Am I Worthy?

Sitting in our St Albright’s Holy Communion Service one Wednesday morning, I was contemplating the beautiful liturgy when the question of worthiness popped up in my mind. 

How worthy do we feel about what we have in our lives? Worthy as a mum, father, family member, to have a home, a job or education? To have community support, family, friendships, NHS health service … I could go on ….

Many of us question our worthiness at times. False accusations by teachers or elders when we were children telling us we wouldn’t get far in life.  Friends who belittled us and never gave us an ounce of room in conversations. Abuse we may have experienced by family or partners. This all leads us to question how worthy we are. Imposter syndrome eats away at us and right at the moment we need to deliver on something big - a public speaking event, a high level report to the Board of Directors, a rekindling of a relationship from the past that has previously broken down. Telling us we can’t do it, we are not good enough. 

When listening carefully to the liturgy that morning, and receiving communion, it became clear to me only the body and blood of Jesus is what can heal our souls and bring us our worthiness. And only to Christ should we show the humility of our unworthiness. For receiving communion reflects our dependence upon Christ to help change our hearts to receive what is sacred and holy as nourishment for our souls. 

“I am the bread of life.

Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.

But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6: 48-51)

If anything makes us feel worthy this must do; believing and leading our lives in the living bread.

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1)

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I’m writing this as we have just this week marked Yellow Day on 10th October for young mental health awareness, trying to change the long wait lists for help and support for young people struggling with mental health problems.

Let’s remember this to others this week and share in God’s love to those struggling with feelings of unworthiness.