Giving Ourselves Grace
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (NLT)
This is how God feels about you truthfully. He’s head over heels in love with you. He calls you his masterpiece, yet day to day we constantly put ourselves down for being too fat, ugly, immature, irresponsible, and the list goes on.
That’s not who you are. That’s not what you are. You are what God calls you, and He calls you His child, His masterpiece, lovely, priceless, and strong. When we begin to live through that truth, we will see everything– every single minute– in a whole new light. He is the key to all things good and fulfilling. It’s only natural that we start living through the truth of who we are and let God make it our new reality. So why don’t we? The answer lies within us.
“I am so hard on myself.”
How many times do we hear that? How many times do we say it about ourselves? The reality of this world is that we face adversity everywhere: at home, at school, in the workplace, sometimes even in our own churches. And when we’re finally alone, even our own minds try to sabotage that perfect love that God wants to give us. The all-important question is: How do we silence those self-sabotaging voices so that we can live the way Jesus wants us to live? Well, it’s a lot harder than it sounds.
Accept yourself for who you are, because if you never do that you will never get to where you want to be and where God can bring you. We need start accepting the forgiveness and love we find in Jesus for ourselves. Most of the time it's easier for us to show that grace to others, but when you reflect on yourself? Well, we can be our own toughest critics. Society sets such a high standard that none of us will ever be able to reach because it's unrealistic and unfair. Yet time and time again, we fall into the same trap of measuring ourselves up to those standards. It's time to bring down our worldly expectations and be realistic in the fact that we are held to God's standards– not society’s.
What a gift that is! The One who loves you most and holds your life in His hands doesn’t measure you up and compare you to others. He has no interest in the latest trends and who’s living their life to the fullest according to social media, He is just genuinely in love with you for who you are: His magnificent creation!
It's time to focus and understand that we're not perfect. We need to give ourselves grace and love like God gives us day to day. It is time to wake up in the morning and accept every part of who God has made you.
So, my friends, this is it. This is your year, your chance to not only believe that everything is possible, but act like it is. It's time to breathe deeper, to laugh harder, to take risks, to rest well, to let go, to push yourself, and to work well– not hard– to trust that God is in control, to know his mercies are new every morning, and to knowing you are more loved and adored than you have ever dared to dream.
So close your eyes and take a deep breath, because right now is the time to decide what you want, and right now is the time to chase after it like it's already yours.
It is time to pursue Jesus, because when we pursue Him, we start to believe those wonderful things He has to say about us and be lavished in all his blessings.
