There are these moments in Scripture when Jesus speaks and it’s as if his words cut straight to my heart. If I’m being honest, sometimes it’s super annoying. It becomes fairly impossible to claim ignorance with the Lord (as I often try, and fail, to do) when he looks directly into my soul and calls me out.

This happened today as I was praying with our Gospel reading. Here we see the Lord empower and send out some of his most devoted disciples. He offers them authority, he equips them with his truth, and they come back elated at the works they have been able to perform in Christ’s name.

And guys, I’ve been there. As a youth minister the Lord has offered me the great privilege of participating in his work of gaining souls for the Kingdom in a tangible and exciting way. I’ve watched as young people have encountered Christ, given their lives to him, and I’ve returned rejoicing because of the miracles that are accomplished in the name of Jesus. And this work of introducing people to Jesus, it’s good. It’s so good, in fact, that sometimes I find myself tempted to place my worth in it- to believe that my value is rooted in what I’m able to do for Jesus instead of in who I am in him.

And so today, as our Lord addressed his disciples, I felt as though he was also addressing me: “Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Do not rejoice, in other words, in what you were able to do, but because of who you are, because of who I have made you, and because of the inheritance you have been given through that identity.

You see my worth, your worth, our worth, it is not dependent on what we are able to do (even if what we’re doing is in the name of Jesus). Our worth is dependent on who we are, on who the Lord has made us to be: his sons and his daughters, heirs to his Kingdom, forever.

As my main man, Pope Saint John Paul II once said, “we are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures, we are the sum of the father’s love for us” and that love for us, is never-ending.

How has God equipped me to go perform works in his name?

Where do I find my worth? Is it in God or in things I have or can accomplish?

In what ways do I experience the inheritance Christ offers me here on earth?

"I am your child."

"You make me worthy."

​"Help me trust in You."

The next time you are able to accomplish something good, big or small, take time to thank the Lord for equipping you to accomplish that work. Be sure to turn the focus off of yourself and what makes you worthy of doing good works and turn it back to God- all for the greater glory of God!