Walking the streets of India with my best friend Ashli she shared with me that she had learned from watching me that I am able to love others well because I love myself. She went on to explain that because I know my identity in Christ, it allows for me to love others. She is currently coming into her identity as lovely and learning to love herself and I am blessed to be a part of what God is doing in her. Check out her blog series here: http://ashliblackwell.theworldrace.org/?filename=isnt-she-lovely-part-1
I didn’t realize such a gift it was that God had secured my identity as Victorious and taught me to love myself. It is only because I allowed His grace and love to enter my life in such vast measures that I am able to love myself, it wasn’t always that way. I can love me because I have come to the understanding that HE loves me like crazy!
This all came together at debrief when my team heard from Rozy about how if you don’t have a secure identity or positive self-worth then you don’t have a very big inlet for the Lord’s love. She cupped her hands together only allowing a little circle of a space to represent the flow of God that would be poured out into someone with such a negative self-worth. She said to us, “but God loves you and the more you know you are loved then the more agape overwhelms you. With this overwhelming agape you are free to love others with agape. It comes straight from God to you and flows out on to others. The more you know you are loved, the more you can give without expecting to receive. Be secure in your identity, know you’re loved, receive agape, and let it pour out on others.”
I was blown away by her wisdom and the truth that was being shared with us. It is simple really. Love God and love others. Love others as yourself that is. But how do you love others if you don’t know how to love yourself. She didn’t leave us hanging; she gave us a place to start, renewing our mind. Get to know who God says you are. She recommended the book The Search for Significance, but if you can’t get a hold of that book then look up scripture about who God says you are! You are beloved, a royal priest hood, a holy nation, His workmanship, free, branch of the vine, a new creation, beautiful, strong, and most importantly a child of the king. You are royalty and highly loved. He claims you as His own. Get to know His character too. Love only comes from God and flows to the other and it doesn’t have to be reciprocated because it is not about you.
Rozy shared a really good example with us about how we need to know our identity and walk freely in it before we can love others. One time, she tied up her bible study girls around the wrists and feet and knees and put them on opposite ends of the room. Then she said okay love each other, come on give hugs, embrace one another. Well they stumbled out of their chairs and were falling over and they were a mess, there was no way they could embrace one another. When you are bound you can’t love; when you are free you are able to love. So get free! Find out who Jesus is and how much He adores you and what He calls you.
I want to focus on the love of God. When you focus on the love of God you don’t force others to love you back, you just love because you are free. As I love many, I want to be full of the love of God and then they don’t even have to say thank you because they are not the ones who fill me. His love fills me and overflows. I am only to carry the love of Jesus because I know who I am. None of this is because of me, I can’t take credit for grace, but there are some steps you can take to start the process of finding out who you are and how loved you are. In my journey to find out what God said about me I found so much freedom. My sophomore year at ONU I named off all the names I was no longer: dirty, unloved, inadequate, incapable, dumb, stained, and several others. In that moment, as I confessed before the Lord the names I had held on to for so long, He helped me let those go and He gave me a new name. (Rev 2:17). He said I call you Victorious. So that is the name I carry now! I am Victorious, daughter of the King.
Last night I dreamt the phrase Beloved I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. God affirmed His love for me over and over again. Today my team made me rest because we just completed four days of travel and 5 days of debrief which as logistics, Ben and I help to coordinate and make sure the whole shindig runs smoothly. I am resting in His love today and it feels so good. To know He delights in me, longs to spend time with me, and calls me Victorious makes my heart full. It is out of this fullness of His love that I am able to give to my team, to my family, to my boyfriend, to my friends, to my squad, and to all those I encounter. The last words from the wise Rozy that I want to share, “We act out what we believe. We reflect love if we feel loved. If we feel loved then we show love and perceive love from others.” I am so thankful for the reminder in the dream that I am loved. You are also loved, so deeply loved, bathe in that today. The Lord wants us to be secure in our identity so that we can all soak in the light of His love and reflect back out the same love to those in our presence.
