We're worth more than our efforts

As I watched the real-life drama of Terri Schiavo, the woman whose feeding tube was removed, I began thinking about what it is that determines a person's worth. I heard someone say, "Why didn't her husband just relinquish his guardianship and release her to the care of her parents? Even though she could do nothing for herself, just her mere presence was enough for them." The words "mere presence" got me thinking about how people gauge the value of others.

In the fast pace of life today, many people feel that they must always be contributing to others or to the world in order to prove they're worth something. People feel they should make a difference, somehow, so others will want them around.

Some strive to attain material goods, others seek power. Some want to excel in a particular skill. How one performs at work or in family life can be considered a gauge of one's worth.

For days I mulled over the various standards people use to establish value, to prove they have a reason for living. Then there are those whose self-esteem is so low, they feel they should apologize for breathing. Those who value themselves so little often end their own lives.

A position of importance, power and riches should be irrelevant to us, regardless of what God's plans for us are. People put incredible stress on themselves attempting to justify their presence. They can't relax and merely be themselves, secure in the knowledge that God had a reason for creating them.

Consider the Scripture story about Martha and Mary. I don't know if Martha worked and fretted to prove her worth, or because the work of serving her guests needed to be done. However, Jesus admonished her, saying, "Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things, but Mary has chosen the best part" (Luke 11:38-42).

Jesus was advising us to sometimes simply "be." Few things are actually needed in life, because what's more important is striving for the kingdom of God. It is a prize given freely by God rather than one earned by human effort. Although God expects people to use the gifts they have been given to build a body of the church, his desire is directed toward stewardship, not weighing those gifts as a measure of someone's worth.

Terri Schiavo's life had value to her parents. The significance of human life was clearly revealed in their expressions of love for her. Terri needed to contribute nothing to gain their love. Just having her in their presence was enough for them. Seeing her smile and respond, even vaguely, gave them indescribable joy.

We need to recognize, in the innermost part of our being, that we need to give nothing more than we're able to give, because we are valuable in God's eyes. I can't remember any Scripture where God implies we are worth only what we can contribute. Power is not a sought-after virtue. It's humility that God holds in highest regard. "Whoever wants to lead will become the servant of all" (Matthew 20:26-28). The world may decide that one's value is determined by physical beauty, wealth, performance or brains, but if people realize one need only do the best he can, peace will follow. We can depend on God, knowing his presence is enough to justify our being born. "Being" is more important than doing, because our worth is based not on our efforts, but on God's existence.

Ellen Shuck is director of religious education at St. Mary's Cathedral Parish in Cape Girardeau.