a reminder about love and truth from Stasi Eldredge

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While my insanely curious nature leads me to devour fiction, I prefer to savor a good nonfiction work. Right now, I’m slowly going through Stasi Eldredge’s newest book, Becoming Myself: Embracing God’s Dream of You. This book is speaking to me in a way that really lines up with my heart, if that makes sense.

Somehow I don’t think Stasi would mind if I shared some quotes from this morning’s reading. They’re good.

“We all have something that brings us to our knees. It isn’t something we would ever choose for ourselves or wish on anyone else, but we all have an area or ten in our lives that drives us to need God. We can’t free ourselves. We are weak, aware that something inside is broken and starving. It is a wonderful grace when we finally give up and fall down before the One who is strong…We were created to desperately need Jesus” (38).

The nature within us bends us in the direction of sin to satisfy this starvation. It’s a natural inclination. Then the world around us grabs us by the arms and enables us to give in. But have you noticed that, when we give in, the fix is only temporary? It’s only a matter of time before we’re back for more, covered with a relief that eventually washes away and makes us feel worse about ourselves.

Stasi encourages us to listen for the voice of God, for the whisper or shout of love and truth that fills us ’til we’re overflowing. To replace the pain and failures of the past and the lies about ourselves we’ve been conditioned to believe. She lists these verses as reminders of exactly what God thinks about us:

Romans 8:38-39 – You are deeply and completely loved.
I John 2:12 You are totally and completely forgiven.
II Cor. 5:21 When God sees you, he sees the righteousness of Jesus.
John 3:16 You mean the whole world to Him.
Song of Songs 4:1 He thinks you’re beautiful. Right now.
Romans 8:29 He is committed to your restoration.
Hebrews 13:5 You are not now, nor have you ever been alone.

Okay, so I could just type up the entire book–I love it and want you to love it that much. But I will leave you with this last thought.

“Though our pasts have shaped us, we are not our past. Though our failures and sin have had an effect on who we are, we are not defined by our failures or our sin. Though thought patterns and addictions have overwhelmed us, we are not overcome by them and we will never be overcome by them. Jesus has won our victory. Jesus is our victory” (43).

(Okay, two. But they’re related.)

“The holy work of God deep in our hearts as we have suffered and struggled and wept and longed to overcome is stunning beyond measure. You may not see the goodness yet, but you will. It comes when we see our lives through God’s eyes” (43).

I’m going to make it a goal to reflect on the truths in the Scriptures above and reflect on them often.

Even though there are real, raw, painful things in this world, even rooted deeply in our lives, it does wonders to remember that we are loved, covered, and victorious.

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