1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

If we look only to the words “I worked harder than any of them” you might sense ego because of how Paul places I first in that thought.

Allow me if you would to reframe the context of the comment in relation to the issue of self worth. We are sinners saved by grace, but sinners none the less. Paul struggled desperately to erase his past, one who persecuted the church and had been widely known as an enemy of Christ.

The flesh does not stop being flesh just because we accept Christ.

Galatians 5:17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

The flesh uses our past to constantly tell us we are not worthy. It is difficult to forget our past behaviors and difficult to let go of our past in order to allow God to use us to do His will.

Shame caused Adam to hide his face from God and all Adam did was eat one bite of fruit. Paul did things that none of the other apostles had to live down. Paul, as Saul, held the robes of the men stoning Stephen to death as he urged them to do so. Paul, then Saul, got letters of commendation from the Sanhedrin to arrest followers of Christ.

Acts 9:26 And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.

What we often overlook is that it took Paul three years before he came back to serve God. During those years God was erasing the phrase “I am not worthy” from his mind.

Romans 9:20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

Sometimes I have to search the scriptures to find the passage that addresses my question.

Who are you?

So many of us find our identity in labels. I often hear labels identifying what we do rather than who we are, doctor, lawyer, indian chief. You get the drift.

But who are you in your inner being?

Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.

Proverbs 20:30 Blows that wound cleanse away evil; strokes make clean the innermost parts.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

When we read the Word and consider these verses, does that change our answer?

Romans 9:11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—

In short, it is not what you do that makes you who you are, but God who calls you.