Accepting Love

I've noticed I have a problem accepting things from people. Things like compliments, grattitude, and thanks. For some reason it makes me feel uncomfortable. I can see this same pattern in my relationship with God. Sometimes it's hard accepting God's love. As one person said, accepting our "Belovedness".

I tend to fall into that old performance trap and think people love me because of what I do or how I act. You feel great when you're performing well, but when your performance slips your self-image, self-confidence, and self-worth come crashing down. Let's face it, you can't be perfect all the time. Trying to be perfect will kill you. It will flat wear you out. This has really been a drain on my relationship with God. How can I measure up to God. How can a perfect God love and accept an imperfect person? After all doesn't he want us to be perfect? Isn't that the aim of christianity. Becoming perfect like Jesus? That's the faith I've tried to practice for a long time, but that faith has failed me.

I'm trying to reconnect to "Being loved by God". How does that work? Tonight I read Exod 19:5,6 where God says, "out of all peoples you'll be my special treasure. The whole Earth is mine to choose from, but you're special"

That's a great place for me to start. I'm God's special treasure. God chose me. I'm special to him. I'm loved by God. His love makes me lovable.

More to come...