You are loved!

Good to be Loved!

So I went to a woman's event put on by Saddleback church last night. It was really fun, and I'm glad I went. The leader was going to speak in church in 2 weeks so she asked the group of about 20 different women from all different stages of life what are the main struggles that women face so she could address them.

One of the things we kept coming back to was having a problem with our identity. It is so easy to comprise our identity from the things we do, from our work, from being married, from having children, from the things we have or don't have, from the things we've done or haven't done. Constantly striving to prove ourselves in other's eyes. Constantly comparing ourselves to our neighbors, friends, coworkers, and family. What do I have that they don't have? And if I don't have what she has, how can I?

I was reminded as I have been countless times that we should now and always comprise our identity first and foremost from Christ. We are God's child! He loves us if we're married, fat, have five children, have no children, aren't married, have long hair, have red hair, have nice clothes, have a beautiful house. He loves us irregardless of the things we do. He loves us because he created us, and I believe he desires for us to be able to look at ourselves and see the worth God has assigned to us because of whose we are. God has stamped his image on us and that means we are loved and taken care of.

I need to learn to stop comparing, stop striving, stop criticizing, stop being too hard on myself, stop and know that God is who he says he is and that I am loved because I am his.

A great reminder from Romans: "I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us."