**The Relationship Between Failure and Self-Worth**
Low self-worth and a sense of failure and shame do not simply arise because we feel bad about ourselves. We have also trusted in other people, and we think that they feel bad about us. Perhaps we have looked to others for our sense of self-worth, thinking that their opinions and acceptance are the keys to our identity. This can lead to a fragile sense of self, one that is easily shaken by criticism or rejection. However, the Bible teaches us that our self-worth is not ultimately defined by our performance or by the opinions of others, but by our relationship with God.
**God's View of Us**
As we see in the story of Noah's Ark, God's view of us is not based on our success or failure, but on His love and acceptance. In Genesis 6-7, we read that God saw that the wickedness of the world had reached a point where He had to judge it. Yet, in the midst of this judgment, God chose to save Noah and his family, not because they were perfect, but because they were obedient to Him. This story reminds us that our worth is not based on our performance, but on God's love and acceptance of us. As the Bible says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Our self-worth is not defined by our success or failure, but by God's love and acceptance of us.
**Finding Self-Worth in God's Love**
So, how can we find self-worth in God's love, even when we feel like failures? The key is to look to God, not to ourselves or others, for our sense of identity and self-worth. When we fail, we can choose to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow, rather than as a reflection of our worth. As the Bible says, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). Our self-worth is not defined by our circumstances, but by God's love and acceptance of us. By looking to God, we can find the strength and courage to keep going, even when we feel like failures. We can say with confidence, "I am a child of God, loved and accepted by Him, no matter what." This is the key to finding self-worth in God's love, even when we feel like failures.