Striving for Worth vs. Resting in Love: My Story

For years, I struggled to understand my worth.

I grew up carrying deep wounds—feeling unseen, questioning my value, and wondering if I would ever measure up. I believed the lie that if I could just be good enough, achieve enough, perform enough, then maybe I’d finally be worthy. Maybe then I’d belong.

But striving only exhausted me. No matter how hard I tried, I always felt like I was almost enough—but never quite at best!

Then, one day, Love, Himself, met me—not as a distant, demanding God, but as an intimate, tender, all-consuming Love. He didn’t tell me to work harder or prove myself. He simply whispered: You are Mine. You were never meant to strive. You were created to be loved.

That encounter and His relentless pursuit of every area that struggled to believe that truth changed everything! Suddenly, all the things I had spent my life chasing—worthiness, belonging, love—were already mine. And the same is true for you.

Who Are You—Really?

Let’s start with who you are NOT. You are not

• who the world says you are
• who your past says you are
• who your circumstances try to define you as
• your failures
• Your successes
• even who you think you are

But who were you created to be?

Here’s the truth: You were made in the image of God, and God is Love (1 John 4:8, 16). That means you were designed by Love, in Love, for Love, to love. Another way of putting it is you were created out of Love, to be loved, to love! This isn’t just a theological idea—it’s the foundation of your identity.

Yet, so many of us spend years searching for identity—trying to measure up, fit in, or earn worth that was already given before we took our first breath.

Seeing Yourself as God Sees You: The Truth About Your Worth

Do You Struggle to See Your Worth?

Have you ever looked in the mirror and struggled to see anything good? Maybe all you see are flaws, mistakes, and failures. Maybe you’ve been told—by life, circumstances, or even religious voices—that you are less than. Maybe you believe you are not worthy, not valuable, or not lovable.

But here’s the reality: You were made in the image of God, and when He looks at you, He sees something utterly breathtaking. You are still a flawless reflection of Love’s design. Your worth isn’t based on what you do, but on who He created you to be.

Psalm 45:10-12 NIV explodes with God’s passion for you!

10 Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:
Forget your people and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord.

Notice that letting Jesus be enthralled with the beauty of His Bride (that’s YOU by the way) honors Him! 

You ravish His heart (Song of Songs 4:9)!

Genesis 1:27 reminds us that God made both male and female in His image. That means His fullness is reflected in all of us—not just in one gender, personality type, race, religion, socio-economic group… Every human carries a unique expression of Who He is. AND we are as Christ right now in this world (1 John 4:17).

How glorious, how breath-taking, how holy without spot and blemish we must be in the essence of who we truly are for those things to be eternally true of us—by God’s handiwork not ours!

A Real-Life Transformation: Seeing Through Love’s Eyes

I once worked with a woman who had spent her life believing she was damaged beyond repair. She had suffered abuse, rejection, and years of self-hatred. When she looked in the mirror, all she saw was hideousness, shame, condemnation, and pain. Religious leaders told her she needed to “fix” herself before God could truly accept her.

Then, one day, she had an encounter with Love. As we prayed, I asked, What does God say about you?

At first, she hesitated. But then, through tears, she heard Him whisper: You are my masterpiece. You are radiant. You are Mine!

In that moment, years of lies crumbled. She began to see herself the way God saw her—whole, treasured, completely worthy of love.

So, let me ask you: How does God see you? Not through the lens of your failures. Not through the distortions of shame. But through the eyes of Love.

How Sin Distorted Our Identity—And How Love Restores It

The Fall Distorted Our View of Ourselves and God

From the very beginning, we were created to walk in perfect Love (to walk in “the cool of the day literally means to walk in the Spirit or Hebrew rûaḥ, Gen. 3:8)—fully known, fully seen, and fully cherished by God. But then something happened.

When Adam and Eve ate from the tree, shame and fear entered the picture (Gen. 3:10). Instead of running toward Love, they ran away from Love and hid. Ever since, humanity has been running—trying to earn what was never meant to be earned. The enemy’s greatest strategy has always been to twist our perception of ourselves.

But here’s the truth: God never stopped seeing us as His masterpiece. 

This is not because Love is blind. It is because Love is the only One Who sees with 20/20 vision!

God’s Promise to Restore You

Isaiah 61:3 reveals His heart: He gives beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and praise for despair. No matter how shattered you feel, Love is pursuing you, reaching out to you. And He’s making all things new (Rev. 21:5)

Living as God’s Reflection: Walking Boldly in Your True Identity

How Do You Embody Love?

Knowing you are made in God’s image isn’t just about believing—it’s about encountering God with who you are and letting Him heal how you see yourself. It is living it out. Every act of love mirrors God’s heart for the world. Every moment of kindness reveals His nature in you. Every time you love yourself more, you agree with Him.

You were never meant to shrink back, to question your worth, or to live under the weight of lies. You are here to shine, to live and love boldly, to reflect the One Who made you.

Becoming Who You Were Created to Be: Embracing Love’s Design

A Call to Action: See Yourself Through God’s Eyes

Take a moment. Close your eyes. Ask God, How do You see me? Then listen. Let His voice/His images/His Presence/His Love  wash over you.

You are beloved. You are chosen. You are the very reflection of His heart.

Ask God to help you walk in this truth more and more. The more you do, the more it will become a new default. Ask me how I know!

Out of the place of receiving God as Love experientially, it will help you to do the one thing He asks: to love as He loves (John 13:34). Then, when you see brokenness, you can release healing. When you see despair, you can uplift with hope and bring joy. 

You can Love as you have been loved because God loves soooo well – it is Who He is!

You were made in Love’s image. It’s time to let Him love you.

An Invitation: Watch the Protect Your Purpose Masterclass

I invite you to take the next step in discovering who you truly are. Watch my Protect Your Purpose Masterclass, where you’ll be reminded of your God-given identity, break free from the lies that have held you back, and step confidently into the life you were created for. You were made for so much more—let’s walk this journey together.

👉 Click here to watch the Protect Your Purpose Masterclass now! 👈

Don’t let doubt, fear, or past wounds hold you back from who Love says you are. 

Step into the truth of who you are and live as the masterpiece you were created to be.

XO, 

Catherine Toon