To Him we are worth it

There are a lot of things I love in life. Music is one of my favorites. I will listen to almost anything. The louder the volume the better. My mom says this is why my hearing has been compromised. I enjoy how music can elicit memories, thoughts, and feelings. I am amazed that lyrics make it feel like the writer managed to put the things that stir in your soul into the most beautiful combination of words. The kind of lyrics that leave you breathless. I am in awe of the talent of musicians. And I cannot imagine going a single day without music.

I came across an artist a few months back. And his stuff quickly became some of my desired songs to play on repeat. One of his songs captivated me as I forced myself to close my eyes and listen to the lyrics. And I encourage you to take a few moments and do the same.

Song: How to be yours

Artist: Chris Renzema

https://youtu.be/Q_hKLtmXNDE

Lyrics

You say that You love me, don't say that You love me 'Cause I don't know how to be Yours You say that You want me, don't say that You want me 'Cause I don't know how to be Yours I still act like an orphan I guess And my hard heart breaks to confess That even while You hold me As I cry on the floor I still don't know how to be Yours You say that You love me, don't say that You love me 'Cause I don't know how to be Yours You say that You want me, don't say that You want me 'Cause I don't know how to be Yours I still act like an orphan I guess And my hard heart breaks to confess That even while You hold me As I cry on the floor I still don't know how to be Yours So love Me or hate Me I'm not going anywhere Leave Me or take Me You still bear My signature Know Me or not Seen or forgot I'm not walking out on you So love Me or hate Me I'm not going anywhere Leave Me or take Me You still bear My signature Know Me or not Seen or forgot I'm not walking out on you So love Me or hate Me I'm not going anywhere Leave Me or take Me You still bear My signature Know Me or not Seen or forgot I'm not walking out on you No, I'm not walking out on you No, I'm not walking out on you

Our fleshly selves struggle to be God's beloved. How we view ourselves is a daily battle. Just like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we possess a strong desire to hide from God when we feel shame. We are notorious for thinking that God views us the way we view ourselves. Our minds are unable to conceive how the highest of Kings could look at us with mercy. We cannot understand how the son of God, who lived a perfect life, could bear the weight of all our imperfections so we could be spared.

He loves us too much to let us stay in the world we build for ourselves. The prisons we put ourselves in. He will sit next to us in our cell. And as our wrists and ankles throb from the weight of our shackles, He offers to remove them with His tender touch. As the walls appear to be closing in, He points to the open door. Shame screams at us. It tells us He cannot be trusted. That what He is offering is merely a ploy to have us be vulnerable so He can chastise us. We look at His face to see if His expression will validate our belief. And to our dismay, He looks at us with only love. For in those moments it becomes evident that He is staying whether we accept His hand or slap it away. And He will wait for us as long as it takes because that is the kind of savior He is.

He is never ashamed of us. Like a good father, He desires to help His child. He delights in us. He loves us despite our flaws and mistakes. He loves us despite all of the nefarious thoughts that are ever-present in our minds. No matter how many times we run in the opposite direction He still pursues us. He is always eager to have His child return to His loving embrace.

We have a choice. We can continue to believe our identity is wrapped up in all of the lies we have been told, the choices we have made, and the things that have been done to us. Or, we can step into the identity of Christ. If we choose the first option, we will most likely only see God through the lens of our brokenness. When we choose to step into the identity of Christ we can learn over time who we are. When we allow ourselves to sit in reflection of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross we are allowing God to rewire our tangled thoughts. In doing so we are choosing to forgo the assessment we have of ourselves and trusting that God is right when it comes to our worth.

For it's in our brokenness that we see the beauty of God. We become more aware of His unconditional love and unmeasurable grace. I must trust that I am who God says I am for the power of the lies to vanish. And when the power has vanished Satan trembles. For that is when he is fully aware that my partnership with God is a force he cannot reckon with. We have nothing to bring to God when compared to what He gives us in return. Yet, He is not a God that requires a payment from us. He desires our heart, our mind, our time, our attention, our fear, our grief, our distrust, our past, our present, and our future. He simply wants us, all of us, just as we are.

Romans 5:8 ESV

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 8:38-39 ESV

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 5: 17 ESV

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

1 Peter 2:9-10 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Hime who has called you out of the darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.