Thoughts on Being Dirt
Have you ever felt like you were not important to anyone? Ever thought that no matter what you did, nothing would be good enough? Ever knew, just knew, in your heart that everyone else was better than you . . . and they all knew it? Ever felt like dirt?
Most of us have had times in our lives when our self-esteem plummeted, when our sense of self-worth abandoned us and left us feeling useless. During those times, we feel like we don't deserve the love of our family, that while we were blessed to get them, our relationship was simply a cross they must bear. Or perhaps we feel like we can never ever live up to the expectations of those we love most. We will never be smart enough, rich enough, thin enough--or even enough enough! We feel like dirt--like something that simply gets tracked in and swept out, something to walk on, so common it often goes unnoticed.
On one of the blogs I read, a discussion about marriage is taking place. I commented several days ago about the impact a flawed sense of self-worth has on a marriage. That got me thinking about the ways it impacts every aspect of our lives. While there are some who have an elevated opinion of self, there are many, especially women, who see themselves as useless--as dirt. I know that feeling as I am sure most of you readers do also. It is unpleasant, suffocating and debilitating. I was praying this morning, asking God to help us see ourselves the way He sees us, asking Him to restore in us a sense of value and purpose. As I prayed, it occurred to me that while we may sometimes feel like dirt, God---our God knows how to use dirt. Remember in Genesis 2:7? it says "the Lord made man from the dust of the earth". God was able to take some common ordinary dirt and breathe it into a human being!!!!! Not just any human being, but the one from whom not only civilization but also salvation would come! Wow!
This thought has been wandering around in my mental library for several days now. Sometimes we look at our past, we look at our present and we feel depressed, sad and ashamed. Our vision is tinted with our own humanity. Our future is just out of sight, obscured by reality, lacking in hope. Our life seems hopeless when we forget that God has also breathed life into us! It is the breath of God that makes dirt useful! It is the breath of God that makes the common holy! It is the breath of God that gives us life!
I think I am okay being dirt--so long as that dirt has been changed by God, breathed on by Him, made into a useful and eternal being. May we ever be thankful that we worship a God who does great things with dirt!
Peace
Neva
Most of us have had times in our lives when our self-esteem plummeted, when our sense of self-worth abandoned us and left us feeling useless. During those times, we feel like we don't deserve the love of our family, that while we were blessed to get them, our relationship was simply a cross they must bear. Or perhaps we feel like we can never ever live up to the expectations of those we love most. We will never be smart enough, rich enough, thin enough--or even enough enough! We feel like dirt--like something that simply gets tracked in and swept out, something to walk on, so common it often goes unnoticed.
On one of the blogs I read, a discussion about marriage is taking place. I commented several days ago about the impact a flawed sense of self-worth has on a marriage. That got me thinking about the ways it impacts every aspect of our lives. While there are some who have an elevated opinion of self, there are many, especially women, who see themselves as useless--as dirt. I know that feeling as I am sure most of you readers do also. It is unpleasant, suffocating and debilitating. I was praying this morning, asking God to help us see ourselves the way He sees us, asking Him to restore in us a sense of value and purpose. As I prayed, it occurred to me that while we may sometimes feel like dirt, God---our God knows how to use dirt. Remember in Genesis 2:7? it says "the Lord made man from the dust of the earth". God was able to take some common ordinary dirt and breathe it into a human being!!!!! Not just any human being, but the one from whom not only civilization but also salvation would come! Wow!
This thought has been wandering around in my mental library for several days now. Sometimes we look at our past, we look at our present and we feel depressed, sad and ashamed. Our vision is tinted with our own humanity. Our future is just out of sight, obscured by reality, lacking in hope. Our life seems hopeless when we forget that God has also breathed life into us! It is the breath of God that makes dirt useful! It is the breath of God that makes the common holy! It is the breath of God that gives us life!
I think I am okay being dirt--so long as that dirt has been changed by God, breathed on by Him, made into a useful and eternal being. May we ever be thankful that we worship a God who does great things with dirt!
Peace
Neva
posted by Neva | 5:34 AM
21 Comments:
I am okay with being dirt, too. Just as long as I am God's dirt!
Pat
Me too!
I can so identify with the first part of this post and someday I will be ok with being what God has made me, or with what he is making me anyway, just going to take some time.... :)
This comment has been removed by the author.
I know that feeling too. It is really hard to have a healthy spiritual self-image when all around us the world is telling us we are not good enough. We sometimes get so caught up in living up to the world's image of what we should be that we forget we were created in God's image and He is continually working on us to make us what He would have us to be.
Great post, Neva
Rachel
We can do nothing without the life that God has given us--we come from dirt and to dirt we will return, however, God sees that dirt as something worth giving his son to die for.
Jeneane
I don't llike this post--it reminds me of that "such a worm as I" song! I believe that kind of thinking contributes to low self esteem and self abasement. I dont like it.
Dear anon
Obviously you did not get the point of the post, did you skip over the last paragraph?
It is about feeling like dirt and realizing that no matter what we are or who we are, God makes us, shapes us and builds us into something great! Perhaps you should read it again.
Interested Bystander
Neva,
I totally understood what you meant by this post. I think we all go through dark times in our lives when we just need to be reminded that God still loves us and will continue working through us.
Great post as always,
Georgia
It is always encouraging to remember that God thought I was important enough to sacrifice his only son for. It is because of that sacrifice that I have any value at all.
Corinne
A beautiful thought!
Mary
Ahh, the beauty of dirt!
Clever, Neva
Glynnis
I agree it made me think of the "Such a Worm am I" song too. The problem is we want to see ourselves as something else. The song "Without Him I Would be Nothing" is the point as well. We are dirt. Pop psychology wants to tell us we are something else. We want to think we are better than that. Sin is sin and we are all sinners.
The only hope is your point Neva. We are dirt used by God for His glorious purposes. But we are still dirt. Those who try to make us something else are in the same category as the feel good preachers on television.
I write this in love and honesty.
I so agree with anonymous, the value that God sees in us and that His sacrifice speaks about us is the only hope we have and without it and Him, we can never be more than dirt.
Lyndsay
Dirt huh? OK.
The thing about low self esteem is if you worry about having it... you probably have nothing to worry about.
Great ending and I agree! I dont mind being anything as long as its being breathed on and revived by God!
Yah but sometimes I get tired of being dirt--sometimes I want to fell valued and worth something, sometimes I do want to be noticed, Is this my pride or just human nature? I think as a church it is important that we never ever ever look over someone, wipe our feet on them or treat them like dirt.
Carlos
Carlos is right, it is our job as church to see that everyone feels valued and a precious soul.
Jean
Yes, indeed I have felt this way before. I am sure glad that I keep growing each time I am treated like dirt.
I have felt the same way.
Ithink we have all been there if we were honest.
Jean
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