Radical Contentment - Know Your Worth

“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.” Matthew 5:5 (MSG)

One of the most enjoyable (yet exhausting) things our kids have fallen in love with since moving to Virginia is summer swim. In our area, neighborhoods form swim teams and spend the entire summer practicing and competing against one another. Every morning, Monday through Friday, we wake up early and arrive on the pool deck by 8:00 AM, ready for practice.

For the kids, it’s the perfect opportunity to see their friends every day during the summer break. For the parents, it means coming together, mingling with one another over lukewarm cups of coffee, while still shaking off any remaining morning grogginess.

As a new mom in town, immersing myself in this social scene every morning stressed me out. I was filled with worries about what the other moms might be thinking of me. What if I didn’t fit in with them? What if they didn’t like me? What if they were talking about me behind my back? Or worse, what if they had already formed their own clique, leaving no room for me to join in?

I convinced myself that they probably had no desire to befriend me, so I found ways to avoid engaging in conversation with them at all costs. During the first two summers, I would bring my computer to bury my nose in, or read a book intently, or sit off to the side by myself, ensuring that no one felt obligated to befriend me.

But on the third summer, something changed. I remembered my true “coolness factor,” as a friend once put it. Instead of wallowing in how I probably wouldn’t measure up, I radically accepted that I’m pretty awesome, just being myself. And instead of striving to fit in or distancing myself entirely, I simply decided to be authentic and embrace being me. I let go of my insecurities, stopped trying to predict their assumptions about me, and no longer tried to prove my worth to them. I found contentment in being exactly who I was–no more and no less.

And guess what happened?

I formed the best friendships. My angst went out the window as I lingered in and out of any and all conversations that happened organically around the pool deck. I no longer avoided people out of fear that I was simply not good enough. I remembered my worth, and that allowed me the freedom to exist without trying to prove myself to the people around me.

There’s a verse in Matthew 5:5 (MSG) that resonates deeply with me: “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.”

When we truly embrace contentment with our authentic selves, we no longer strive to prove our worth to others. Insecurities no longer hold us captive. Refuse to allow your insecurities to control your day. Instead, walk in the fullness of the life your Creator has called you to live.