So many of us wrongly feel that in order to justify our existence on earth, we have to create. To perform. To be perfect. To do everything right. And if we don’t live up to our production expectations, we can slip into thinking we’re worthless. But that’s looking at creation (you) as a commodity, not as a created being. It’s assigning worth based on your value to produce, to fill holes, to accomplish a to-do list.
As much as our culture reinforces this idea, it’s simply not true that we must live up to certain standards in order to earn God’s love. We simply must rest in being his children. We can revel in being a creation dearly loved by Jesus, sacrificed for, graced unconditionally.
Much our thinking is tainted by a consumer-based mindset. If we view others as things to possess instead of people to be loved, it’s no wonder we’ve lacked grace for ourselves when we don’t perform up to our own legalistic standards. It may take awhile to absorb, but consider the sound of these words: You don’t have to justify the space you take up on earth any more. Jesus made a way—a beautiful way for you to realize how profoundly loved you are.
Mary DeMuth is an international speaker and the author of over 30 books, including Worth Living: How God’s Wild Love Makes You Worthy. Learn more at MaryDeMuth.com.
