for all the broken, tangled-up, messed-up, sweaty-palmed, & clumsy people (A November to Remember – 11.20.2014)
Today’s Scripture — 11.20.2014
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. ~ Ephesians 1:4
for all the broken, tangled-up, messed-up, sweaty-palmed, & clumsy people
This one’s for the doubters, and the fraidy-cats, and the mess-makers like me. Maybe like you?
This one’s for anyone who wants to believe that what the Bible says is true —
God has a plan and a purpose for you on this earth. No matter how broken, tangled-up, messed-up, sweaty-palmed, or clumsy you feel.
Believe this: God picked you, and He dreamed you up before He molded the earth into this whirling ball of stone. (True story … Read Ephesians 1:4 for proof.)
When you get to Heaven, He doesn’t want to shake your hand and congratulate you for being a great Mindy. (Unless you ARE Mindy!) He doesn’t want to tell you that you were a pretty convincing Mable. (Unless you ARE Mable!) He wants to tell you that He’s so happy that you were the YOU He created you to be. Amen? (I’ve been traveling a long road toward believing that one for myself.)
God didn’t wait for you to get your act together before He decided to love you with an incomparable love. He didn’t wait for you to get the grade, the corner office, the plaque on the wall, the Pinterested house, or the prettied-up life. He’s not waiting for you to figure out how to influence people and make friends.
God knows you can’t live a life of perfection. But He’s counting on you to live a life of purpose.
His love for you isn’t performance-based. He loves you because
He loves you because
He loves you …
a love conceived BEFORE you stepped one toe on earth.
That’s the essence of being PRE-approved.
That’s the essence of you.
This post is part of our month-long series, “A November to Remember: Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes.
How You Can Be a Part of This Movement:
1 – Print out the Scripture sheets. (Click here for printable versions.) Each of the 30 daily Scriptures are quoted in Love Idol, and each one ties back in some way to our identity in Christ. (You don’t have to read the book to participate in this study. But of course, you’re welcome to!
2 – Find the passage assigned for today’s date.
3 – Consider how God is speaking to you. How does the verse help you remember who you really are, outside of all the cultural noise?
4 – Visit us on the blog, or the Love Idol movement page on Facebook, to share what the verse means to you.
5 – Share your insights on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or your blog, to add more soul to your scroll. #MoreSoulLessScroll
I’ll post my own response here on the blog every morning at 5 a.m. Sometimes, you’ll find a story, maybe a few short words, maybe a series of photos. That will happen every day, for all of November, God-willing.
Follow Along
If you want to follow along, visit us here every day. Consider subscribing to my blog by clicking here to get these reflections in your email inbox.
The Printables
(Download for printing from Google Drive)
Let this be the November that we remember who we really are: Loved. Preapproved. His.
Find all the posts in the November to Remember series by clicking here.
Thank you for this beautiful reminder Jennifer. Like you, I have often struggled to accept that God loves me simply for who I am. This truth alone would lead to deeper and deeper levels of freedom in Christ if we could really embrace it wholeheartedly. God bless.
I was deeply touched by this verse today, Michelle. Maybe there’s the beginnings, the lighting of a tiny spark in my heart. I’ve ALWAYS struggled with believing a perfect God could possibly love someone like me, but for some reason, these words today have slipped through the cracks of my doubting heart and given me encouragement. Your words are SO what I needed today.
“God picked you.” Three powerful words. Thank you for this hope-filled truth today, Jennifer.
I used to think that I would have to wait to hear the words, “Well done.” But the truth of the matter, he’s already told me that.
Ty so much for your daily posts, I’ve been reading and following from my email inbox. It’s been a bumpy journey to believing my worth in God, but your work Jennifer has been a part of my process. Blessings to you for being real with your readers and for your work to write it down!
Grateful to have you on the journey, Marni!