“We’re not worthy!” was the cry of the lead characters in in the 90’s film “Wayne’s World” whenever they met one of their rock heroes. At times we don’t feel worthy of things and on other occasions we feel we rightly deserve them. Last month at the Winter Olympics in Sochi medal winners were sometimes referred to as being “worthy winners”, usually if they had trained hard or overcome setbacks. Cheats on the other hand were universally decried as “not being worthy to take part in the games”. So our worth in the world and life does seem important to how people perceive us.

Followers of Christ are often considered to be “worthy”, “good” or “upstanding” people. Well according to the Bible that is how they should be:

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. (Colossians 3:8)

But that’s easier said than done! None of us were born naturally able to live this way. We will always want to do what is in our own self-interest. Becoming a “good” person isn’t an easy process, but it is “worth” it.

Some people are put off even considering following Christ’s example as they think (to quote Wayne’s World again) “I’m not worthy!” But you are not alone. If you look at whom God chose to be his servants and disciples in the Bible, they appear to be a right motley crew:

Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossiper, Martha was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sarah was impatient, Elijah was depressed, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old and Lazarus was dead….God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called!

None of us are perfect or worthy. Paul writes to the believers in Romans:

“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

And later on in the chapter he says:

“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

But then continues

But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus         (Romans 3:10-11, 23-24)

So even though none of us are “worthy” we can see that God has put in place through Jesus the opportunity for us to be forgiven our shortcoming and start afresh. Our past is not important to God, but our future is. To find out more about God’s plan for this world and how you can be part of it, visit our “What we Believe” page, or listen/watch some of our talks on our “Sunday Talks” page.