For those that need to hear it, you are worth it. You are loved, God sees and seeks you.
I once had someone say to me “Of course you choose God now, you’ve lived what you wanted to live.”
My first thought was –
How judgemental. Paired with a lot of second-guessing my relationship with the Lord.
I felt as though maybe they were right, maybe I wasn’t worthy of the Lord’s love anymore.
Maybe, I’d strayed too far.
Choices
While I am not proud of some of the choices I’ve made in this life, who is?
Also…if I could go back to the young adult me, who questioned my faith, and chose to turn to the world to see what it was all about. The girl that got lost in the frills and “excitement” (distractions) the world dazzled me with…
I’d tell her, “Girl the world will only mask the feelings you’re feeling. It will only temporarily make you feel good. Yet, whatever it is you’re looking for, it’ll never be found. No amount of items bought will bring Joy, no amount of adventure sought will bring happiness, and no relationship will bring that feeling of love and connection that you’re looking for.”
Nothing in this world is permanent. You can and will feel those feelings, temporarily. In the end, it will always feel like something is missing. You’ll never feel fully satisfied. Because you’re only feeling the earthly feels, the temporary elated emotions that come with getting what you want. The feels that will eventually dissipate into the ether.
When I finally figured this out for myself, the fact that I’d never feel whole chasing after the things of this world. I realized the missing puzzle piece.
Jesus.
It is in and through Him, that we feel pure joy, happiness, and love. When I paused long enough to think about this, I started to look at my life, and I began to realize that Jesus had been placing people in my life for years, people to help guide and direct me back to Him. I was just too caught up and distracted to see Him at work, yet He kept pursuing me.
Church
Churchy people, we can be the worst. In theory, we should be the least judgemental people, but that is just it. We are people.
Broken just as much as anyone else in this world. Sinners, all the same.
I heard it this way once and it stuck. You don’t go to the hospital when you’re healthy, you go when you’re sick and in need of healing. The same goes for church, it’s like a hospital, where we are all sick and in need of healing. Which is exactly why Jesus was sent.
Christ
Christ Jesus is all that matters. If you’ve fallen away from your faith if you’ve found yourself lost, or off, or feeling as though things just aren’t adding up in your life. Maybe you feel a void, or lonely, or just downright unhappy. If you’ve become so much a part of the world that you find money, material possessions, and status to be the things you seek, you’ll forever be seeking, and what you’re looking for will always be just out of reach. When you pause long enough to look at your life, do you see Jesus at work?
Jesus sees you and seeks you. No matter your journey you are worth it. He uses all sorts of stories (your story) to bring people to him. You’ve walked the walk you were intended to walk. He has a purpose for you. It’s not an “Of course, you choose God now, you’ve lived what you wanted to live” moment. It’s a moment where although you may have strayed from the original path set before you, the Lord walked beside you that whole time, and now, He is calling you back.
How do you know Jesus is at work in you?
Chosen
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9
As I mentioned earlier, when I paused long enough to notice, I noticed, that the Lord was always with me. Even when I felt lost and separated from him. He kept choosing me, I was and am (as are you) worth it. He called me out of the darkness I’d gotten myself into and led me to bask in the light, His light. Which is why I can show you with confidence, the goodness of God.
You, my friend, are worth it!