.
Your story is so similar to one of mine from fifth grade when students received certificates of achievement. I did not know there would be an assembly or that parents would be at school that day. My mother was a single parent who worked at a sewing factory an hour away and my grandmother had no car. I don’t know if they were told about the assembly but none of my family was there to see me receive multiple certificates. My name was called for having good grades. Later it was called for a music certificate etc. Each time I walked on stage I felt like I was in a dream where a room full of adults I didn’t know saw my achievements recognized publicly for the first time in my life. My story differs greatly from yours in that I knew beyond that room was a family who loved me dearly. A mother and grandmother and uncle who supported me in their own way and told me daily that they loved me. I am blessed to still hear daily from my elderly uncle I LOVE YOU who continually encourages me. Thank you for sharing and living out the faithfulness of God in an unfaithful world.
Just shows that the love is the most important thing in life.
I am worth more than the attention I do or don’t get from my husband. That does not define my worth.
God said I am His treasured possession, and His eyes are always on me.
Thank you for taking the time to write and bring awareness of who God is & is to us.
Last night my son held his new born baby for the 1st time & asked if I had any baby pictures of myself?
My parents never took one picture of me. The 1st picture I have is from a kindergarten class picture.
My son said he was sorry that I didn’t have a baby picture, but maybe I resembled his new born daughter? His comment tugged at my living, unseen wound.. I couldn’t hold back the tears & I felt what I’ve been believing my whole life, no one really cares! I have clung onto Jesus but I know he uses you in this season of my life to bring me more healing! Thank you Sharon!
Praying for my whole family to know how much they are worth and to believe it. I still struggle at times and wish I could recognize sooner when Satan creeps in. Praying.
I am worth more than my clothes, my car, my career, my bank account… I am worth more than enough, because GOD created me in HIS image, and that is worth more than can be counted.
I am worth more than all the lies that satan tries to convince me of!
Thank for sharing your story, Sharon. I’m sorry your parents didn’t show and I totally identify, since my parents didn’t show for my track meets or choir performances. They didn’t show for my children either. So forgiving them has been a life long journey and only Jesus has given me the strength to do it.
I love you Sharon. You are a blessing to me. Until then my heart will go on singing. Thank God for his loving saving grace.
I am worth more than my job title- I am a child of God.
Bless you Sharon for sharing your story and mine was my dad by choice not coming to my wedding. I have forgiven him and know my Heavenly Father was by my side.
In my household “good enough” meant it wasn’t good enough, wasn’t perfect. God told me one day in counseling I was “GOOD and that was enough.” It changed the trajectory of my life.
WE ARE GOOD AND THAT’S ENOUGH.
I love this! ❤️
Oh Sharon, I can relate and my heart goes out to you. More importantly, my soul rejoices with you as we make our way through this world now realizing the unconditional love of our Abba Father until we can rest with Him forever.
I felt you were writing my story. The very same thing happened to me! I never felt I was enough. I’m in the process of writing my own book. I’m so grateful for your story and email!
My Dad chose my stepmom who didn’t want me around because I looked like my Mom. So many years ago but still affects every male relationship I have and have had in the past.
I am worth more than my job gives me credit for. I am worth more than anyone’s opinion. I am a child of the most high and I know he Loves me.
I am far more valuable than all the help/service I have given to others my whole life. God sees me, accepts
and deeply loves me no matter what I accomplish. He just wants my heart.
I am worth more care than what some members of my family show me.
I am worth more than all the time I spend trying to keep up with household chores and continual balancing of work, family, and what i continually expect of myself. Thank you for sharing your story. God has used you powerfully.
My life was very similar to yours. My parents probably showed up to a couple of functions if that and it does miss with your self worth. The Lord is the one I always need to know how much he cares for us. And that means the world to me. Thank you
Oh Sharon, I can identify with that young lady you once were. My mom had a TBI as a child and simply did not have the mental or emotional capacity to show love. My dad worked 3 jobs to support our family but would occasionally drop me off for piano recitals or school events but never were they in the audience or uttered the words, “Good Job” or “We’re proud of you” (even as an adult when I got my Masters degree). To this day, I find it awkward to receive praise or acknowledge my true worth and so, I am eternally grateful to have found my worth in Jesus.
I am worth more than my last job gave me credit for. I am worth more than my ex-husband gave me credit for. The skills God gave me can never be replaced by anyone or anything. Amen for that.
I am worth more than anything in life. My education level, my job, my relationships with family and friends and more.
I had to comment this morning.
And to all the gals who read the comments, and you, Sharon, let us be overcomers together in Jesus.
