Past, Future, Now
An idea that has been frequenting my thoughts recently is simplistic and fairly basic, but vastly forgotten and misunderstood:
Don't base your worth off of someone's past opinions of you, or even the hopes that one day someone will fully love and accept you. Base your worth off of the knowledge that right now, in this very second, God loves you and values you more than even the most precious aspects of the earth He created.
I can get pretty wordy, so let's break it down:
1. Don't let your past define how you see yourself
2. Don't let the hope of a future spouse's approval get you through life
3. Realize that in the right now, in the present, God adores you. And that is enough.
I've been struggling to accept all three of these pieces of advice lately.
First, the past.
It's a jerk. Especially for people with OCD who have a really hard time letting things go. I replay scenes over and over in my head, and I would not wish that upon my worst enemies. (Which I don't really have. But whatever.) The point is, the past is full of mistakes for everyone. And undoubtedly, no matter how agreeable you try to be, there's always going to be those people who decided you're not worth their time.
They have left you. They may have said some awful things to you. They may have said awful things about you to other people. And if you're human, these things are most likely a part of who you are and how you see yourself.
I'm just going to come out and say it, folks: THAT IS NOT OKAY.
Basing your worth off of other people is not okay. It's not healthy, for obvious reasons, but it's also not practical! Think about it... if humans are imperfect and self-centered by nature, how can we ever expect for them to make us feel completely and wholly loved?
It's impossible! Your best friend (or ex-best friend) didn't sculpt you in your mother's womb. Your boyfriend (or ex-boyfriend) didn't die on a cross to take away all your sin. Even your parents don't know the number of hairs on your head. There's just this undeniable and unfathomable love that God gives that is unmatched by ALL OF HUMANITY, and it's offered freely to all who believe.
You're not defined by how people treated you in the past, whether it was adoration or hatred, because they are stupid humans. So let that sink in for a little bit.
Second, the future.
I'm sure I am not the only girl that has been told to "hold on hope for the right guy!" and "God has someone awesome for you! Just be patient!"
Don't get me wrong, I am not at all disagreeing with these words of encouragement. God most certainly does have wonderful plans for you. Don't ever lose sight of that hope. But don't get so caught up in it that you forget to live in the present. God is working in your life right now-- he's causing your heart to beat and making sure your body is regulated correctly... He's the reason you're reading this.
So instead of bashing the hope that we're told to have-- I'm simply suggesting that we should take that hope and let it inspire us to live redeemed instead of letting it make us live in hopeless longing for better, happier, easier things.
Don't dwell on the past and don't worry about the future.
Third. Accepting God's unconditional love for you.
It's the hardest to do for some reason. I don't think I'll ever begin to understand why. Maybe because it's so hard to fathom God's love that we can't grasp it enough to believe it. Maybe it's too intangible. Maybe we choose not to accept it because we feel we don't deserve it. Like I said, I think it's impossible to know why we're so reluctant to "give in" in this life.
I can post thousands of Bible verses about how much God loves you. John 3:16. The Psalms. Song of Solomon. 1 Corinthians 13. I would argue that the entire Bible is a single word of Love from God to His people.
You get that. I get that. But do we believe it? Don't answer too soon.
There's a vast difference between knowing something and believing it. I like to think about it in school terms: if I'm struggling with a subject, I can have an "ah-ha!" moment and know how to do a math problem. Pi is 3.14. Boom. Done. I get it!
But believing is a process. It is for me, anyhow. I have been taught since birth that God loves me and has great plans for me, but it's taking me awhile to actually believe it in my heart. I would venture to say that I'll never fully know His immeasurable love until I'm kneeling in front of Him. But that's another story.
I'm just really praying that God can give us the strength to not only know His plans for us are good, but believe them in our hearts. Only He can give us the strength to do so. It's not like there's a strength we can build up to achieve belief. Like working out at the gym. No, it's a gift from God. Believing. It's called grace, because He freely pours it out on all of us.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
-Isaiah 43:4 NIV
God is making the sacrifice. So forget the past, not worrying about the future, and resting in the belief that God loves you so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."
-Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
Don't base your worth off of someone's past opinions of you, or even the hopes that one day someone will fully love and accept you. Base your worth off of the knowledge that right now, in this very second, God loves you and values you more than even the most precious aspects of the earth He created.
I can get pretty wordy, so let's break it down:
1. Don't let your past define how you see yourself
2. Don't let the hope of a future spouse's approval get you through life
3. Realize that in the right now, in the present, God adores you. And that is enough.
I've been struggling to accept all three of these pieces of advice lately.
First, the past.
It's a jerk. Especially for people with OCD who have a really hard time letting things go. I replay scenes over and over in my head, and I would not wish that upon my worst enemies. (Which I don't really have. But whatever.) The point is, the past is full of mistakes for everyone. And undoubtedly, no matter how agreeable you try to be, there's always going to be those people who decided you're not worth their time.
They have left you. They may have said some awful things to you. They may have said awful things about you to other people. And if you're human, these things are most likely a part of who you are and how you see yourself.
I'm just going to come out and say it, folks: THAT IS NOT OKAY.
Basing your worth off of other people is not okay. It's not healthy, for obvious reasons, but it's also not practical! Think about it... if humans are imperfect and self-centered by nature, how can we ever expect for them to make us feel completely and wholly loved?
It's impossible! Your best friend (or ex-best friend) didn't sculpt you in your mother's womb. Your boyfriend (or ex-boyfriend) didn't die on a cross to take away all your sin. Even your parents don't know the number of hairs on your head. There's just this undeniable and unfathomable love that God gives that is unmatched by ALL OF HUMANITY, and it's offered freely to all who believe.
You're not defined by how people treated you in the past, whether it was adoration or hatred, because they are stupid humans. So let that sink in for a little bit.
Second, the future.
I'm sure I am not the only girl that has been told to "hold on hope for the right guy!" and "God has someone awesome for you! Just be patient!"
Don't get me wrong, I am not at all disagreeing with these words of encouragement. God most certainly does have wonderful plans for you. Don't ever lose sight of that hope. But don't get so caught up in it that you forget to live in the present. God is working in your life right now-- he's causing your heart to beat and making sure your body is regulated correctly... He's the reason you're reading this.
So instead of bashing the hope that we're told to have-- I'm simply suggesting that we should take that hope and let it inspire us to live redeemed instead of letting it make us live in hopeless longing for better, happier, easier things.
Don't dwell on the past and don't worry about the future.
Third. Accepting God's unconditional love for you.
It's the hardest to do for some reason. I don't think I'll ever begin to understand why. Maybe because it's so hard to fathom God's love that we can't grasp it enough to believe it. Maybe it's too intangible. Maybe we choose not to accept it because we feel we don't deserve it. Like I said, I think it's impossible to know why we're so reluctant to "give in" in this life.
I can post thousands of Bible verses about how much God loves you. John 3:16. The Psalms. Song of Solomon. 1 Corinthians 13. I would argue that the entire Bible is a single word of Love from God to His people.
You get that. I get that. But do we believe it? Don't answer too soon.
There's a vast difference between knowing something and believing it. I like to think about it in school terms: if I'm struggling with a subject, I can have an "ah-ha!" moment and know how to do a math problem. Pi is 3.14. Boom. Done. I get it!
But believing is a process. It is for me, anyhow. I have been taught since birth that God loves me and has great plans for me, but it's taking me awhile to actually believe it in my heart. I would venture to say that I'll never fully know His immeasurable love until I'm kneeling in front of Him. But that's another story.
I'm just really praying that God can give us the strength to not only know His plans for us are good, but believe them in our hearts. Only He can give us the strength to do so. It's not like there's a strength we can build up to achieve belief. Like working out at the gym. No, it's a gift from God. Believing. It's called grace, because He freely pours it out on all of us.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
-Isaiah 43:4 NIV
God is making the sacrifice. So forget the past, not worrying about the future, and resting in the belief that God loves you so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so much.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."
-Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
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