Because He First Loved Me

I love God and I love myself.  I love God because He first loved me and I love myself because I have learned to see myself through the eyes of my Heavenly Father.  No I am not perfect. I have blemished skin, hair that doesn't always want to do right, weight that fluctuates, big feet, a nasty attitude sometimes, I get angry, etc., etc.  But when I look in the mirror all I see is 'Beautiful'.  It's not about being conceited. It's about being confident...confident in the God that lives in me that He is bigger than any of my flaws.  Confident that He will show up in me because I have given Him total control of my life.  God has a work for me to do.  He has a work for you to do.  If Satan can distract you from doing that work by causing you to become consumed with your flaws or any other thing, then he will do just that.  He will use whatever he can to take your focus off God.  But you cannot let him. 

This was a huge revelation for me.  I had spent countless hours trying to hide all my flaws from those around me.  I never wanted anyone to see that I had imperfections.  I had an image in my mind of what I should look like to others and not just in my physical appearance but in the personality that I gave off.  I did not realize that I didn't have any control over either one.  In fact God had already predestined me for greatness and the light that others saw shining through me as a child until now had nothing to do with anything that I was doing.  God's light was shining through me and that light was used to draw people to me.  God knew me before my parents even thought about conceiving me.  I recall how my mother often told me that she prayed for me in the womb that I would be used by God.  Even the scriptures say, 'For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb...My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.  (Psalms 139:13,15-16)  The same holds true for you. Do you know that God, in all His sovereign power, had a plan for your life from the beginning.  He knew that you would be born into sin but He already had a way for you to be saved from sin.  This is so awesome!  Just thinking about the fact that God loves me that much.  He knows those things that I haven't told anyone else and yet He still loves me.  He even knows my innermost thoughts and He still loves me.  And all He asks of me is that I serve Him. That I spend some time in His Word.  That I check in with Him everyday and see if there is something He needs to share with me that will help me and some days I don't even check in.  I could have been better prepared for that situation that I thought popped up out of no where, when God knew it was coming. 

God accepts me, every flaw, every stain.  In fact, He accepts me just as I am.  I can't say that same thing about too many people. And not only does he accept me, He loves me so much that He doesn't leave me that way. I can remember when I was in such a horrible state, looking for love, full of self doubt, insecurities, depending on things of this world to make me happy, or better yet a man to make me happy.  But then God entered the picture and I have not been the same since.  I am destined for glory and while I may not ever have fame or fortune in this life, one day I'm going to see my Savior and tell Him "Thank you".  Tell Him how much I delight in Him.  Tell Him how much I appreciate Him for changing my life.  Thank Him for freeing me from the bondage of sin.  Thank Him for walking with me.  But until that time how do I show God how much I appreciate Him?  How much I love Him?  I can do this by serving Him all the days of my life and in everything I do.  What about you?

Most gracious Heavenly Father,

Thank you for loving me.  Thank you for not just looking at what I was but at what you knew I could become.  I thank you because of the love you have shown me, I am able to love others better.  I can love them in the way You meant for me to love them.  Thank You for helping me remember that I too have flaws and imperfections and that I shouldn't judge others based on their flaws and imperfections.  Help me to remember that everything I do is so You alone can get the glory.  Lord I love you and I give you all the glory, honor and the praise.  In Jesus' Wonderful Name I pray Amen.