When I think about how culture views humanity, the first thing that comes to mind is conditional value. For those who believe we’re just a chance conglomeration of molecules, brought about by evolution, human life has no intrinsic value. Everyone is who they make themselves to be, and life has no meaning outside of survival and possibly self-fulfillment (however each person describes that). Some live for pleasure, some for fame, some for gathering material possessions, some for power, etc. These philosophies are exemplified in statements such as: “We only go around once in life, so grab for all the gusto you can get!” (Old beer commercial); or “Life is about looking good, feeling good, and having the goods.”; “Look out for ‘Number One’”; etc.

In the world’s (secular culture’s) eyes, we have to “add value” to have value. If we’re going to take up space on this planet or belong anywhere, we have to earn our place. We’re only worth what we contribute— by doing, by showing, by appealing to others.

Individualism pervades our culture— focusing on autonomy, freedom of choice and self-reliance, which further perpetuates the devaluing of community, which then further devalues any sense of intrinsic worth in people. It becomes a vicious cycle, to the point where people judge their own worth, value, and mattering by individualistic, utilitarian, criteria. Taken to an extreme, individualism becomes narcissism—self-centeredness and selfishness.

Not only does individualism detract from a biblical, full, understanding of being human, so do other ancient-yet-modern philosophies in our culture. Look at stoicism, for example—focusing on logic, discipline, and reason, with the concept that emotions need to be avoided, overcome, and discounted, in order to be free and truly function.

The “Therapeutic Self” developed as a reaction to stoicism, a reverse of it. This focuses on internal perfection and emotions, “My inner world is the reality and the truth.” Freud, Jung, and others espoused this. This concept says we don’t need God to understand self. “Fixing myself” becomes the goal.

In contrast to all this, we have the biblical understanding of who God is, and who He has made us to be, created in His image. As the Trinity, He models perfect communication, community, and relationships. When He created us, in His image, as with the rest of creation, He declared us “good” (Gen. 1:26-31). Before Adam and Eve chose their own way over His (i.e., sin and independence), they were fully human, nothing wrong with them, relating rightly to the Lord and to each other. Through the Trinity we see we can only be human when in communion with God and each other.

Biblically, then, we understand that to be fully human, the way God created us to be, involves relationships. Outside of community with Him and others, we’ll lack identity, wholeness, and purpose.

Because He has created each of us to be whole in community, we all long for security, significance, and belonging. Those who don’t know the Lord try to attain these various ways, as mentioned above. Those who do know the Lord may still look to the wrong sources to attain these until we realize our ultimate and only true Source of consistent, unshakeable, unconditional security, significance, and belonging. For me, personally, it has taken 60-plus years to be sure that I’m really “accepted in the beloved”—that is, valued and approved and joyfully welcomed by Him. Not just “He has to love me because of His character”.

That brings us to what it means to be “in Christ”, a term used by Paul over 200 times in the NT. Foundationally, it means we belong to Him and are covered by Him. If we’re “in” a house, we’re not out in the cold. We’re surrounded, covered, and protected by that house. Likewise, in Christ, we’re covered by His atonement/payment for our sin, and considered “legally” right with God. But that’s just where we start positionally. “In Christ” extends far beyond that to becoming “joint heirs” with Him (Rom. 8:17), having fellowship and partnership (“koinonia”) with Him (1 Cor. 1:9), and everything associated with Christ becoming associated with us. In Christ, not only do we have the intrinsic value of being created in God’s image, we’ve also become Christ’s brothers and sisters, a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession…” (1 Pet. 2:9). We are also a “new creation” in Him (2 Cor. 5:17), being formed into His likeness (Rom. 8:29).

Talk about security, significance, and belonging! Grasping that removes any doubt of worth, value, or “right” to take up space—regardless of our social status, achievements, abilities or disabilities, etc. “In Christ” means that any of us can walk into any room or gathering without worrying what others will think of us, because they’ll be looking at Him, not us. If they don’t like Him (which many sadly don’t), it’s their loss, since He lacks nothing good in any area. Questions of “Am I ___ enough?” disappear in light of His perfection and our being part of that. Especially since the same Christ we’re in, is also in us! (Gal. 2:20, Rom. 8:10, Col. 1:27).

Using the world as a mirror to view ourselves only demeans and discourages us. Change the mirror to God’s Word and His image, and be encouraged by what you see in Him!