It’s easy for me to believe God loves me. I can understand He has forgiven me. But sometimes making the leap to believing He has truly accepted me is another story.
Perhaps that’s because we experience so little true acceptance with each other. The preacher talks about grace but gives us a list of rules to follow. Friends promise to always be there for us, only to turn their backs when we don’t meet their expectations. Families boast of unconditional love but withdraw it when we choose a different path.
So like Adam and Eve in the Garden, we hide from ourselves, each other, and God.
In Beyond the Masquerade: Unveiling the Authentic You, Dr. Julianna Slattery says:
Facing others without covering my psychological blemishes is actually more terrifying than going out into the world without a shower or makeup. Far more offensive than body odor are my fears, malicious thoughts, insecurities, shame, and pride.
While we strive to make ourselves acceptable, we also secretly long for someone to catch a glimpse of our true selves with all our imperfections and scars then hear them exclaim, “You can stop hiding now—I really do love you just as you are!”
Thankfully, there is Someone who speaks this way to our hearts every day. When Christ went to the cross, He made it possible for us to stop hiding. All of our sin, shame, and guilt have been erased. The Lord constantly looks at us with eyes of love. His scars bring healing and even beauty to our own.
{video: what scars are for by mandisa}
XOXO
{enjoy more encouragement like this in God’s Heart for You: Embracing Your True Worth as a Woman}
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Welcome to the Coffee for Your Heart weekly link-up! You’re an encourager so I’m asking you to pour out a little love with your words every Wednesday {link-up goes live at 5:30am CST}. Simply write an encouraging blog post and then share it here with us.
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I’m having Coffee For Your Heart with my friend Holley Gerth {click to tweet}
I’m having Coffee For Your Heart with my friend Holley Gerth
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