Loved for Who You Are or What You Do?

If you grew up with parents who were hard on you, you felt it. There were likely pressures on you to get good grades, be the best player on the team or maybe get into the right college. Maybe you've been married or in a relationship where you just wanted to be accepted for who you were, rather than what you could do for the other person.

Maybe you had friends who were only your friends under certain conditions. These people probably loved you, but did you feel loved; or did you feel the person would only love you based on your performance? If you spent any time at all trying to do things to make someone else happy; love wasn't the motivation behind your decisions and actions, fear was. It's not fun feeling like someone will only love or accept you if you do everything right. How many times have we ourselves thought or said things like "I want to be loved and accepted for who I am"?

When someone loves you for what you do; you can feel it and it doesn't feel good. There's a constant nagging of inadequacy; feeling like you'll never be good enough or measure up, and deep down you know that's not love. Deep down you know something is wrong with that theory. Why is it that we want so badly to be loved for who we are with people, but accepted by God for what we do?

Have you ever been on the other end, trying your hardest to convince someone of your genuine love; constantly forced to prove yourself, but they never believe you? That doesn't feel good either does it? Imagine how God feels; the one who actually does love and accept you for who you are, but no matter how many times He tells you, you don't believe Him.

By nature, your soul was designed to be loved and accepted for who you are by the Father. Tragically, the world has also programmed our souls to constantly strive to prove ourselves to Him. Let's change that.

RESOURCES
Are You Around the Wrong People?
Don't Let Fear and Doubt Lower Your Standards
How to Develop a Relationship with God