i remember it so vividly, like it was yesterday. i was about 22, in the shower [i know] where all the best thinking and praying happens, and trying to figure out what i could do to feel like God really loved me. i knew He loved me because i had heard it all my life but i just couldn't shake this feeling that there was something more i could do to make sure. really, i was searching for something that could help me feel like i was worthy of His love.
i'm not sure why God chose that day in the shower to finally let it sink in like it did, but this little thought flickered through my scattered brain:
there is nothing i could do [or not do] to make God love me any less.
He loves me because HE.IS.LOVE. it's just that simple. there's nothing in me that changed His mind or recommended me to Him. He just loves because that's Who He is.
and then this second part hit me even harder, because i've always been the good girl who thought i had to earn God's Grace and thought there was something i could do to really make myself worth His love.
there is nothing i could do [or not do] to convince God to love me any MORE than He already does.
for goodness sake, while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me [Romans 5:8]. it doesn't get any MORE than that. it's already a mind-blowing, infinite, radical Love. how could i dare think it should ever be more than all of that?
my life began to change that day. i could finally [slowly-but-surely] let go of my own boxed up view of God and i could finally just bask in the freedom that i'm loved. the same today and the same yesterday and the same since before i was born and the same tomorrow. no matter what i did to mess it up or to feel more worthy of it, He just loves me infinitely.
there's such a lightness and freshness about that Truth for me. i can't say that every single day since then i abide in that Truth and that i never waiver back to my old ways of thinking. it takes work to break down a belief system you've held your whole life. but i'll tell you when it starts to become second nature: when i'm in the Word constantly and i allow the Truth to drown out the lies in my head.
i'll go through dry seasons every so often, sometimes longer than others, it's an ebb and flow. i'm not prefect and my view of God isn't perfect and really it's all okay because it just draws me back in to Him, to learn it all over again.
i'm convinced that the only way to have victory, even if it's only temporary, is to mind-over-matter believe the Truth of God's Word. there are so many millions of lies that come at us every single day. we make up some of them, the enemy plants others, and the world just spews them everywhere. the Truth really does set us free. and for some things, we need a constant filling and re-filling of the Truth or we'll wander back into captivity.
some verses that i have committed to memory and always come back to for refreshing:
Romans 5:8 | But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. friends, when we were at our worst, our lowest, in the very pit? that's when He died for us. nothing in us could have convinced Him to do it. it was all His Love. His unchanging and unwavering, lavish Love.
Psalm 103:11 | For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him. it doesn't say that it can get bigger or smaller, it's just infinite. incomprehensible to us, it's that much.
in light of all this lies vs. truth talk today, i wanted to tell you about a movement that i believe is changing lives. it's called Overcome the Lie and it's all about encouraging and challenging women to believe the Truth instead of the lies. i love how they said it here, so i'll just quote them instead of paraphrasing:
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i hope you'll head over to overcomethelie.org and check it out. you can follow along on Twitter with #overcomethelie and like them on Facebook too.
oh, and they also have a cute shop with lots of inspiring prints. [i even designed one of them!]
i'm not sure why God chose that day in the shower to finally let it sink in like it did, but this little thought flickered through my scattered brain:
there is nothing i could do [or not do] to make God love me any less.
He loves me because HE.IS.LOVE. it's just that simple. there's nothing in me that changed His mind or recommended me to Him. He just loves because that's Who He is.
and then this second part hit me even harder, because i've always been the good girl who thought i had to earn God's Grace and thought there was something i could do to really make myself worth His love.
there is nothing i could do [or not do] to convince God to love me any MORE than He already does.
for goodness sake, while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me [Romans 5:8]. it doesn't get any MORE than that. it's already a mind-blowing, infinite, radical Love. how could i dare think it should ever be more than all of that?
