Your Infinite, Intrinsic Worth
D&C 18 says that the soul is worth a lot. It points to the Savior’s atonement as proof. In verse 10 we read, "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;
11 For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.
12 And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.
13 And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth! Source
I think that we often struggle to understand our worth because we naturally base it on approval or disapproval from peers, family or our leaders. However, our worth is much bigger than any mortal can discern. We have this great big spirit (like a genie) stuffed in a little, weak, blind body. I say blind, because we see only physical things when the reality is often spiritual. We may see another person’s weaknesses which are real and miss the spiritual giant (we cannot see — which is also real).
God asks us to repent. We struggle against our weaknesses and make very small, almost imperceptible changes. We reach up to Him. We miss his messages of love and encouragement. We keep reaching (and sometimes we give up for a time). But, in God’s eyes, we are worths so much — and we are asked to go through the trials of this life and not shrink to drink them no matter how bitter. BECAUSE…in overcoming, we gain confidence, courage and faith. God cannot give us faith. We have to choose it. This life is where we get to choose faith and hope and charity for others.
Christ showed us the magnificence of his spirit by not bending/bowing/failing when faced with the greatest challenge - performing the atonement. We must also survive our challenges without bending or cracking. We must remain true.
It is in doing hard things and realizing that we succeeded that we become confident.
This thought reminds me of a scripture which basically says the same thing:
D&C 121: 45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.
One hard thing for believers is to feel charity, especially for others of faith. A further challenge is to keep our thoughts positive and clean. Maybe rather than "feel charity" we must only allow charitable feelings and not allow the critical, condemning ones. Obviously, everyone has weaknesses and strengths. Sometimes we notice the weaknesses quicker. However, we must always strive to have hope that change, however slow, is possible in ourselves and others.
Our worth is not dependent upon how successful we are or how well we overcome our challenges. We are infinite, eternal beings having a mortal experience. Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins no matter where we fall in the spectrum of good to bad qualities or behaviors. However, he asks us to repent. He asks us to abide in him. He asks us to choose faith. Our desires, efforts and direction of travel matter. We gain understanding, empathy and confidence in this life. If you go to school and learn nothing, does that change your potential? No. However, your abilities change depending on your personal application of the principles taught.
It is hard sometimes to overcome feelings of inadequacy or low self esteem. This is because we have learned ideas in this mortal life that are false. If you take time to ask God for an awareness of your divine, intrinsic worth, you might find that first he asks you to give up your false ideas. This is because His awareness of you is so different from your own self-perception, you might by inclined to reject His truth even though it is true because it doesn't match with what you already hold as true. Over time, you can learn the truth about your worth from sparrows (who he does not fail to notice), loving people around you (who remain positive no matter what you do) and God's own willingness to work with you (no matter what your current state is). Decide now to submit to your personal trials. Decide now to remain true. Decide to let God prevail in your life.