Chances are that you have heard someone say, "God loves you!" The first time you heard that you probably thought, "Yeah, right! Why me?" The next time you heard it, and if you even believed it then, you might have thought: "Okay great. I mean, I know I am cool. I give to sick kids, but so what if he loves me?" Then, if you are blessed enough to have met the God of the universe (We all have that ability if we are open to Him.) and hear Him in prayer say, "I love you," You probably thought to yourself: "Oh my God! He really loves me, but I am so awful to Him!" Finally, if you have found forgiveness, and you know with all your heart that God loves you (or maybe that has not happened yet), chances are you have wondered like me (or are still wondering), "DOES GOD LIKE ME?"
For as long as I can remember I have wanted to please everyone I see. I guess I could say I wanted them to like me. I would become the person that they wanted to see. I would not loose my morality, but all of the character traits that I did not think were "cool" I would change in order to be accepted. I was like a chameleon. You could say I was selfish. I just wanted people to like me. I found my worth by the acceptance of others, but in reality I was not letting them accept my true self at all. I only let people see what I thought they wanted to see. I was imprisoned by the pressure of being someone I was not. It was as if this second person inside of me, a shell of a person really since it was not real, was wrestling my true self. It is exhausting trying to be another person. Over time I thought that I had completely lost myself or forgotten who I was. At the core of it I was really wondering if God liked me.
I had encountered Christ, but I had not let Him set me free. I kept my chains of insecurity, but He never gave up on me. I knew He loved me, but I was a sinner, and I could not stop sinning. I tried to love the people around me, and do the Lord's will, but I constantly failed. I thought if I did good things then the Lord would like me more, and if I did bad things then He would simply put up with me since He already died for me. This lie plagued me for as long as I could remember, but the truth is sweeter. The truth is...OF COURSE HE LIKES ME! He made me! He made you! HE LIKES YOU TOO! Think about it, what human being freely and intentionally makes something they don't like? No person does that if they can help it. Now, do you think the God of the universe would make mini self portraits that he dislikes. Are we not made in His image? Remember, God is completely free. He does not need us or anything else. He is God! He does not make accidents either. Everything He does is intentional and has a purpose. You have a purpose, you are made for greatness, and GOD LIKES YOU! He loves you for you!
I mean that He gave you all of your desires, your likes and your dislikes. That does not mean that it is okay to do things that will hurt us. We are made for more, but do not be afraid to be the person that He made and that deep down you want to be too. I remember those famous wise words that we have all heard, "Just be yourself."
P.S. My car is almost fixed after. I think I will stay in until after they plow the snow this time.
