Know your worth then add tax.
It’s not about dollar amounts; but rather recognizing the value you bring, and the blessing you carry, and not just giving it away because you are a nice person or a good person. You add an advantage that you can’t put a dollar amount to. Whoever crosses your path and requires something of you, must earn it. They must recognize that they cannot treat you any how, nor despise you as though you can be procured anywhere in abundance.
The woman of God spoke something interesting that made me think about the value that we often bring into some people’s lives; how that value is taken for granted and despised, only for the same people to come back, months or years later, wishing to extract from us and dash away again. And we suffer them, because we want to be good people, and Godly people, but it’s amazing how someone can turn your heart into wickedness, because you no longer care for who they are and what they want. You withhold from them because you recognize that they are only there to eat, and never to help set the table, buy, cook, clean or suffer with you.
But it also made me think that we don’t see how valuable we are, and pride kicks in, that sense of “I wanna to be a good person”; “I don’t want to be mean;” “I don’t want to be rude or cold or unChrist-like”. Everything is I, I, I. While simultaneously, we are not valuing, and demanding that a person recognize our value and act accordingly. We’d rather throw precious pearls to pigs, for the sake of maintaining pride and our sense of goodness.
But you mustn’t suffer people for too long. Some people need to recognize that they have to work a little harder, and do better to have you on their team. Some people have to recognize that in order to continue to enjoy the blessing, they have to stick around. They can’t come and go when the going is good, and then want to return and get help again when things turn left. It’s either you come, and stay; or leave and stay gone.
Be alert. Be watchful. Recognize what you deserve.
Don’t despise your worth by throwing it away to people who cannot and will not level up for you and with you.
The journey of life is challenging as it is, and often hits in ways that are unpredictable. Knowing your worth and value is not about arrogance or vainglory. Letting folks use you and treat you anyhow isn’t humility.
God put his Spirit in you. As His child, you can’t be and act and do things as you please. So how then can we be ok with folks doing and saying and acting as they please towards us?
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SoulTea
pic via @thegrnwood
