Tag: love

Live Like You’re Loved

“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

 

What Do I Value?

What are the things that I value in life? I was prompted to ask myself this question by one of Janine Ripper’s 23 Insightful Journal Prompts for Self-Reflection.

There are many things that I value, many attributes that are at the core of who I am and who I want to be. But I have listed 5 of my most important values below. I hope that they can be an encouragement to you, and also a reminder to me of those things that truly matter to me in my life.

  1. Faith. I want to love and trust God with all of my heart. I feel like sometimes I do that, and other times I do not. I can let things get in between us – like excessive sleep, a worry that I obsess over, or not being obedient to something the Lord wants me to do. But overall I think I’m trying my best, and I know God sees that. He is gracious, and He will give me the strength to continue to walk with Him through the difficult (and the enjoyable) times.
  2. Empathy (this encompasses love and compassion). I feel that it is very important to try to understand what other people are going through. Sometimes they may be going through a situation that I have never experienced before – and that is difficult because it’s hard to put myself “in their shoes.” But I can listen, and I can be a support to them in their trial. Other times people may be going through a situation that I have also experienced (such as depression or anxiety). That is when I can share with them my sorrows and my joys and all that God is teaching me through them.
  3. Grace. This one I struggle with. I have a hard time being gracious with myself when I mess up (that is my perfectionism rearing it’s ugly head). Because of that, I also have a difficult time being gracious with other people when I feel that they have made a mistake. But here my first value (faith) can help, because I need to remind myself that God is forgiving and gracious towards me, and also rely on Him for the strength to be gracious towards those around me. I know that I can do this with His help!
  4. Honesty. It’s important to me to be honest with myself and with others about who I really am. I find it freeing to share the things that I struggle with and to be open about my flaws. Often this is an encouragement to others to open up about their own shortcomings. By being honest, I can develop strong relationships and have more of an impact on the people around me.
  5. Gratitude (includes positivity). This is something that had been lacking in my life for a while. I was always focused on the negative – always lingering on the less-than-perfect events that occurred. But recently God has been showing me how to find good in the bad…how to be thankful for the little things. It doesn’t come easily to me, but I know that the Lord will continue to help me grow into a person who has a positive perspective in life.

So what did you think of the values I listed? What are 5 of the things that YOU value most?

Reaching Out in Love

Earlier today, I was a little unkind in how I treated someone. At the time, it didn’t seem like a big deal. But as I was driving home, a song came on the radio that gave me goosebumps. I had heard the song before, but this time it really convicted me and made me think about my actions.

The song is called “Save My Life,” by the Sidewalk Prophets. It talks about reaching out to other people. About looking into their eyes, and actually taking the time to see the hurt and pain that might be there.

So often I breeze through my day, not stopping to consider those around me and what they could be going through. Maybe that person who seems “annoying” at the time really needs a friend. Maybe a favor done for someone, even when it’s inconvenient for me, could encourage that person to make it through the day. Maybe a word of truth spoken in love could actually mean the difference between life and death for someone.

I know that there have been people in my life who have done this for me. My family never ceases to amaze me with how they support me on every side with words of encouragement. I have friends who are understanding of the things that I struggle with and who don’t poke fun or dish out judgment – they just love me. And most of all I have my Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave His life so that He could have a relationship with me. So that He could really know me. And so that He could love me in spite of all of my shortcomings.

Is there someone you need to reach out to today? Even people who seem like they “have it all together” need support and encouragement. Because the truth is, none of us really “has it all together.” We need each other. And we need to be willing to come alongside others with the help and hope that God has given to us. ❤

Photo Credit: Julia Caesar