Our worth is not quantified by our mistakes or our regrets, our successes or our triumphs. Our worth is not defined by our hidden shame, our proclaimed victories, or anything in between.

Our worth is not defined by our playing time, our accolades, a winning season, or the praise of our coaches. Our worth is, quite simply, defined by the Cross.

Our worth is unmoving and unchanging and infinite because the God of the universe sent down His Son to take our sin upon Himself. It is immeasurable and fixed because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

And with the certainty of who God is, the same application should be given to the certainty of our worth.

Truthfully, in our own power, we are not worthy. We are human — fallen people who make mistakes and continually fall short.

But that is exactly what makes the proclamation of our worth so beautiful. God extends grace, unmerited favor, and when we accept that gift of grace He showers us with mercy.

It is easy to fall into a pattern of striving to “do good” by our own volition. However, doing so will only leave us vacant and empty — ultimately unsatisfied yet prideful in the attempt.

In sports specifically, the bar for success is continually rising, and even if you reach the pinnacle of what your sport defines as “success,” there will always be something else to strive for in order to prove your worth.

It is a nightmare of a merry-go-round as the pride won’t allow us to accept that we were unsuccessful, so we try even harder to rectify, to fix, to improve. Friends, lay it down. Lay down the compulsion to prove your worth.

God is giving you permission to lay it down.

Resist giving authority and power to others’ opinions. They are as uncertain as falling leaves in the wind, their opinions changing direction with the breeze. Stand guard against even your own feelings as they are too easily influenced by unreliable sources.

Against the ever-changing swirl of chaos in this world there is one thing you can know for certain: your worth. Let it be heralded by the beacon of light that is Christ.

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).