Freedom #5

FREEDOM TO LIVE LOVED

Not knowing, at a primal level, that we are profoundly loved is possibly one of the biggest problems in society today.

Think about it...what is at the root of nearly every instance of someone acting out against others or sinning in a variety of ways? We don't really understand that we are loved, so we try to get what we want/need through other people or things.

We lash out and criticize others because we are feeling bad about ourselves. We covet what other people have because there is an empty place inside ourselves, and we think bigger and better things will fill it. We medicate the emptiness with addictions or busyness. We lie, cheat, and steal to get what we want because we don't trust that anyone cares enough to take care of us. We tell ourselves we've got to look out for number one because no one else will.

Bottom line...we aren't living loved.

Little wonder this is such a problem. We experience conditional acceptance from practically every side including our parents, spouses, bosses, teachers, friends, and the list goes on. How many times have you had someone be really nice to you, only to find out later they had an ulterior motive? Or maybe someone is loving, encouraging, and affirming...until you mess up in a big enough way or disappoint their expectations. We get the message from a very young age, however unintentional it may be, that we have to measure up to certain standards in order to be loved. The world is telling us we're not worth it, and deep down we don't think we are either.

When we don't experience unconditional acceptance and love from the tangible people around us, it makes it even harder to believe that God, whom we can't see or hear or touch, actually celebrates us just as we are. It often takes time to really truly know this on a cellular level, but once you finally realize how deeply you are loved, it will radically change your life.

* Ask God to show you how He sees you

* Accept that you are fearfully and wonderfully made

* Celebrate your uniqueness just as you are without trying to change anything about yourself

* When you know you're loved profoundly and unconditionally, it's easy to love God, yourself, and others

From the Outside Edge,
Mike & Laura Ege
Outside Edge Coaching

You Are Loved!