Here’s something
I’m considering: what do I have to do to
earn God’s love? I have spent countless
hours, days, weeks, years of my life believing and behaving as if there are
things I need to do to earn love – from my parents, from my friends, from the
world and, I’m realizing, by extension, from God. Somewhere in my mind, I created an image of
the perfect me – one that would be worthy of being loved – and I’ve been
chasing that image for my entire life. I’ve
set impossible standards for myself, and since I always seem to fall short of
the perfect me I’ve dreamed up, I’ve never really felt like I deserved to be
loved and cared for.
I’m still
reading Break Out! by Joel Osteen,
and there is a chapter in the book entitled “Be Confident in What You Have.” In this chapter, the author suggests that we
stop focusing on what we think we lack – talent, education, personality,
whatever – and start focusing on what God has given us as we move forward in
the direction of our dreams. He goes on
to say that we don’t have to be extraordinary to experience the fullness God’s love:
“God is not looking for super talented
people. He is looking for ordinary
people who will take the limits off Him so He can show His goodness in
extraordinary ways. “
“If you’ll be the best you can be
right where you are, living with confidence, believing that God is breathing in
your direction, then God will do for you what He did for the hungry crowd (in
the loaves and fishes story). He will
take the little and He will turn it into much.”
This is an
earth-shattering concept for me. To believe
that it’s okay for me to be ordinary - as I am?
To trust that I am enough even if I haven’t achieved the elusive ideals
I’ve established for myself? To allow myself to be
loved despite all of my imperfections? The
very idea brings such a sense of relief that it makes me feel weak in the
knees. I’m still trying to
digest it.
Thank you,
Joel Osteen, for offering this teaching to me in a language I can
understand.
~REBECCA
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