Do you understand how much God loves you, but still struggle with loving and accepting yourself? If so, I want to encourage you with what the Lord has been encouraging me with today...
Even though I’m saved and have a new identity in Christ—and I know God loves me with all my imperfections and failures—I've had trouble feeling worthy of His love. With that comes self-condemnation, fear of rejection, and fear of man.
But today the Lord has reminded me...
Perfect Love Casts Out Fear.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
”
The word ‘perfect’ is the Greek word: ‘teleioo,’ meaning ‘to complete or consummate.’
The word ‘love’ is the Greek word: ‘agape,’ meaning ‘love, affection or benevolence, a love feast.’
'Perfect love' is a Person—Jesus!
By accepting God’s love for us—truly accepting who we are in Christ Jesus—we can overcome feelings of unworthiness, self-condemnation, and fear.
How do we truly accept God’s love for us?
By seeing ourselves through His eyes:
First, if you have not yet accepted God’s only begotten Son, Jesus for your Lord and Savior—God is pursuing you to open your eyes to His great love for you...
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
For those of us who have already accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but are still struggling with feelings of unworthiness, God wants us to begin seeing ourselves the way He does...
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
We are accepted in the Beloved.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
There is therefore now no condemnation.
God’s Word is alive—new each time I read it! I’ve read those verses many times and even rejoiced in their truth, but somehow they are like a new gift to unwrap all over again today...
Accepted in the Beloved—No more condemnation.
Let's unwrap that truth
inside of our hearts!
We are made perfect in love as we truly accept the greatest love gift: Jesus, and then let that same love and grace overflow through us to others.
We are Accepted in the Beloved:
Jesus—God’s love gift to us...
“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the
shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
”
Isn’t that what we all, as followers of Christ, must continue to do? Keep pondering all these things in our hearts the way Mary did?
As we allow God’s perfect love to fill more and more of our heart—pondering the glorious reality of His grace—our fears and feelings of unworthiness will be cast out.
Dear friend, I encourage you to join me in celebrating the true meaning of Christmas this year—focusing on Jesus, seeing Him for the first time all over again—receiving all that He gives us in so great a salvation—the consummation of God’s love for us—seeing ourselves and others through His eyes.
