Day 74 - Being yourself

Yesterday I was talking to friends about my lockdown experiences and mentioned how there were blessings within the pain of this period of time. For example, one of the major blessings we’ve had is the fact that my eldest has been around all the time, where he is usually working or studying, and it’s been an amazing blessing to have this time with him, especially since he’s now 18. 

Another of the silver linings of this enforced lockdown period is the fact that everyone has had to slow down. Everyone has had to just be present in their homes - not darting back and forth to work and sports and family and church and everything else we end up going to... just being at home - with no excuses or masks to hide behind. 

Everyone is just themselves. 

And there’s so something so freeing about putting aside the pretence and just being you. 

Yesterday I talked about how we are accepted by God - in all our mess and failure. We are free to be our true selves with God because He already knows the innermost parts of our hearts and yet He still loves us. 

I once heard a quote that said that everyone has a chapter in their life that they’d never want read out loud. Like the backstories of the perfect Instagram pics. All the skeletons in the closet you wish you could make disappear, but who stick around to taunt you. 

But God looks through all of that and still loves us. In our mess. With our skeletons. In our worst, most secret chapters. 

We are told in 1 John 3 that God sees into our hearts and knows everything that’s there. Yet He still loves us. 

Chris Tomlin’s song ‘Indescribable’ has the lines - 

“Incomparable, unchangeable

You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same

You are amazing God...”

I just want to encourage you today, as you face whatever today brings, that God has you. He has you in His hands and He is never letting you go. Not for any reason. 

You can never do anything to make Him love you less.

You can never do anything to make Him love you more. 

Because He already loves you more than you can possibly imagine.