Unshackled Moments ~ August 21, 2018 ~ Rest In Security

It happens more often with guys I think, but I have seen both men and women who don't seem to care about how they look until someone sees past the mess. Suddenly someone thinks they are special and attractive despite the way they care for their appearance, and before long they look a lot better. Guys start combing their hair and wearing something other than old work jeans and white T-shirts. You get the idea. On the flip side of that are the ones you see that are impeccable every minute and obsessed with looking right, wearing stylish clothes, etc. They fall in love and the joke is that they let themselves go. They don't seem to care as much anymore.

I personally feel both of these situations are positive and an awesome place to be. While they may be opposite reactions, they are both reactions to feeling comfortable and confident in being loved. I recently saw an episode of Gilmore Girls where one of the characters said she was still in the newly wed stage where both of them woke up early to brush their teeth and snuck back into bed as though they were above morning breath. That's not comfortable. There's no rest in that. If you love someone and they love you, you need to be able to drop the mask and be yourself. You need to be able to relax. Love isn't a constant battle of trying to impress or be or appear good enough. So when someone knows they are loved, it can take that pressure to earn approval off. They are loved. At their best. At their worst. They can simply be. It's a wonderful place to be.

And it's not that the ones who suddenly start caring are seeking approval or putting on masks. They feel loved and cared about so that makes them care more about themselves. They love, so they want to make the person they love happy and want to feel attractive to the person who attracts them. When I wear a shirt and tie that I know Leah likes, it's not because I am afraid she won't love me if I don't. It's just I love that smile and the way she looks at me when I wear it.

Wanting to make our partner happy and look attractive to them but also being able to relax and not pretend or hide or both natural side effects of being in a loving and secure relationship. If this is true of our human relationships and make us much more secure in who we are and yet accepting of who we are, how much more so can we be content in relationship with Christ. We don't have to wear masks and pretend with God. He knows the truth about us better than we do anyway. We can't hide our morning breath from Him, so we might as well relax and drop the religious act of self righteousness and pretending we are better than we are. At the same time though, knowing how He cares for us makes us feel special and loved and valued, which in turn makes us want to behave and care for ourselves like we have value. His love for us inspires us to do the things that make Him happy, not to earn His love, but because we are loved.

If you find it hard to care or treat yourself like  you are worthless, there is a relationship that can transform your world. And if you are tired of the effort of trying to live with your best foot forward afraid to let your true self slip out and show up, there is rest and peace in that same love. We are called to come into that relationship that is filled with rest and marked by peace, joy and love. The secret is in catching a glimpse of the truth that you are not worthless. You mean everything to Him. But you don't have to earn that love or perform and keep up appearances to keep it. He loves us as we are, not as we should be.


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