Your Infinite Worth

I've had about 5 million different blog posts hovering around in my drafts and my brain, but none of them have made it on paper.
(actually they have made it on paper but not the internet so whatevs.)

Okay ladies, (and maybe gents, I don't know) let's be real. How many times have you gotten online, seen the profiles of all the attractive people that you're not, the Pinterest boards of things you will never have, the Instagrams of the houses that yours will never look like and just thought "wow! I am sooo inadequate!"

Yeah, me too.

Here's the thing. There will always be someone who is better looking, who has more, who is more talented, or just seems to be everything that we wish we could be. That being said, there is always, always something that you have to offer to the world that nobody else can because you are divinely created. You are one of a kind and someone else's talents or successes will never take away from the good that you do and the divine nature that we all possess.

We are children of a loving Heavenly Father who created us all uniquely and individually. You were not mass produced. You cannot be bought in bulk. You are a priceless son or daughter of God. He has been in every detail of your life from the beginning and will be for all eternity. Whether you know it or not, you are loved beyond all comprehension and are part of a divine plan to bring about your eternal happiness and salvation. You were created with talents and strengths specific to you. Those qualities will not only benefit you, but will bless the lives of those around you. That being said, you were also created with weaknesses and faults, and despite what you may think about the picture perfect profiles you see, we all have weaknesses and faults.

Weaknesses are necessary in order for us to learn and become better. In the Book of Mormon, Christ teaches that "if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. (Ether 12:27) Imperfections are part of our mortal condition. It is good to humble ourselves and recognize areas for improvement, but constantly focusing on our flaws is a good formula for making yourself miserable. God does not want us to be miserable! He wants us to experience the never ending joy that comes from following the example of his son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus never taught "thou shalt have more 'likes' than thy neighbor" but that "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." On the flip side, we need to also love ourselves the way we love our neighbors. Al Carraway (Fox) recently said "Treat yourself the way you treat others. You don't point out their flaws and tell them everything they are horrible at. You don't tell them what you think is ugly or what you wish they could change." On the same topic, Maddy Richards said "We lift, appreciate, and accept others and help them. We need to start doing that for ourselves as well."

When answering the question of "what manner of men ought [we] to be?" He did not respond by saying "the most popular blogger." He simply stated "even as I am." The only person we should strive to be more like is Christ. He urges us not to compete with others, but to be better than we were the day before. That's what repentance is all about; making changes in our life to be more in line with God's will and to offer ourselves "a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world." (Bible Dictionary) It is forsaking our sins and recommitting ourselves to follow Christ.

Whether you browse the internet regularly or occasionally, if you post often or not at all, the temptation to compare ourselves to others is there. Do not let yourself forget your divine nature and your individual worth! You are loved. You are important. You are needed. You are enough. The number of followers you have does not matter to your Father in Heaven. What matters is that you follow Christ. He is the only way back to the Father. He leads us on the path that can and will bring never ending happiness. "Not as the world giveth give I unto you" was the promise he gave to his apostles in John 14:27. That promise is extended to each of us.

I understand that it's hard to remember our true identity when faced with the temptation to compete or compare. It's something that I, and I'm sure many of you, have to face every day. But I challenge you to ask Heavenly Father for his help. If we "ask [we] shall receive" and he will help us to see ourselves the way he sees us. He will remind us who we really are. We are sons and daughters of the most high God. Our worth, indeed the worth of every soul, is great in the sight of God.