Loving God Does Not Mean Loathing Yourself

By: Amecia Matlock

Daughter

Friend

Loved

Valued

Treasured

This is how God sees me. This is how God sees us. Each person was created with intentionality and purpose. How often do we use our free will to run from that?

Even with the best intentions, we can miss the mark of humility. With such a small undeserving role in such a grand plan of a perfect God – how dare I voice my desires, trust my thoughts, aspire for greatness? I wanted to be so dependent on God that I was void, stripped of all myself, until I was an empty vessel.

But God is not the enemy. He doesn’t want a puppet that’s pulled and manipulated by emotions like fear, shame, and guilt. And there are counterparts that sneak into the church in the forms of low self-esteem, double-mindedness, and anxiety. These, however, are not our portion. God did not create us to be doubtful, fearful creatures in any form. Even with the noblest intentions, these mindsets lead to the destruction of all that God has created us to be.

Crafted by Perfection

God said He plans to give us a future and a hope – Jeremiah 29:11.

He said that his purpose is to give us a rich and satisfying life – John 10:10

We were not made to hide in the shadows in our Sunday best, but to be lights and cities on the hilltop – Matthew 5:14

The best parts of me are the parts instilled in me by my maker. The spirit within the beautiful body he created. And fire refines the gold that He created within it all. We are not our fleshly impulses, we are not our thoughts, we are not our worst mistakes. We are what we choose to do with all of it.

Yes, our sins were nailed to the cross, and yes, we are all in need of redemption. But that’s not the end of the saga. That story ended on the cross when Jesus declared it finished – John 19:30, then a new story began.

Ending Prayer

God, I pray that the person reading this, or listening to this, gets a stirring within their heart to let go of their shortcomings and the shortcomings of others. I pray they begin to see themselves and those around them through the lens of the cross, and that beauty would derive from that truth.

For those who can only see darkness and pain and have tried for years to see more than that, I pray the veil be lifted. I pray that their stony heart would be replaced with one of fertile ground. I pray that they would see that there is absolutely nothing they can do to make you love them any more or less, and God I pray that they choose to accept that love.

If you have never accepted God into your heart, if you have but it’s been a while since you’ve professed with your mouth what you believe in your heart, or if you’ve tried everything else and want to give Jesus a shot, I promise you won’t be disappointed in praying the below:

Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose from the dead, and is alive right now. I repent of my sins and ask You to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior.

If you prayed that prayer and believe it in your heart, you have begun walking in freedom with our savior Jesus Christ, and the best is yet to come!

FRUIT OF THE DAY – KINDNESS

SONG OF THE DAY – WORTH/ MORIAH