Cinderella, Don't Cry

I hear you. You helped your mom with house chores ALL day long. You helped your little siblings every time they needed it. You cleared the table by yourself. You loaded the dishwasher, washed the dishes, cleaned the kitchen. You do all the things... but never hear a thank you.

I get you. This can be really hard. I love helping out literally wherever and whenever I can. And it is fine for awhile... but don't we all love to be thanked?

This is embarrassing to admit... but I have cried a few times because I did my best, helped the most, and did over and above what I was asked, but didn't get a thank you.

Everyone wants to feel needed AND wanted.

Sometimes I wanted to hear the words "thank you" so badly that I would volunteer myself every single time someone needed help. I would do extra chores. I would do things without being asked. Looking back, it was almost as if I coveted those words, which is wrong, but I am being completely honest here: I was relying on those words to validate my worth.

I learned through this that it is completely dangerous to allow anyone or anything other than the Lord Jesus to decide your worth.

Please let me encourage you to turn away from whatever you are allowing to define or validate your worth, and instead look to Jesus Christ. He chose you (John 15:16). He loves you even though you are a sinner (Romans 5:8a). He created you (Jeremiah 1:5). He died for you (Romans 8:5b).

Here are 3 questions you can ask yourself to determine whether or not you are possibly measuring your worth in anything other than Jesus and His holy Word.

1. Do I always look to others for praise after completing a task or chore?

2. Do I allow the lack of confirmation from others to make me feel small or unwanted?

3. Do I only seem to flourish after receiving compliments or affirmation?

These questions are just to start your thought process. If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, I encourage you to dig into the Bible and ask God to help you re-focus on Who and what actually gets to define you. Write out a list of verses that you can turn to in moments of weakness that remind you that your worth is defined by Christ.

Two more thoughts that I want to share with you.

Firstly, be the girl that says thank you. Thank your siblings when they do something nice and unexpected. Thank your mom for the delicious meal that she made or the lunch that she packed for you. Thank your pastor for a touching and thoughtful sermon. Thank Jesus for the new day that He has given you to live. There are so many things to be thankful for. Don't forget to be thankful.

Secondly, there are more ways to say thank you than just saying the words. This is applicable in both the way you thank others and the way that they thank you! Keep your eyes open to the ways that others express gratitude. You might be surprised by what you find by looking a little farther than just two little words.

I am just a girl, like you. I struggle with these things DAILY. I am not here to point a finger at you, but rather point you to the One to whom we must be eternally grateful. If nothing else, I want you to remember these two takeaways:

- Gratitude is more than just two little words.

- You are not worth the amount of thank yous you get - you are worth FAR more.

I hope you have been encouraged by this message today. Comment down below if you have any ideas for more articles like these, or if you too have struggled with letting something else define your worth. Thank you for reading and supporting me in this project 💗