In Jesus’ prayer for us in John 17, He prays that we may know that God loves us As Much As He loves Jesus.

That’s staggering. We are loved this deeply by The King of Heaven and Earth!

The reality is the enemy attacks what is valuable, beautiful, and good. Therefore, He creates doubt, uncertainty, and questions in our hearts and mind about God, ourselves, and others.

Yet, we are warriors. We are deeply loved beyond measure. We have a profound eternal inheritance, and we are made with profound purpose.

We don’t have to be distracted and pulled away by the cares and worries of this world. They are real, no doubt, but the greater reality is these things don’t have to intimidate us to the point we surrender our hearts, abandon all hope, and allow fear to overshadow our faith.

Jesus asks the questions, “what are you looking for, and what is it you want from me”?

How we answer these from the heart says so much about our hearts.

Thankfully, God is in the “healing hearts” business, and this is a continual process throughout our lifetime. Creating in us healthy, holy, and hungry hearts for all that is Truth.

This means the enemy, the world, and our flesh don’t have to call the shots and create the chaos so many of us endure and consider the norm.

It’s been said that hurting people hurt people and that healing people help others heal. I have been in both categories, and know which I prefer and want to grow more into.

Healing may not remove our hurts, but it can turn them for a greater purpose – and it all begins with knowing how dearly loved we truly are, and refusing to believe the lies otherwise.

For the deeper we understand God’s love for us, the deeper our humility, the deeper our hope, the deeper our gratitude, and the deeper our love for ourselves and for others grows.

The hardest thing for me about all this is the vulnerability and exposure of it all. It feels so risky to love others this way, for fear of abuse, judgment, rejection, obligation, and even my own pride. But as I learn to do so, I find these things are also being shattered and stripped away, revealing what they truly are – lies and captivity.

Then rises my shame. The internal guilt that comes from the pits of hell that I’m unworthy of such love. Which is true, but yet also a lie.

We may be unworthy – but Jesus’ love shatters that too, as He chooses us. To loves us and teach us how to live out this love and the freedom it brings. Risky? Perhaps, but oh so rewarding!