Time to reject some words, friends.
For years I clapped and praised and shouted hallelujah to this phrase! A preacher in our old church used to say that when he became a Christian, he realized that his whole life was an offense to God. He finished his story with: “God doesn’t love you because of who you are; he loves you because of whose you are.”
How you see God directly influences how you see yourself. For many years, I viewed my sins and torments and failures so seriously, so negatively, I hated myself for some of them. So much so, that as a child and teenager, I responded to salvation calls like I
Slowly, year by year, failure by failure, I've realized that Paul believed it when he said: “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Roman 5:8).
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The way we’ve used the word “in-spite” has made me feel undeserving of the grace of God. And even though I may be underserving, we’ve made that the point. We’ve bolded that part, rather than the love and grace part. It creates a false sense of humility. The kind that doesn’t build us up to love and good works, but to performance and striving and working for worthiness. An earning grace kind of faith.
How we see God directly influences how we see others. If there’s a chance I’m not worthy, there’s a chance you’re not, too. It becomes a race for worthiness, who's in and who's out, who’s better and who’s not good enough, who wins and who loses. It fosters, if not creates, self-righteousness, a sense that others can be left behind because, after all, we don’t deserve it, and only a few will ever make it, and goodness, I hope I do.
Our worthiness has never been the point. Ever.
God loves us in the spaces where we can’t possibly love or accept ourselves. THAT is the beauty and miracle of grace. God shocks and stuns us into love by scooping the entirety of our lives into himself. It’s that old cliché: God doesn’t love us IF we change, he loves us so we can change.
All true and good transformation begins with love and grace.
“Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this word and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish!” Eph 2:8 (MSG).
His love and grace is a gift. Not in spite of who you are and what you’ve done, but because of what you’ve done (for healing and restoration) and because of who you are: a child of God.
You are not an offense to God. You are his joy.
Drop the words “in-spite” and “underserved” and humbly yet boldly accept the gift that’s always been yours.
Written by Liz Milani
This is wonderful Lizzy. I taking myself on an “in spite of” detox. Just had an operation in st Vincents all good but tomorrow Dr will talk about “my fatty liver ” I told him not to mention it because therapy is working fine. I have to stop saying “God loves me (in spite of ) me being fat.” Love.
but because of what you’ve done (for healing and restoration
Liz, I do not under stand this line.
It means that Jesus love for you isn't IN SPITE of you. God wraps the entirety of you up into love. All the things you are, and all the things you've done. Hope that helps!
Liz.
Hi Liz…SOOOOO good!! Every part of this rings true for me and I'm sure SO many.
Since this is a series of “words” I'd like to take this moment to say how much YOUR words speak life and truth in such a lovely and grace filled way. You are so gifted in taking scripture and illuminating it to us in a real life, workable way.
Thank you so much for overcoming your “lies of the evil one” of doubt and not being enough(ish) stuff and being wonderfully obedient in having this devotional.
Keep on the path. you are a good and faithful servant to me and soooo many!
Jody
JODY!!!
Thank you. Your comment is truly encouraging and means so much to me. All I have is deep deep gratitude to you, and all our followers, who keep on encouraging me to keep going. So much to you. And thank you. xo