I love so many things about God, but do you know what I really love? I love that He KNOWS me. He knows the ugly. He knows the good. He knows all. Sometimes we can freak out about that..because we view God as some harsh person who is just trying to punish us for all the bad in our lives. I believed this for the longest time. I don't know that I would have actually said "hey, I think God is just waiting for me to mess up and then He can punish me". My actions showed it, though. The words I spoke showed it. I went through life for 25 years and had no REAL sense of who God was. I just didn't get that He truly loved me. Now, again, I would have never said that. I think so many times we can become disillusioned to what we think we believe, but what we really believe deep down is different. Deep down into the depths of my soul..I had no real knowledge that He loved me. I felt like I had made so many mistakes-some pretty "big" ones. I felt like He was disappointed in me. I was constantly striving to reach "the mark". You know the one..the one your "perfect" friend has achieved. Oh, what lies!! I believe that is right where the enemy wants us-trying to earn God's love. His love is free. It's his gift to us. His love radically changed my life. When I realized that I didn't have to have it all together, it was easier to see myself how God sees me. When I realized that He was right there with me, in my mess, getting dirty with me, I realized He loved me for me! I didn't need to change for Him to love me.
Change did come, true change, but it didn't come because I was trying to fix me. It came because I realized that I was loved by Him. It wasn't because I had my act together and was doing all the "right" things. True change happened when I realized He loved me because I was HIS daughter!
I feel like someone who is going to read this is really struggling with knowing they are loved. All they see is their mistakes and failures. I just want to remind you that God sees you through the eyes of Jesus. Once you are a child of God, you are covered by His righteousness. We are going to mess up. We are human. Our mistakes and failures don't define us. They do not change how God feels about us. My kiddos make mistakes, they may even need some correction and instruction, but it does NOT change how I feel about them. I still love them. I am still so proud to be their mommy! They still rock my socks off!! That's how God feels about you-but in a perfect way. He thinks you are the best, the brightest! He has a hope and a future for you that is better than you can imagine.
While I was walking through a dark time in my own life, God really used Joyce Meyer to speak truth into my life. She has a book called "Battlefield of the Mind". Her book spoke truth in my heart and reminded me where all those negative thoughts were coming from. Her book gave me a way to see truth and even ways to apply it to my daily life. It was really helpful to me! Maybe it will be to someone who reads this.
He loves you. Right where you are. In the ugly. In the messy. He doesn't need you to clean yourself all up before He can be with you. He is there..getting dirty and messy..ALL because He loves you. He wants you to be clean and whole. Allow Him to help you. Receive His love into the deepest parts of you. It WILL change you.
*His love covers all of you and all of me.*
No comments:
Post a Comment