my life began to change that day. i could finally [slowly-but-surely] let go of my own boxed up view of God and i could finally just bask in the freedom that i'm loved. the same today and the same yesterday and the same since before i was born and the same tomorrow. no matter what i did to mess it up or to feel more worthy of it, He just loves me infinitely.
there's such a lightness and freshness about that Truth for me. i can't say that every single day since then i abide in that Truth and that i never waiver back to my old ways of thinking. it takes work to break down a belief system you've held your whole life. but i'll tell you when it starts to become second nature: when i'm in the Word constantly and i allow the Truth to drown out the lies in my head.
i'll go through dry seasons every so often, sometimes longer than others, it's an ebb and flow. i'm not prefect and my view of God isn't perfect and really it's all okay because it just draws me back in to Him, to learn it all over again.
i'm convinced that the only way to have victory, even if it's only temporary, is to mind-over-matter believe the Truth of God's Word. there are so many millions of lies that come at us every single day. we make up some of them, the enemy plants others, and the world just spews them everywhere. the Truth really does set us free. and for some things, we need a constant filling and re-filling of the Truth or we'll wander back into captivity.
some verses that i have committed to memory and always come back to for refreshing:
Romans 5:8 | But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. friends, when we were at our worst, our lowest, in the very pit? that's when He died for us. nothing in us could have convinced Him to do it. it was all His Love. His unchanging and unwavering, lavish Love.
Psalm 103:11 | For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him. it doesn't say that it can get bigger or smaller, it's just infinite. incomprehensible to us, it's that much.
** feel free to print this guy out if you want. it's one of my all-time favorite passages for this reason **
in light of all this lies vs. truth talk today, i wanted to tell you about a movement that i believe is changing lives. it's called Overcome the Lie and it's all about encouraging and challenging women to believe the Truth instead of the lies. i love how they said it here, so i'll just quote them instead of paraphrasing:
this is hard work, you know. since there are so many channels that bring us lies and only One avenue for the Truth. it takes discernment and prayer, but most of all a knowledge of the Truth itself. if you don't know what the Truth is, how can you believe it? and how can you recognize when a lie masquerades itself as the Truth? get in the Word, friends. and start committing it to memory. that's where the heart change and belief-change and mind-change start to happen for real.Positive thinking is not the Gospel and the Gospel is not positive thinking. It is not positive thinking that gives us the authority to overcome and it is not positive messaging that transforms lives. It simply is not.Every day, we start with Jesus and we end with Jesus. Any authority we have to overcome is because Jesus overcame. The Cross changed everything; the Cross made it possible for us to be daughters, the Cross made healing and wholeness available to us, and the Cross cancelled the power of death and disease and sin.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
i hope you'll head over to overcomethelie.org and check it out. you can follow along on Twitter with #overcomethelie and like them on Facebook too.
oh, and they also have a cute shop with lots of inspiring prints. [i even designed one of them!]
You share such truth here. Thank you for sharing the print. It's absolutely gorgeous. I'm headed to overcome the lie now.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Romans 5:8 is my youngest son's favorite verse.
So encouraging! Just what I needed to hear today! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is SO GOOD, like SO GOOD.
ReplyDeleteWow. I absolutely loved this. I don't even know what else to say. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletegreat post friend...i just long for the day when the truth is "second-nature" like you say. but maybe it never will fully be, bc then i'd get lazy. and we are to never put down our swords. love you.
ReplyDeleteGreat truths and great scripture printable! Oh, how He loves us...
ReplyDeletei'm so glad i just found your blog through overcomethelie.
ReplyDeletei love this post and can so relate. for such a long time i struggled with letting all my sin up to Jesus, wondering how on earth He could forgive me and DIE for those sins. i am so reminded of how much He loves me right now by reading your beautiful words. thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for writing this! Exactly what I needed to hear today. I'm 22 right now and have been feeling a lot like you did when you were my age -- searching and searching, forgetting that what I'm truly looking for is already (and always) within me.
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog tonight and am so excited to continue reading!