My story is often like the ones you tell of your youth, Sharon. I’ve often thought we were soul sisters in that trauma of wanting to belong, and if only our daddy would notice how we tried so hard to please and be good.
I’m 63 and barely over the chains of parts of that childhood grief. But God shaped me through it and I know He’s the Abba Daddy that loves me on my worst days with greasy hair. We don’t get to choose our parents but we do get to choose what we learned from our experiences good or bad. I have forgiven my parents long ago for the inadequacies I believe they had. I love them for who they tried to be even if they fell very short of my childhood needs, and perhaps it is what ultimately lead me to need Jesus more than if I had had the love I craved so much from them.
PS: Dr Scholl sandals…bell bottoms-my friend— we were rocking it!
I don’t remember much growing up accept my parents always fighting and that my older sister, myself and my younger brother being in the middle of everything. I guess I blocked it all out. We were always in between both parents after they divorced after 19/20 years. It was like this 49 years or so before their health got bad. I am so sorry that you went through what you did with your parents. Did they ever realize what they were doing to you and apologize? Thank you for sharing your story.
Sharon,
You are a brave woman. God has made you courageous “full of courage”, because He encourage’s (pours courage into) you by His Holy Spirit. He not only showed up for you in Creation, in Bethlehem, on the Cross, in the Tomb, and at the Ascension, but He also participated in your conception, your birth, your every accomplishment, your every breath, and your eternity with Him!
I needed this message today.
My earthly father left the day I was born. I pursued knowing him when I was grown. When I met him, he told me I didn’t exist, and I never did. Those words were an affirmation of what I had already concluded in my mind, but they seared that toxic message like a branding iron into my heart, into my very soul.
But God! Praise God! He draws me into His loving arms and into His glorious light, and love, and life! Oh, I still to this day fight the battle. Some days those scars are more searing than on other days. But today, my loving Heavenly Father reminded me how great His love is – that He not only chose to create me into existence, but He chose in Christ to lay down His life for me while I was in MY sin, and He has a ‘Glorious to God’ plan for every day of my life now and for all eternity with Him! Glory be to God!
Thank you, Sharon, for sharing your healing balm with us again today. I thank God for your voice in print!
Thank you Sharon for sharing your pain so we can in turn see our true worth. I am worth far more than any lies Satan tells me. I can’t help but think of the words to Megan Woods song The Truth.
“The truth is I am my Father’s child
I make Him proud and I make Him smile
I was made in the image of a perfect King
He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing
The truth is I am truly loved
By a God who’s good when I’m not good enough
I don’t belong to the lies, I belong to You
And that’s the truth”
Thank you for helping me to always recall what God says about me. You are such a blessing!
Sharon, I know exactly how that feels! I’m 65 now and still struggle with it. I’ve never felt like I belonged growing up within my family and honestly still don’t. My mother had her prized possessions and unfortunately I was not one of them. One of my biggest struggles with becoming a Christian was believing I could actually belong and call God my Father. But Praise God I now can.
Thank you for sharing your story. The most important and beautiful part of your story is the healing. I pray that I too will walk in my healing of this by knowing that even when man fails me, God is faithful and loves me unconditionally.
How deep the Father’s love for us!
I am worth more than the trauma I expwrienced throughout my life. Physical, emotional, religious, sexual abuse.
I am worth more than the bullying at work.
I am work more than labeled as dyslexic.
I am worth more than my father recently telling me he never had anything to live for.
I am worth more than my recent surgery and battle of depression that crept in.
I am worth more than the heaviness I carry and struggle with.
I pray God recycles my pain to help others and gives me a new sense of mental and emotional healing to help others.
How sad. Sharon, you bring so much joy to me with your thoughts and love of God and to all of our fellow travelers on life’s journey. I have so many loved ones who might need to once more hear my words of praise for what they are doing and how valuable they are to me. So today I will start a list so I don’t forget any of them and tell each one of them how special they are. When my wife wakes up, I will start with her and tell her what a wonderful wife she has been for the 63 years of our marriage and what a great job she has done with each one of our children and our seven grandchildren. It will be a long list so before she gets up, let me tell you how much you mean to me with your beautiful caring thoughts that start my day, Thoughts that I can share with everyone God has put in my life and each one He puts in my life today. God is good and at 87 that is a bunch. I love you Sharon, you are am awesome writer, Larry
I am worth more than my educational level. I am worth any jobs I had in the past, currently, & in the future. I am worth more than the past hurts from former co-workers, & from any jobs that didn’t value my contributions to our work. I am more than how some family members treat me, because of jealousy and ungratefulness. I am worth more than any past hurts from anyone. I am a child of God, the apple of his eye. I am FEARFULLY & WONDERFULLY MADE! Thank you Jesus. I learned with spiritual growth the importance of only aiming to be pleasing in your eyes. I love Jesus, Amen 🙏🏾 🙌🏽 ❤️
Sharon, the words you pen could be mine, also. It breaks my heart for any child who has gone through this, because I thought the same ….if my mom dont love me, who will??
