“Your beloved-ness is your spiritual super power to confront temporal rejection with eternal acceptance.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – January 24, 2022
And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased. Luke 3:22, NKJV
Some days I do not feel like a beloved child of God. I feel shame. I feel guilt. I feel rejection. I feel anger. In these moments of emotional upheaval, I am better off when I hit the emotional pause button and pray. I try to pray honest prayers: Lord my feelings are haunting me right now, please renew my mind and comfort my heart with your truth and love. Where I have sinned, I confess and ask for your forgiveness. Where I have doubts grow my faith. Henri Nouwen helps me with his insights on my beloved-ness: Personally, as my struggle reveals, I don’t often feel like a beloved child of God. But I know that is my most primal identity and I know that I must choose it above and beyond my hesitation. Beloved is the Lord’s brand for who I am!
We easily accept Jesus’ beloved-ness—after all—He’s God’s son. And this truth was made evident with a heavenly announcement at His baptism. Jesus, a beloved son, yes, but are we really the Lord’s beloved child? How can this be? Beautifully, in God’s loving manner, once we place our trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are baptized into Christ. Yes! We are immersed into the beloved-ness of the Son of God, risen to walk in newness of life as a beloved child of God!
“Therefore, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4, NKJV).
Are you living life out of the reality of being a beloved child of God risen to walk in newness of life? Beloved, since your sins are buried in Christ’s forgiveness, you are raised to walk in His righteous life. Beloved, since your shame and guilt are buried in Christ’s healing love, you are raised to walk with a heart made whole. Beloved, since your anxiety and worry are buried in Christ’s peace, you are raised to walk with quiet confidence in Him. Your beloved-ness is your spiritual super power to confront temporal rejection with eternal acceptance.
I’ll leave you with some more of Nouwen’s nuggets of wisdom: You are a full member of the human family, having been known before you were conceived and molded in your mother’s womb. In times when you feel bad about yourself, try to choose to remain true to the truth of who you really are. Look in the mirror each day and claim your true identity. Act ahead of your feelings and one day your feelings will match your convictions. Choose now and continue to choose this incredible truth. As a spiritual practice claim and reclaim your primal identity as beloved daughter or son of a personal Creator. You are beloved and beautiful to your Beloved!
“I am my beloved’s, And my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies” (Song of Solomon 6:3, NKJV).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I accept and celebrate my beloved-ness in You, through Christ’s love and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
What situation am I facing that requires me to pause and pray, resting in who I am as a beloved child of God, in whom He is well pleased?
Related Reading
Psalm 108:6, 127:2; Matthew 17:4-6; Ephesians 1:6; Colossians 3:12
Worship Resource
Jonathan Ogden feat. Kindred Worship: Jesus My Beloved
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