James Van Der Beek’s last birthday message reveals a deeply personal truth: 'I am worthy of God’s love'

Everyone is fighting a battle we know nothing about and spreading hope when we can make a difference. Actor James Van Der Beek spread laughs, smiles, and cheers with his work during his lifetime. He passed away on February 11, 2026, after a two-and-a-half-year battle with colon cancer, according to TODAY. His final days were tough, but he was surrounded by loved ones. During his battle with the illness, he faced several other challenges physically, mentally, and emotionally, but braved through them all, learning lessons along the way. On his 48th birthday in March last year, he shared a poignant message from these lessons in a video on Instagram, and if there's only one takeaway from his life, let it be this. 

In a post shared on February 11, James’ wife, Kimberly, announced his passing. “He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace,” she wrote, requesting privacy for the family. In an interview with PEOPLE, the actor mentioned that he was shocked when he discovered he was in stage 3 of the illness. His preconceived notion always "associated cancer with age and with unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles.” But when he was diagnosed, despite being healthy, he knew he had to spread awareness. “The trickiest thing is that there are so many unknowns with cancer. As someone who likes answers, not knowing is one of the hardest things,” he said. 

In this process of asking questions and finding answers, he asked one that mattered most. The “Dawson’s Creek” actor revealed in the message that 2025 was the “hardest year of his life.” However, there were quite a few takeaways he was delighted about. He first mentioned that when he looked back to ask, “Who am I?” being just an actor didn’t feel fulfilling. He then went on to become a husband and a father. “That was the ultimate. I could call myself a strong, loving, capable, supportive husband, father, provider,” he shared. While that felt like a wonderful title to be defined by, when he had to “look mortality in the eye,” things changed. 

“When I was nose-to-nose with death, all of the definitions I cared so deeply about were stripped. I could no longer be the husband that was helpful to my wife, no longer be the father that could pick up his kids and put them to bed,” he explained. He honestly confessed there were times he could barely do anything and felt helpless. That’s when another question haunted him, “If I were a weak, too skinny, guy in an apartment with cancer, what am I?” It was undoubtedly a hard realization and an even harder question to deal with. Amid our battles, we even ask, “What am I?” and when successful titles don’t follow, it brings us down. 

But before James could leave us, he shaped our minds differently by answering the question with the profound perspective he found. “I am worthy of God's love simply because I exist,” he said. There didn’t have to be conditions or rules; he didn’t have to earn the love with titles and money. And if such a grand love came without such worldly costs, he was pushed to ask another question. “If I'm worthy of God's love, shouldn't I also be worthy of my own?” Think about it, it hits hard, but deep down, we know it’s a much-needed introspection. “And the same is true for you,” the actor added. A study revealed that having self-positivity affects the way a person views the world. Another study from Stanford University found that self-compassion can yield life-changing results for a person’s life. It increases productivity, decreases stress, and builds resilience. If all the time we have is now, let’s start with loving ourselves and sharing it with others. 

James shared that he learned about this worthiness through the prayers and love he received from others. He reframed the message for those who find the word “God” a little too much. Admitting that he himself was on his quest of understanding God, "And if the word God trips you up... you can take the word ‘God’ out and your mantra can simply be, 'I am worthy of love,' because you are." According to the American Cancer Society, there are around  108,860 new cases of colorectal cancer as of 2026. It is the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in men and the fourth in women in the United States. Around 55,230 deaths have been predicted due to this type of cancer in 2026.

As James noted, screening and getting tested might be our best way to keep this sneaky illness at bay. We don’t know how much time we have left, so we should work on leaving a mark now. But that starts with us, and as James pleaded, we need to love ourselves first. Rest in peace, James. Thank you for a redefining perspective.

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