Dear You,
“I can’t believe I did that,” you say with a shake of your head over coffee. “Why can’t I get it together?” you question in an email. “What’s the matter with me?” you whisper into the phone.
You come down hard on your own heart in a way you never would on mine.
Why do we do that as women? We speak words of love, tenderness, and compassion to each other and then condemn ourselves. We talk to our souls in way we would never speak to a friend or sister. We pass harsher judgment on our lives than we would on even our enemies sometimes.
Here’s the thing: when we talk to ourselves that way, it grieves God just as much as if we said it to someone else. He loves all of his children the same, and the words we say to ourselves hurt his heart without us even realizing it.
It seems so right to treat ourselves this way. Don’t we deserve it? Isn’t what we’re saying true? Yet we forget that we are not living a life that’s about “what we deserve.” Instead we are living a life of grace.
And grace speaks with a voice that’s full of gentleness. God calls us back not with condemnation but with kindness. If he doesn’t judge us (because of what Christ did for us on the cross), then who are we to judge ourselves?
It’s love, not the lashing of our tongues, that is meant to compel us. Punishment, law, and harshness—whether they come from ourselves or someone else—can never truly change us.
God instead invites us into a beautiful, scandalously grace-filled relationship. Within this bond he remakes us not by breaking our wills but by lovingly shaping us like a potter molding clay.
Can you take that harsh hand off your heart and let him hold you instead? Can you trade your criticism for his gentleness and your impatience with yourself for his everlasting care? He has promised to complete what he has started in you, and it happens not by force but by faith.
Trust God to transform you. Receive his grace. Lean into his love.
You’re a work of art who belongs to Someone else. You have been purchased at a great price. So treat yourself the way you would anything of great fragility and worth—with gentleness and care.
XOXO
(inspired by Rom. 2:4; Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:12 and adapted from If We Could Have Coffee…{ebook})
photo and quote design by Sara Torbett
***
Welcome to Coffee for Your Heart! You’re an encourager so I’m asking you to pour out a little love with your words every Wednesday. Simply write an encouraging blog post and then link it up here with us.
If you like prompts, you can choose one from this list: 30 Writing Prompts.
Pretty please use this button in your post so others can easily join in with us {link the image back to https://holleygerth.com/coffee-for-your-heart-love/}…
And when you link up your post, take a moment to leave an encouraging comment on the one that’s linked up just before yours. Thanks, friends!
