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In considering how much God loves us while we struggle to love ourselves, I think many Christians never really understand the depth and scope and nature of God’s love.

I was talking with a woman at a retreat where I spoke. It was very painful for her to open up and talk because of her past. She had a past of which she was ashamed and one that carried a heavy social stigma as well. Even though she has been free from this past for over 12 years, the disgrace and shame still weighed on her heavily.

I asked her, “Do you believe that God has good days ahead for you and wants to do good things for you?” Hesitatingly she nodded her head and said, “Yes, I think I believe that, or I try to.” I said, “Do you think God looks at you the way people do? Do you think God sees you as soiled and damaged and weird?” With tears pouring down her face, she looked down and said, “Yes, I do.”

I put my arm around her shoulder and said, “Oh, but you just don’t know God well enough. God doesn’t see you like people see you. God sees you as you were created by him. You have the righteousness of Jesus Christ and he sees you pure and beautiful.” It was almost more than she could take in. She was struggling with everything in her to believe that God loved her without condemnation and without reservation.

Could it be that you are in that same place? You think God sees you the way people do, or the way you see yourself. Since you don’t like yourself so much, or you have a soiled past, or you’ve blown it somewhere along the way, you just can’t believe that God loves you just like you are.

Our minds tend to blow a fuse when we read that before the foundation of the world, before time began, God chose us and loved us, just as much as he loved Jesus. It’s true! In John 17:23, Jesus was praying and, speaking of all believers, he said, “May they be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

In no way would I diminish the awfulness of sin; our Father’s heart is terribly grieved and hurt when our lives fall short of his glory. But what I’ve discovered is that the more I bask in the knowledge of my Father’s love for me, the more I want my life to please him. It is not a license to live as we please; it is a motivation to live to please him. It’s not difficult to love and obey when we grow in understanding our Father’s great love.

He—the God of all creation—loves you! Because he does, you should appreciate yourself and rejoice in who you are because of his love.