Beloved of God…am I really?

I have struggled with the name “Beloved” for many years. As much as I have embraced the love of God in my mind, I struggle to allow it to drop into my heart. All of us have been rejected at some point, and we may still carry those wounds. It seems “too good to be true” for the God of the universe to love us unconditionally.  

But here is the startling reality, friend: God truly loves you…all of you!

When God comes to us and declares that our new name is “Beloved,” the challenge for all of us is to:

Be....Loved.

I promise that if you are struggling to be loved by God, it’s because of an old wound or name that keeps making you feel unworthy. I encourage you to confess that struggle to God. Don’t worry…He will embrace your honesty.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17, NIV) 

These verses tell us that the love of God for each of His children is extravagant, sacrificial, unconditional, and exceedingly generous. God gave the very best that He had, His only Son, so that you and I could BE...LOVED!

In its simplest form, the best way to embrace God’s love is to allow it to wrap itself around you like a warm blanket. And this is why this is so challenging...it just seems too safe and too secure to be real. But the love of God is exactly that: real.

The Bible says, “See, what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God!...” (1 John 3:1, NIV) 

Some translations say “the beloved” of God. As a follower of Jesus, that is who you are because you have been named “Beloved.” I’ve been speaking this declaration as I continue to learn how to be loved. Henri Nouwen wrote it, but I adapted it for my own journey. Would you make this confession with me? 

  “I am not what I do.

I am not what I have done.

I am not what people say about me.

I choose to be loved.

I am the beloved of God.

It’s who I am.

No one can take it from me.

I don’t have to worry.

I don’t have to hurry.

I belong to Jesus, and that is enough.”

friend, take a moment and thank God for His personal love for you, resting in His presence. Don’t run or try to deflect His love. Ask God for the grace to simply receive it. :-) 

You are God’s beloved miracle!