Hey Reader,

Inbox overflowing with 💗 heart emojis today? 🩷 Yeah, same.💕

And also jumping on the bandwagon to talk with you about a different kind of love—a heavenly love, unmatched in the world and bought through sacrifice.

It’s a love we hardly understand and yet are compelled by it to live in such a way that we shine this very love to others in everything we do.

At least that’s the hope.

But it’s difficult to always see ourselves the way God sees us (and therefore see others as God sees them). To not get caught up in the empty measures of the world’s “love” (ahem…let’s call that “approval”) found in usefulness or productivity, the opinions of others, or the impossibly high standards we set for ourselves.

One moment the Word of God is a satisfying place to rest, or a journaled prayer takes you into deep, vulnerable conversation and nearness with the Father, and the next, you’re met face-to-face with a challenge to your hope and security in Him.

How often do we forget the good news and fail to remember who we are in Christ:

God’s beloved child.

“...born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:13, NIV)

Created on purpose, for a purpose. Created out of love.

Sacrificed for, in order that we might be one with Jesus and our Father. (See John 17:21-24).

That’s who we are—His.

And even holding tight to that truth, some days it feels like an uphill battle fighting against opposing thoughts that have been with us for so long.

So I have to ask:

What would change in your life if you could fully embrace your identity as God's beloved, not as something to achieve, but as something that's already true right now, no matter what you do?

I have recorded some thoughts about this, linked below, that I hope will help you ponder this. Yes, take in the Word. Yes, pray and ask God that He would help you see yourself with the tremendous value and worth He gave to your existence before the creation of the world. (See Jeremiah 1:5 & Psalm 139).

And give these a listen. Then wrestle through it to find your way to the truth.

You Have Great Value & Worth (25 min listen)

Seeing Yourself as God Sees You—A Biblical Perspective (24 min listen)

How to Recognize Lies Holding You Back from Your Dreams (19 min listen)

You are precious in His sight.

And it’s something you must come to terms with and know for yourself before any God-shaped dream of yours will have space or the means to come to life.

Start by believing this: You have great value and worth. Ask God to help you live and breathe it. (He will!)

And come back and tell me what He shows you.

Our God is real and He cares deeply about you knowing the truth about who you are.

On this day marked out by the greeting card companies, let’s take REAL LOVE into the world…but before we’ll ever be able to do that, we have to know it for ourselves.

Bless you, my sweet sister in Christ.

Until next week, I’m still…

With you on the journey,

~Merritt

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P.S. When you have a quiet moment this weekend, will you grab your journal and take some time to process this with the Lord. What would it feel like to pursue your dreams knowing you're already deeply loved and valued by God, exactly as you are right now?

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