Day 3: Five Ways to Cultivate God’s Love for You Today.

“ . . . we  have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.”  1 John 4:16 (ESV)

GIVE UP PERFECTIONISM
Let go of the pursuit of perfectionism altogether. Be loved the way you are. You don’t have to have it all together to be loved. Nobody does. Realize that God doesn’t change you to love you. Revelation 1:4-6 says: 

"John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (NKJV)

He loved us, THEN He washed us. Do you see what He is saying? He loved us first. His unconditional acceptance is  the catalyst for positive change in your life. So relax—works of art take time. And you are His work of art! When you accept this truth, follow it up by  being patient with yourself. 

TALK TO GOD
Pour your heart out to God, telling Him all that is in you—until there is nothing left to tell. Nothing you tell Him is going to knock Him off the throne! He is  patient, compassionate, and understanding—the greatest shoulder to cry on and the mightiest counselor! Bare your soul to the One who will not judge or reject you. He knows your greatest fears and human failings, and no matter what you say, you remain His beloved. 

DISPEL THE MYTH OF AN ANGRY GOD
We often mistakenly view God as punishing us for our mistakes and flaws rather than as an all-forgiving, all-loving presence in our lives. I’ll say it again, God is not mad at you, He’s mad about you. He IS love. Love gives. Love understands. Love never fails. That’s the kind of God I’m talking about!

BANISH THE VOICES OF REJECTION
Remember, you are the crown of His creation—His beloved! As such, you were made with a unique purpose that no one can fulfill but you. What others may reject or turn away, God accepts and embraces. Ephesians 1: 3–6 says:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (NKJV)

You are accepted in the Beloved!

ASK GOD TO HEAL YOU
Many of us have suffered the wounds of rejection, abandonment, abuse, or  mistreatment. Maybe you feel consumed with worry and guilt. Ask God to let you know His love; to let you see the wonders of all that He has for you. Ask Him to heal you from the memories preventing you from believing in His love.