The Worth the World Can't Take Away

Michele Renee
Aug 9, 2025
4 min read

What Is My Price? 💎✝️ written on May 2, 2017

I’ve been asked before What is your price? What is your worth?

“For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.” – Psalm 8:5 (NKJV)

Do you like yourself?

Do you feel you are living true to your soul’s destiny?

Do you believe you’re standing exactly where God wants you to be?

Sometimes… I truly hate and despise myself. Struggling with the hard knocks of life is exhausting, and there are days I feel stupid, weak, and lost.

I can extend grace to others I can remind them they’re not stupid, that they’re strong, maybe just a little “off course” 😉 but for myself? Oh, I go hard.

The last few years have been brutal, especially this past one. But I am not the first to suffer, and I won’t be the last.

People suffer every day and everybody feels their suffering is the ultimate suffering.

The funny thing is, no matter how sad, down, scared, or lost I feel, my spirit has been preserved. My spirit is strong and tenacious joyful, resilient, and unbreakable. It rises, it navigates toward purpose. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here sharing this testimony with you.

And if your spirit wasn’t preserved, you wouldn’t be able to feel these words and know them to be true. Real faith shines through even after the darkest trials.

Rebel at heart… it’s what Michele is made of.

I know I’m one to push the envelope when it’s near me. But growing up, I also learned the importance of behavior and of integrity.

I try to behave in ways that reflect who I truly am inside. I’m not saying I’ve never done things that would make my angels cringe but I have a good heart. I try to carry myself with respect, knowing that every action has a consequence. Sometimes those consequences play out in front of the world, and sometimes in private.

Yes, I may snap a provocative photo because that part of me is bold and unapologetic but that side is reserved for my one and only. A picture can hint at a layer of my soul, but the world doesn’t get to meet her.

“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” – Proverbs 22:1

Photos can backfire especially with Photoshop, gossip, and the bitter hearts of the miserable. That’s why integrity matters.

Think healthy, positive thoughts.

For those of us who struggle with anxiety and depression, this can be so hard but guess what? You are stronger than the fear. Don’t let it paralyze you. Don’t let it tell you lies.

Stop imagining the worst-case scenario every time. It won’t control the outcome. Stop living on “high alert” and start living in the moment.

Don’t let another soul intimidate you. Let go and let God. He already carried the cross for you.

Positive self-talk is your new best friend. Remind yourself: you are worthy, you deserve joy. You are here to LIVE.

And when your heart is pounding and panic threatens to crush you, stop and pray. You are not alone He is right there, holding and loving you.

Put down the guard you subconsciously put up. Protecting your heart is wise, but building a wall so high that love can’t reach you? That’s not protection that’s isolation.

The “tough act” defense mechanism might keep you safe for a while… but if you really didn’t care, it wouldn’t make you so angry when people hurt you.

You know how to go after what you need. So go after love by loving others first.

We are loved by God and His opinion should matter most. Is His love, even with all our faults and sins, not proof enough to take the risk on loving others?

“We love because He first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19

Start by loving yourself. Then love your neighbor.

Stop hunting for flaws in others, stop cataloging their wrongs. Remember we are all works in progress.

One of the hardest things in the world is letting go of pain after you’ve been hurt. I’ve had people deeply connected to my soul, and yet… we allowed others to come between us. Pride took over. Distance grew. And eventually, they faded away.

Unknown to me, I may have done the same to others.

If you love someone and they make you happy drop the pride. Reconnect. Soul connections are not everyday things.

Waiting for someone else to make the first move? Sometimes they simply don’t know how to fight for you or even for themselves.

Find your purpose. Not the life your mama or daddy wanted for you, but the life that matters right now surrounded by the people who lift you, encourage you, and make you better.