MOVING FORWARD â—½ ENCOURAGEMENT
I heard a well-known Christian speaker share a story years ago, and I never forgot it. She was preparing to write her very first book, and was asking God what the topic should be. She heard, "Tell them I love them." She replied, "But, Lord, surely they already know that." She believes the answer was, "No. They don't. Tell them I love them." So she published a book titled Tell Them I Love Them.
I hope that book changed the world for many people, but the truth is, we live in a world that can make it so easy to forget that we are seen and valued. Even though the Word is full of assurances of God's love, and I know those words well, I often feel "yucky" about myself in many ways. And it seems I often need to retreat with God's Word and presence before I'll really feel good again.
Why do I so easily forget? Because, as is true with all of us, life really beats me up: I come into unfamiliar situations and make mistakes. I have an argument with my daughter. My boss is mean. I feel fat and lonely. My house is a mess and my finances are out of control. I have a bad dream. You name it. There’s always something trying to steal my peace and security. And all of those situations are opportunities for me to practice believing that my unseen God loves me, apart from how I feel or what is currently happening. When I come back into alignment with his view of things, I've found that the majority of my peace returns to me every time. I stop panicking.
Consider all of the reasons found in the Word that we should never feel insecure:
You are precious and honored in my sight, and I love you.
Nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God
When you walk through the waters, you will not drown, when you walk through the fire, you will not burn, for I will be with you.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
If he did not spare his own son, how will he not, along with him, graciously give us all things?
It is God who justifies; who is he who condemns?
These are only a few examples of how amazing and steadfast God's love is. Yes, even after all of these years, I'm still desperate for God and need constant reassurance of his love for me, but I'm so grateful that he never tires of being there when I need him. It's a struggle but I keep choosing to believe that he means what he says, and I'm growing constantly in that firm hope. No matter what life throws my way.