Worth Being Saved

A Reflection on the Second Reading for July 11th, 2021:
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Ephesians
1.3-10 (shorter)
(For the longer version, see the print edition of Living with Christ.)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.

He destined us for adoption to sonship as his own through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.

With all wisdom and insight God has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth.
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Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

Living in a time and place in history where resumes, social media, and personal branding are the norm, receiving the gift of salvation can feel baffling.

I’ve spent so much time, energy, and effort striving to stand out from the crowd. Justifying myself with qualifications, tangibles, and experience. Dumping hours of my life into projects to prove my passion and commitment. Curating an image by the way I look and behave that is acceptable to other’s standards and expectations. Snatching up any opportunity that glimmered with the hope of leading towards greater success, and achievement, irrespective of my own preferences.

In this Sunday’s second reading, however, I’m reminded once more that this way of life is completely contrary to how God operates. As the author points out, we were “chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world,” “according to the good pleasure of His will.” This passage strongly reminds me of Jeremiah 1:5 (“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart”) and it’s a revealed truth that I’ve wrestled with because we live in a world that continually asks each and every one of us: “Why should I pick you?”

Receiving this gift has forced me to radically transform the way I think about my worth and value. It is intrinsic, and God-given. There is nothing that comes from me that defines me and it can in no way be altered or removed. In other words: I am not the best nor the worst thing I have ever done. Neither am I the best nor the worst thing that has ever happened to me.

There will always be people who will want to judge me. But I, like every other creature made in the image and likeness of God, was not made to be judged. The totality of any human being cannot be graded, measured, or evaluated, nor should any attempt be made to do so, unless by God Himself. When people do, I can disregard them because their opinion of me is a reflection of where they are on their journey, and not of who I am as a person.

Wherever and whatever situation I’m in, I should divorce myself from the belief that the opinions of others are somehow a reflection of my worth. Instead, I can choose to search for God’s presence and will, follow Him attentively, and simply learn, grow, and be thankful.

Ultimately, receiving the gift of salvation necessitates that we see ourselves as persons who are worth being saved. For me, that has meant fully embracing my identity as the lost coin: a piece of metal, crafted to be something of value, and upon its discovery, anyone with good sense would immediately recognize its worth.




Laura Dysart

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