See Yourself as Jehovah Does

1. Why do we need to have an accurate view of the way that Jehovah sees us?

MANY of God’s people struggle to accept that they are precious to Jehovah. They are certain that Jehovah cherishes his loyal servants as a group, but they are not sure whether he feels that way about them personally. (Ps. 149:4) The emotional pain they feel seems endless. It is important that we have an accurate view of the way that Jehovah sees us. Why? When we are confident that Jehovah loves us, we will feel drawn to him and will want to be his friend. And when we sense how much Jehovah values us personally, we can serve him with joy.​—Ps. 32:11.

2. Why might some faithful Bible characters have struggled to have a proper view of themselves?

² If you struggle to see your own worth, you are not alone. Some faithful ones in Bible times also found it difficult. For example, Mephibosheth felt so insignificant that he called himself “a dead dog.” Did he feel that way because he was crippled? Was he ashamed that his grandfather Saul had rebelled against Jehovah? In any case, Mephibosheth did not have an accurate view of himself. But King David considered him worthy of loyal love and assigned him a place at the royal table. (2 Sam. 9:3-10) Also, consider the apostle Peter, who told Jesus: “Depart from me, Lord, because I am a sinful man.” Peter was so troubled by his flaws that he felt unworthy even to be in Jesus’ presence, let alone to be his disciple. But Jesus knew that Peter would work tirelessly to spread the good news despite his shortcomings. (Luke 5:8-11) In this article, we will consider the following questions: Why do some faithful Christians today struggle to believe that they are valuable to Jehovah? How does Jehovah see us? And what can help us to see ourselves as Jehovah does?

WHY SOME STRUGGLE TO SEE THEIR VALUE

3. How might the world affect how we view ourselves? (See also picture.)

³ What might lead us to feel that we are worthless or unlovable? Consider three influences. First, people in the world often act in ways that cause others to feel bad about themselves. For instance, your workmates might be unthankful, disloyal, or fierce. They might regularly belittle or even slander you. The world can also promote the thinking that you need constant praise to feel valued. The world’s commercial system wants you to believe that you are a failure if you cannot afford the lifestyles it promotes. And many on social media are “lovers of themselves, . . . boastful, . . . puffed up with pride.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5) Their posts give the impression that they have a better life than you do​—a life filled with more friends, more fun, and more happiness.

4. How might our circumstances affect how we view ourselves? (See also picture.)

⁴ Second, we might link our circumstances to our value in Jehovah’s eyes. You might have grown up without a loving family. Or maybe you have been told that you would never amount to anything. Perhaps you would like to do more for Jehovah but are held back by physical or emotional health problems. You may have served Jehovah faithfully for decades, but now you can no longer do what you once did. (Ps. 71:9) Such challenges could cause you to feel that you are of no value to Jehovah.

5. How might our imperfection affect how we view ourselves? (See also picture.)

⁵ Finally, we might view ourselves as having little value because of our imperfection. The Bible tells us to live by Jehovah’s righteous standards. (1 Pet. 1:15, 16) At present, we cannot live up to Jehovah’s perfect standards; yet, our treacherous heart could lead us to feel worthless or unlovable when we fall short. We might become “overwhelmed by excessive sadness” for sins that Jehovah has forgiven. (2 Cor. 2:7) Because of his sins, the apostle Paul described himself as a miserable man even though he knew that Jehovah loved him.​—Rom. 7:21-24.

6. How might a self-condemning heart affect us?

⁶ Because we are imperfect, we might struggle with guilt or other negative feelings even when we have done nothing wrong. For instance, a sister serving at Bethel said: “When I hear, ‘Do your best for Jehovah,’ I always feel that I’m not doing enough. Only if I dig deeper, push harder, or find a new limit will it qualify as my best. As a result, I’m never content with what I give to my heavenly Father.” We too might have a self-condemning heart that causes us to feel guilty without actually being guilty. As a result, our battle against such feelings persists.​—1 John 3:19, 20.

HOW DOES JEHOVAH SEE YOU?

7. What value does Jehovah see in us?

⁷ Jehovah’s view is far superior to ours. (Isa. 55:9) So, what value does he see in you? As humans, we are the pinnacle of his earthly creation. Made “a little lower than angels,” we are created in God’s image, endowed with qualities that enable us to imitate him. (Heb. 2:6, 7; Gen. 1:27) But has your imperfection damaged you so much so that you are worthless to Jehovah? Not at all! Long ago, he arranged for the ransom to open the way for you to have a relationship with him. (Rom. 5:8) And before you knew Jehovah, he saw your potential and gently drew you to himself.​—Jer. 31:3.

8. What does Jehovah see in us as his dedicated servants? (Isaiah 43:1, 4, 10, 13)

⁸ Now that you dedicated yourself to Jehovah and got baptized, what does he see? He sees your loyalty and integrity, which make you special to him. (Read Isaiah 43:1, 4, 10, 13.) He says: “You belong to me.” This means that he has chosen you to be part of his family, and no one can snatch you out of his hand. (John 10:28, 29) He also trusts you to be a Witness for his name. Because you answered his call, he says: “You became precious in my eyes, you were honored, and I have loved you.” You are his beloved son or daughter. What a treasure you are to Jehovah! He rejoices when you defend his name and help to disprove the lies told about him.​—Prov. 27:11.

9. How does Jehovah view our sins?

⁹ If you struggle with feelings of pain or guilt over your sins, remember that Jehovah is well-aware of your sins but chooses not to focus on them. (Ps. 103:12-14) Instead, he takes note of your repentance and freely forgives you. (1 John 1:7, 9) For example, Jehovah viewed repentant Christians in Corinth, who had abandoned gross sins, as being clean in his eyes. (1 Cor. 6:9-11) Those faithful Christians could worship God with the assurance that he viewed them as precious. And you can too.

