Not everyone struggles with believing they are worthy. Not everyone struggles with knowing they are loved. But many of us learned we are unlovable because of our actions, our failures, our innate inability to be perfect.

We try to make up for our imperfections by striving. Trying to prove we aren’t as bad as we seem.

Or we do the opposite and freeze in the belief we aren’t capable so we embrace their failures and don’t risk trying anymore.

I’ve been in both circumstances.

There is a third way: Trusting that we are loved as we are, beyond what we do or don’t do. Trusting God loved us even before Jesus died for us (many are taught it is because Jesus died that God loves us and I don’t think that is biblical, after all it is because God loved the world and everyone in it that Jesus came… that is a different post). Trusting we are valuable and worthy and audaciously choosing to believe THAT message when the other voices tell us otherwise.

For me, rest is the audacious act of trusting I don’t have to keep producing to be loved. Rest is the act that grounds me in God’s love when I step out to do work. Rest is a way to love myself when all else is painful and difficult.

We are in the midst of incredibly stressful times. What is one way you can rest in the truth that you are loved? What prevents you from resting? How can I encourage you, today?