“Live like you know you’re valuable
Like you know the one that holds your soul
Cause mercy has called you by your name
Don’t be afraid to live in that grace

I’m tellin’ you somethin’
This God we believe in
Yeah, He changed everything
No more guilt! No more shame!
He took all that away
Gave us a reason to sing

So go ahead and live like you’re loved
It’s okay to act like you’ve been set free
His love has made you more than enough
So go ahead and be who He made you to be

And live like you’re loved.”

~ Hawk Nelson, “Live Like You’re Loved”

I have a difficult time with living like I’m loved. I know in my heart that God loves me and that I am valuable to Him, but sometimes my mind likes to cause me to doubt this fact. It’s those thoughts that creep in unawares, telling me that I haven’t lived perfectly so God must be mad at me…or that I’m being “proud” by thinking I did a good job at something…or that I didn’t do as well as [insert name here], so I must be lacking in some way.

Do you ever have a problem with this?

I think it started when I was very young, and I didn’t feel like I was loved by a member of my family. I would seek that love, that tenderness, and that affection through my performance – whether it be in school or somewhere else. I would try my best to get straight A’s on my report card, to win first place at the Science Fair, or to excel at any number of tasks, with the hope of gaining the love that I so longed for.

But God tells me – and YOU – that He doesn’t love us based on our performance. He loves us because He created us, and created us in His image. We are His children. Jesus showed us how much we are worth to Him by giving his life to cleanse us from our sins.

We have value!

So even though it won’t happen overnight, I would like to re-vamp the way that I perceive myself. I want to see myself the way God sees me: as worthy, as loved, as valuable, as priceless, as unique, as….enough.

I want to “live like I’m loved!” Will you join me? ❤

Photo Credit: Julia Caesar