I would imagine that every single team member at Christian Family Care would be willing to check the following:
✓ God is worthy to be loved.
Even when particularly painful times happen. When tragedy strikes our foster families or kids. When the world we live in, and the people who live in it, show themselves as less than ideal.
I wonder if you feel the same way about yourself. When you look in the mirror, do you see yourself as worthy to serve God? How about worthy to be loved by God? Especially when we, ourselves, are less than ideal. What are your thoughts about that?
In my family, we have started policing ourselves when we use the word “just” in our prayers. Tim Hawkins has a great comedy routine making fun of the tendency. “Lord, we just ask that you just bless, well, just our efforts today….” It’s funny, but it’s not. Because oftentimes we see ourselves as a “poor sinner, just saved by grace.” Just, meaning “no more than,” instead of just, meaning “well-founded.” Is that all?
There was a time I would’ve had no problem with that self-diagnosis. But the more I understand of Jesus, his commission, his mandate to be his hands and feet—and his love for me, whether it’s a good day or bad—the more I think that we are selling ourselves, and him, short. After all, he pronounced his hit-and-miss disciples as intimates and made them his life investment. He counted you and me even more blessed, as we have never seen him, but still believe. And by believing and acting upon that belief, we are his disciples, too.
But I want to ask you again: are you worthy to be loved by your Lord? Don’t give me the rehearsed, religious answer. Give me your truth. And then act on it. You are so worthy of God’s love today—whatever today looks like. And so are the people whom you will invest this day. We’re just made that way. Go and love, likewise.
-Greg