Hi friends!!
Yesterday I attended “Home Night” at The Living Room at Woodstock City Church. The Living Room is the college ministry I attend and Home Night happens once a semester and on that night we celebrate baptisms!! It’s the best night of the semester in my opinion.
Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. It’s a beautiful symbol of being washed clean through Jesus. He died to save us and gave us new life. When we’re baptized, we’re being raised to new life with Jesus. It’s a public declaration of our faith and it’s so incredibly beautiful.
I myself got baptized in August 2016 in the fall of my senior year of high school. It was an incredibly special day that I’ll never forget. I’ve struggled with self-worth and acceptance all throughout my life but especially through high school. It took me a LOONNNGGG time to realize that God meets me where I am. I don’t have to go through a 12 step process to be accepted or check items off a to-do list to be loved by Him. He loves me simply for being me. His love overpowers all the mistakes I’ve made, all the wrong choices I’ve made; it overpowers ALL of my sins.
Realizing that I am worthy of love and acceptance is something that I’ve struggled with all my life. In school, and in work I’ve felt like I’ve had to be perfect, never making any mistakes, always happy and positive, not showing any weakness. I had this unspoken expectation that showing weakness and failure made me less worthy. I didn’t want people to see my flaws, because I was scared that if they did, they wouldn’t want me. That they’d reject me and turn away from me. I was putting on this image of perfection. I was playing the role I thought I was expected to play! Boy was I wrong!! Through doing that, I wasn’t allowing people to see the real me. To see the girl who is broken, gets sad sometimes, who makes mistakes, who by all accounts is nowhere near perfection, but despite all these flaws is totally and completely LOVED by Jesus.
Originally I had planned to get baptized my sophomore year of high school. I had met with our Pastor, talked about what baptizing meant and what it symbolized and I was ready to go. Then Sunday morning came and I was frozen with fear. I felt that I was projecting a lie. Lies were swarming around in my head telling me “You shouldn’t do this.” “Don’t get baptized because you’ll be faking it.” “Jesus didn’t die for you, you just think that he did but he didn’t mean it”., and the biggest one “You aren’t worthy of love.” That Sunday morning my dad drove me to church and through sobs and tears, I told the Pastor that I couldn’t be baptized that day. They asked me “why” but I couldn’t tell them because I was so scared they would agree with me and tell me that it was a mistake to be baptized.
Looking back on that now I feel silly for thinking that. It’s true, I am not worthy of being saved by Christ. None of us are. We’ve sinned countless times and unfortunately, that leads to eternal separation from God. BUT! There’s one simple truth that overpowers that harsh reality and here it is:
JESUS LOVES US!!
Jesus loves us! He loves DESPITE our flaws, DESPITE our mistakes, DESPITE all of our sins, HE LOVES US UNCONDITIONALLY!
Jesus came down from perfect Heaven and gave HIS LIFE for all of us. He went an endured suffering and pain and then died on a cross so that we could know and experience what true love is! So that we could have ETERNAL LIFE with Him! That’s pretty amazing.
These past few months, while I’ve been preparing for the Race, God has been teaching me about worth. I’ve come a long way since that Sunday morning sophomore year. I have made strides in my self-confidence and self-worth. I have learned that my worth is not defined by who my friends are, by the car I drive, or by the iPhone I have. My worth is not defined by worldly things. I have learned that Jesus alone deems me worthy of His love, and that’s the greatest gift I could ever receive. By no means am I perfect or even close to it but Jesus loves me DESPITE that. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are still times where I struggle. I make mistakes. I question. I doubt. But then I remember that I am saved by Jesus Christ. The Creator of the Universe!!! The Almighty God! The Ultimate King!
Last night at the end of the baptism service we sang Phil Wickham’s song “Living Hope”. If you haven’t heard it I highly recommend it (and I’ll link it at the bottom of this post). One verse sings:
“Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame
The cross has spoken, I am forgiven
The King of kings calls me His own
Beautiful Savior, I’m Yours forever
Jesus Christ, my living hope”
The line “What heart could fathom such boundless grace?” really got to me. Boundless Grace. If there were ever two words to describe Jesus, I’d pick those two. Jesus’s grace really is boundless. His grace is present at all times even when we feel it isn’t. And yes it’s true, we don’t deserve it but Jesus loves us too much DESPITE all our sins. HE. LOVES. US.
Eternally. Without Ceasing. Forever.
The fourteen people who committed their lives to Christ last night are worthy of Jesus’ love. I am worthy of Jesus’ love. YOU are worthy of Jesus’ love. The cross says so. Jesus says so.
This post wasn’t really World Race oriented, but I felt God calling me to write about it. Maybe you’re questioning your worth, wondering if you’re really worthy of being loved. Friend, there’s a one-word answer to that question.
Yes.
You are worthy. Jesus loves you and Jesus says you are worthy. Jesus died for you. Jesus came to save you! Jesus declares you are cherished, loved and WORTHY!
