for valentine's day 2010

Today, to observe Valentine's Day, I want to re-run something I wrote in August 2008. It's called "Stop Hating Yourself; Let God Love You."

I hope it speaks to your heart. -Troy

I want to remind you that you cannot hold tight-fistedly to the lie that your life amounts to nothing and receive God’s love at the same time. For the love of God proclaims unequivocally: “You are of inestimable worth!” You need only stand like a child in front of a loving Father, knowing you need only to receive one thing: the love of the Father. And when you receive that one thing, you come to know, to really know, how deeply you are valued, cherished and loved.

The love of God imbues every human with dignity. All who come to Him, with head bowed low, undergo a wonderful transformation: Jesus, the Suffering Servant, lifts our head. We may even be blind, but fortunately, we need not sight to come to Him; He accepts us just as we are. He calls us, even in our frailty. And His call is all we need, for He calls to us with a clear, drawing voice: “Come, and I will give you rest. My yoke is easy, my burden is light.”

His voice is enough; we need only hear Him, but if we do have the capacity to see Him, we shall not see someone greater than us (though He, in fact, is)—no, we shall see someone just like us. The Son of God, in becoming a man, dignified Humanity. In becoming one of us, He showed His love for us. In loving us, He esteemed us. That is why you cannot simultaneously hate yourself and let Him love you. In doing one, you exclude the other. In letting Him love you, you come to know that you are worth loving.

So, the question you must ask yourself is: will you let Him love you? Indeed, this is the question I am asking myself right now; this is why I am writing this.

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.”

Stop hating yourself. Let God love you.