I always felt invisible; as the youngest of six, being extremely ill with a birth anomaly that was life or death, I knew I was the cause of great stress on my parents & felt resented. The runt of the litter, actually. After surgery at 9yrs of age, (an 8hr surgery that had never been attempted in our area) God restored me to health! I still remember as I was rolled into my hospital room, my mom never came to my bedside. She sat in a chair reading the paper. At age 9, I knew this was not right!
I was able to now play softball, cheer, perform in plays, all without one parent ever coming to watch me or affirm me. I had to beg her to go to my Baptism & HS graduation. (Due to divorce, my dad had moved away, he never came, either)
Truly, I knew God was my Heavenly Father from an early age, & I’m thankful.
“Though my mother & father forsake me HE will take me up”. PSALM 27:10
I totally have forgiven each of them & I was part of caring for them in their sickness & ultimate passing, with love & compassion. THIS WAS ONLY THROUGH THE HELP OF HOLY SPIRIT & FORGIVENESS!
At one point, I was catherizing my mom & she says “you’re a better woman than I am, I’d never do this for you!) OUCH! Both accepted Christ, as I was able to pray with my mom a few months before her passing. God is good, but life is surely painful. Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, sustains us, comforts us, & gives us Peace through it all. Our past has PASSED, PRAISE GOD!
ETERNITY with my parents will be a different story!
Aren’t we thankful for God’s grace, mercy, & forgiveness!
Love your words, Sharon……you are an inspiration to so many .
I am worth far more than my wheelchair and my minimal Social Security disability check.
I am worth more than what I can or can’t do while suffering through depression.
This reminded me of my childhood. It still hurts to this day when I think about it. My parents were so caught up in their lives that they didn’t have time for me or what concerned me. They lost almost everything they had at an absolute auction. All that the hustle and bustle came to nothing. There were years that were lost in time.
I am worth more than any of my losses and neglect. My Heavenly Father has blessed me more than I could have ever imagined! His love has sustained me, encouraged me, and made me the person I am today! Thank you Jesus!
Sharon this sounds like you are writing my story….even down to the lavendar bell bottom jeans! I am 60 years old now and still just feel “tolerated”. My parents were never there for me when I needed them most, or even the little things that meant so much to me….even to this day. I always felt invisible and still do sometimes. But thank God he gave me the desires of my heart and sent my my soul-mate when I was just 16 and we have been married 41 years with 3 daughters and 7 grandchildren. I decided to break those chains and be there for all my family. I try my best to be there for all of them with everything but as my family grows bigger and me still working fulltime it gets harder and harder. My dad has passed and I’m also currently my mom’s only caregiver while she’s in the nursing home. I’m trying to do what’s right in taking care of her but asking God to help me every day because it’s very hard. I actually had a tough morning with her today so when I read your email it made me feel like this message was just for me….so thank you. This was God’s little way of letting me know he really does see me.
I am worthy because I am a child of a King
Sharon thank you always for sharing your stories and faith. You are a light. I am worth more than the pain of someone I loved leaving me for someone else
I am worth more than what my parents thought of me as I was growing up and into young adulthood. I have gone through similar situations as you have described.
I can so relate to this story from your childhood. My parents had 5 children, over the years I came to realize they really only had enough love in their hearts for two of them…….and I was not one of the two! I was actually born in the same year as my brother, 11 months apart in age. My mother used to brag to her friends about how she used to leave me in a carrier sitting up with my bottle propped so that I could feed. Believe me, I am the product of her neglect and cruelness. But, I have overcome their lack of parenting and have been the best parent to two amazing young adults. I have an amazing career, live in a beautiful home, and respect myself for overcoming their upbringing. I was determined to “do better” than what was done for me. It’s funny, the two golden children my parents adored are drug addicted and abusive both physically/emotionally. And, the cycle of bad parenting has remained in them.
I know I am worth more than being made to feel so unloved and unworthy. I know I have overcome so much, but even after all these years the rejection and abuse still hurt.
I am worth more than what others think about me.
Thank you Sharon!