You Are Not Hard to Love

God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved. — Ephesians 2:4–5 ESV

I’ve believed this lie for many years: You are too hard to love.

And here are a few more lies I’ve held on to: You’re not enough. You’re too much. And you’re way too broken for people to love.

I’m not sure when these lies began to take root, but I find myself fighting them constantly. Maybe at some point I didn’t feel important to someone who was important to me. Or maybe someone I loved dismissed my attempts to seek love and acceptance. No matter how these began, they have led me to believe that I’m too much for people to love, which has caused me to try and get love through pleasing other people. And by now, we all know people-pleasing is an endless quest that’ll never fill the hole in our hearts the way we so desperately want it to.

After years of fighting, I’ve learned how to combat the lies that tell me I can’t be loved: I replace them with God’s truth every single day.

And His truth says:

You are not too hard to love.

Those who didn’t love you the way they should have were probably broken in their own ways, struggling with the same need for love.

• You are not too much for Jesus.

He sees every part of you and hasn’t changed His mind about loving you. Nothing can separate you from His love.

~ Britt

People-pleasing is an endless quest that’ll never fill the hole in our hearts.

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The Freedom Framework

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. he was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” — John 8:44

In Scripture, Jesus described Satan as the “father of lies” (John 8:44). And as you can see in today’s verse, it says that when the Enemy lies, “he speaks his native language.”

Here’s something I’ve noticed about the Enemy’s lies: they’re often the direct opposite of what God says. There is absolutely no truth in Satan.

• Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

Here’s something else I’ve noticed: lies aren’t just things that are spoken to us. Lies are also false beliefs we allow to fester in our hearts that can destroy our peace and leave us wounded.

You could believe a lie your entire life and function out of a deeply wounded place and not realize it until you compare the lie to the truth. Let’s break it down:

Lie: I’m less loved or worthy with more fat on my body.
How I act on the lie: I starve and abuse my body.
How it affects my life: I hide from people because I hate how I look.
The wound it leaves: I hate the body that God gave me.
Truth: I’m who God made me to be (Psalm 139:13–14).
How I act on the truth: I take care of my body and glorify God with it (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
How the truth affects my life: I am free from the weight of the expectations of others and the number on the scale. My true worth is hidden in Christ (Colossians 3:3).
The healing I receive: I love my body, and I’m thankful for it every day.

The next time you begin to feel bad about yourself, stop and think for a second. Are you believing the father of lies? Or do you need to remember what your heavenly Father, the Father of truth, is telling you? Break it down, and you’ll see His truth.

~ Britt

Excerpted with permission from There’s Beauty in Your Brokenness by Brittany Maher and Cassandra Speer, copyright Brittany Maher and Cassandra Speer.

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Your Turn

Are you believing lies? What are they? Break the lie down and ask yourself what God says. Nothing can separate you from His love! You are His joy and His delight! Come share your thoughts with us. We want to hear from you! ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full