Am I the only one to hear a phrase that’s wildly popular and wonder why, exactly, it doesn’t sit right within me? Like, everyone is saying it–influencers, online influencers, maybe even friends.
I try to just sit with that feeling and let it stay the way it is for a little while. In my case, that feeling is usually the Spirit’s nudge, saying “Pay attention!” or “Something’s not right.” I sort of kick the tires, peek through the windows, and take a step back to take it all in before I jump into the driver’s seat.
Once I’ve had some time with it, the irritation just sneaks up on me during downtime. It pops up as I’m scrolling through the ‘gram or watching a video and out of nowhere, I have to figure out why it bothers me.
And this has happened to me again and again. Recently, the “empowerment” phrase has been growing a pearl within me.
Definition
Here’s how I understand “empowerment” as our culture uses it: One might be empowered by doing something formerly thought to be impossible or difficult. Activities that empower a person range greatly from exercise, starting a business, achieving a financial goal, or having some sort of sex. Nearly anything can be empowering if the person doing the act finds their specific satisfaction in completing the act, it seems. In the end, someone who is empowered has become bigger in their own eyes, more powerful from their own perspective, or more valuable in some way. At least, this is how I’ve understood it since I’ve noticed the word being used.
Empowerment, as our culture uses it, just doesn’t sit right with me. I have so many questions about it. Doesn’t this seem like a works-based pursuit of self-value? And, like, what do I have to do to feel valuable enough? What is the end goal, satisfaction-wise? How long will this empowered feeling last? Where is the freaking finish line of empowerment?
This idea of empowerment in our culture reminds me of Ecclesiastes. Ya’ know, the book–the whole book. In Ecclesiastes, we learn from someone else’s mistakes. The writer of the book, himself, has learned that pursuing these things is just empty. Some translations call it “vanity.” And vanity is emptiness, pointlessness.
The enemy is feeding us the lie that we can prove our own value through our actions.
A lie.
As usual, Jesus has made it so much simpler. I’m sorry-not-sorry for being so basic here, but it really is so much simpler than trying to prove our worth. Jesus calls us worthy and so we are worthy. He left heaven, came to earth, lived a sinless life, allowed Himself to be crucified and killed to pay for our worthlessness, and then defeated death by rising again before returning to heaven.
It really is that simple. We don’t need to prove we’re valuable. When we simply believe in Jesus, we’re automatically made more valuable than rubies and diamonds and pearls–more valuable than anything we could work for or earn. When we search for our value in our actions, we will always end up unsatisfied and powerless.