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Love Who You Are

Are you hurting right now because of someone you love or have loved? Has it interfered with your faith or made you think less of yourself? Pain as a result of people who have broken your trust or wronged you in some way either drives you to the feet of Jesus, or far from Him. I have done both.

As an only child to parents who were strict but meant well, I often felt like I could never measure up to their expectations, so I always had this fear of "being good, or else."  I was also bullied at school on a daily basis, and by the time I was seven years old, I started stealing from my classmates as a means of control. Then, when I was eight and my parents took me on a trip overseas to visit our extended family in India, a family friend tried to molest me, and I suffered in silence over it among other painful events that transpired well into my young adult years. I embraced a legalistic faith in Christ and was all about what God could do for me, and not through me. I struggled with extremely low self-esteem, kept my emotions bottled up inside, and distracted myself by constantly following rules (set by my parents, church, school, and even ones I self-imposed) as a means of feeling worthy of love. All any of that did was make me feel like a failure and a fraud because I was never fully interested in what others needed or wanted, only what I had the energy to give them. Have you had events in your life that made you feel that way too?

If you are struggling to get by, here's some encouraging news! Did you know that the Lord wants you to take care of your body, because it is a holy, living temple of God(1 Corinthians 3:16)? The first step to healing is in appreciating how God created you. The Lord truly desires you just as you are, uniquely made for His special purposes - which means, you are valued and loved! It is my prayer that as we walk through these next few days together, you will keep moving forward so you can finally forget your past!

Reflect:

Read what the apostle Paul has to say in Hebrews 10:24-25 about loving others. It's impossible to do if you don’t love yourself, don’t want to love others, and don’t want to stop feeling sorry or angry about your life.

Apply:

Start loving who you are in Christ, not who You think you aren’t.

• How is the Lord speaking to you right now?

As you read today's verses, write down the adjectives you want to be reminded of most and put them in places where you will see them each day.