"Worm Theology"

I had never heard of "worm theology" until I read an article about it on Crosswalk.com. I found it very intriguing especially after my husband's sermon on humility last Sunday. The term "worm theology" is in reference to the hymn by Isaac Watts, "Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed". There is a line in the hymn that says, "Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?". The writer likens himself to a worm. It does seem that this hymn may confuse the ideas of low self worth and humility.

The apostle Paul tells us that we should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think; rather we should use sober judgment in our self assessment. (Romans 12:3). This basically means that we need to be realistic when we take a look at ourselves. This passage can be used to warn about the excess of pride, but is there a problem in our Christian family with the excess in the opposite direction? Do you view yourself as a worthless worm?

The feeling of being worthless or "not good enough" is prevalent in our society today. I have seen it in people in the church and in some that I have discipled throughout the years. I don't believe that this is at all God's plan for us. I wholeheartedly believe that God loves us so much and He wants us to see ourselves the way that He sees us. But how does He see us? In Neil Anderson's book, "Victory Over the Darkness", he gives us an exhaustive list of things that God wants us to believe about ourselves. Take a minute to check out this list. I have had people refuse to read through this list because they had a problem believing such strong, positive things about themselves.

It is true that we should humble ourselves and realize that we need Christ as our Savior because we can never reach God's standard on our own, but we are not worms! We are children of God. Realizing the depth of this statement can make an amazing impact on your life!!

God gave all of us gifts and talents. We are all good at something. That's God's plan! He wants us to recognize our gifts and use them to the best of our ability. I really like this quote by CS Lewis:

We may be content to remain what we call “ordinary people”: but He is determined to carry out a quite different plan. To shrink back from that plan is not humility: it is laziness and cowardice. To submit to it is not conceit or megalomania; it is obedience.

This is not permission to be prideful. It is a call to know who you really are. Accept who God tells you that you are and live in the freedom of that knowlege!

I have so much to learn!