Thirteen years ago, DaySpring invited me to write for a new online community – (in)courage, a home for the hearts of women. Since then, (in)courage has been a constant companion, welcoming in dozens of writers and thousands of women to a space of empowering encouragement and honest sharing of God at work in the lives and stories of real women. This is an excerpt from their newest devotional, Empowered: More of Him for All of You, It’s a grace to welcome Mary, Grace and Anna to the farm’s front porch today….
Guest blog by Mary Carver, Grace P. Cho, and Anna E. Rendell
The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.
I struggle with perfectionism and the desire to be in control. The two go hand in hand, really.
Work projects? I take pride in executing my work perfectly and being known for doing my job well.
“God’s love isn’t something we earn by doing, by behaving, by controlling or being perfect.”
Mothering? It’s hard for me to resist the notion that my kids are my report card, that their behavior is a reflection of my parenting (instead of what it actually is—their behavior).
My home? I never clean as much as I do in the hour before company comes over. I’m like a whirling dervish with a vacuum. It’s not a good look for me.
In a twisted way, there’s something comforting about being in control, about completing tasks perfectly.
It’s embarrassing to admit, but I never really saw my perfectionist and controlling tendencies until I had kids. You know the saying that kids are mirrors? It’s true, and not always in a good way.
I began to see my worst habits and most unflattering characteristics making appearances in my miniature me’s, and I wanted to squash the behavior before it could become rooted in their little hearts because I knew the pain it could—and would—bring.
“The world rewards good behavior, and we’re taught from a young age that we need to work hard to earn things, right? God takes all that and turns it upside down.”
So at the slightest hint of my kids trying to behave their way into my heart, to earn my love, or to control their way into perfection, I give them huge hugs and many words of reassurance that there is nothing they can do to earn my love. There is nothing they can do to earn my love. There is nothing they can do to earn my love. They simply have it. All my love. No matter what. Forever.
And then one day it was like a light bulb went off in my own heart: God says the same thing to us. God’s love isn’t something we earn by doing, by behaving, by controlling or being perfect.
There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love.
There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love.
There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love.
By God’s goodness and grace, He freely offers us His love—no perfect behavior or tally of earnings required. It’s one of the best, most incredible gifts we’re given—and often the hardest to accept.
The world rewards good behavior, and we’re taught from a young age that we need to work hard to earn things, right? God takes all that and turns it upside down.
“Empowered is an action word, and yet these verses show God as the one taking action, while our role is fairly passive. “
The verses from Zephaniah illustrate such a beautiful juxtaposition. Empowered is an action word, and yet these verses show God as the one taking action, while our role is fairly passive. God is the one saving us. God is the one rejoicing. God is the one singing. God is the one loving us no matter what. There’s no way we can perfect our way into His heart or earn His love.
We can feel weaker, more desperate, more rock bottom than we’ve ever felt before, and we’re still loved by God.
His love doesn’t depend on us.
I whisper those words to my kids during tantrums, sad moments, and difficult times, reminding them that there is nothing they can do to earn my love; they simply have it forever. I pray we all take in the love we so undeservedly receive.
We are empowered for something we have no power over. And that is the best news ever.
How does it feel to know that God rejoices over you with singing?
(in)courage is an online community founded in 2009 by DaySpring, the Christian products subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Inc. (in)courage is like a virtual living room where every day one of thirty writers takes a turn sharing a story of what Jesus looks like in her life. Together we link arms as God’s daughters and lean on one another for wisdom, strength, and insight beyond our own experience. (in)courage also creates Bible studies, books, a podcast, and devotionals to help women grow in their faith!
Empowered, the new devotional from (in)courage, invites you to come as you are–for real–and know that God cares about every aspect of your life.
Written by Mary Carver, Grace P. Cho, and Anna E. Rendell.
(Our humble thanks to Baker Publishing for partnership in this devotional today.)