10. How do we know that our privileges do not affect our value in Jehovah’s eyes?

¹⁰ What if you lose a special assignment or privilege or fail to receive one? Does that diminish your value as a person? Not at all! What matters most is Jehovah’s view, not ours or that of others. The Bible mentions many whom Jehovah highly valued, not because of having some special assignment, but because of their faith. (1 Ki. 19:18) If you ever doubt your value to Jehovah, ask yourself, ‘Am I trying to follow the example of Jesus?’ If your answer is yes, you are part of Christ’s “own special possession.” (Titus 2:11-14) This is true regardless of your current assignments or privileges.

HOW TO SEE YOURSELF AS JEHOVAH DOES

11. How can we begin to overcome the idea that Jehovah does not value us? (2 Corinthians 10:4, 5)

¹¹ Recognize and reject the lie. Jehovah, “the God of truth,” has given you abundant evidence that he values you as his loyal servant. (Ps. 31:5) So the idea that Jehovah does not cherish you must be based on a lie. Such a view can be “strongly entrenched” and will require powerful tools from God to overturn it. (Read 2 Corinthians 10:4, 5.) Consider this. When you learned the truth, strong evidence from the Bible convinced you that God has a name, that the dead are unconscious, and that mankind can live forever in Paradise on earth. To accept such teachings, you had to admit that any of your previous beliefs that contradicted what you were learning were based on lies. Likewise, the Scriptures we have considered thus far teach a heartwarming truth, namely, that each one of Jehovah’s worshippers is precious to him. To accept that truth, remember that any belief that contradicts it, such as the belief that you are worthless in God’s eyes, is based on a lie. By recognizing and rejecting the lie, you can begin to see yourself as Jehovah does.

12. How can we use the Bible as a mirror? (James 1:22-25)

¹² Use God’s Word as a mirror. We primarily read the Bible to learn about Jehovah, and this includes learning to see ourselves as he does. (Read James 1:22-25.) So before you read God’s Word, ask Jehovah to help you to have the correct view. As you read about the imperfect men and women whom Jehovah loved and valued, ask yourself: ‘What specific qualities made each one of them precious to Jehovah?’ You might note that Jehovah valued their love for him and their endurance. Then ask yourself: ‘Do I love Jehovah? And am I trying my best to endure faithfully?’ By reflecting on how you show the same qualities as faithful ones in Bible times did, you can begin to see yourself as Jehovah does. Never forget that Jehovah treasures your love for him and your faithful endurance.​—Mal. 3:16; Jas. 1:12.

13. How can we use what we learn about Jehovah’s thoughts?

¹³ Build a personal collection of Jehovah’s thoughts. Look for comforting scriptures and experiences that prove how much Jehovah values his loyal ones. You can do this as you read the Bible and do personal study or research. When associating with fellow Christians, discreetly ask them how they came to appreciate that Jehovah values them. Write down what you learn. Then review your notes when negative thoughts resurface. For example, suppose that you feel that you do not deserve God’s loyal love. You could research the topics of Jehovah’s love and undeserved kindness. None of us deserve his love; yet, he gives it generously.​—John 1:16; 1 John 4:10.a

14. How can we limit the effect of negative influences on our thinking? (See also picture.)

¹⁴ Limit negative influences. What if you notice that certain people make you feel worthless? If possible, limit your interactions with them. When you cannot avoid such contact, remember that their harsh speech and actions do not reflect Jehovah’s feelings. Similarly, what if you are affected by the pressure to keep up with the world’s lifestyles? Remind yourself that Satan’s commercial system pushes people to buy things that they do not need and that they may not be able to afford. Divine wisdom can help you to resist that pressure. (Luke 12:15) And if social media makes you feel unhappy about yourself, consider reducing or even stopping your use of it.​—1 Tim. 6:8.

15. How can we deal with circumstances that limit what we can do for Jehovah? (See also picture.)

¹⁵ Focus on what you can do for Jehovah. Your circumstances may limit what you can do in God’s service. For instance, you may have physical limitations. Family obligations might prevent you from expanding your service as you would like. Or perhaps you served at Bethel but were transferred to the field, allowing you to use your training in your new assignment. Rather than dwell on what you cannot do for Jehovah, put your heart into whatever opportunities are open to you now. Just as each part of our body has an important function, you have a valuable place in Jehovah’s organization regardless of where you serve him or what your assignment is.​—Rom. 12:4, 5.

16. What can we do if a negative view of our value to God returns? (Romans 12:2) (See also picture.)

¹⁶ Continue to transform your thinking. Just as we do not yet fully understand God’s purposes, we cannot yet see ourselves exactly as Jehovah does. (1 Cor. 13:12) So do not give up if a negative view of your value to God returns. We all must continue to adjust and even transform our thinking to match Jehovah’s. (Read Romans 12:2.) Your work of “making your mind over” will end only when you reach perfection. In the meantime, keep transforming your thinking to be in harmony with God’s.

17. How do you know that you are valuable to Jehovah?

¹⁷ Continue to fight against the idea that you are worthless to Jehovah. (1 Tim. 6:12) Remember that his viewpoint is the most important and is always accurate. Throughout the Bible, he provides convincing evidence that you are precious to him and that he wants you as his friend forever. Take Jehovah at his word. (Rom. 3:4) Using the Bible, find comfort in knowing that he highly values you.