Here's the point: God's love isn't something you earn, so it isn't something you can lose. It doesn't go up when you ace the test or down when you mess up. It was settled before you did anything.
Why love can feel like a test
A lot of us live like love has to be earned. Good grades make parents proud. Being funny gets people to want you around. Making the team means you matter. Mess up, and you're not sure where you stand.
That's exhausting, because you can never stop performing. There's always a next test, a next game, a next chance to fall short.
What Romans 5 actually says
Paul describes a different kind of love:
"But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Read that slowly. While we were still sinners. Not after we cleaned up. Not once we were impressive enough. Paul even points out how unusual this is. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to. Jesus gave His life for people who weren't good at all.
So God's love for you isn't a reward. It's a gift. You didn't earn it, so a bad day can't take it away.
That doesn't mean what you do doesn't matter. It does. But you can stop doing things to become loved, and start doing things because you are loved. That's a much lighter way to live.
Try this today
Pick one thing you've been stressing about proving yourself in. It could be school, sports, a friendship or how you look. Before you start, say quietly:
"I'm already loved. I'm doing this from that, not for that."
Questions to think about
- What am I working hardest at right now, and is part of me trying to prove I'm worth something?
- What would change if I believed my worth was already settled?
This was Day 3 of a seven-day study, and you can read the whole thing here: Who Am I, Really? The short video that goes with this post is on our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@fernbugbooks.
