Knowing Who You Are Lowers Your Stress
By Rick Warren
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1 (NIV)
We are living in stressful times. More than ever, we need to learn resilience so that we can do what God has called us to do. That’s why the first step to being resilient is to remember how much God loves you. That’s the antidote to stress!
Part of fulfilling our purpose is becoming more like Jesus. And Jesus had no doubt in his mind that God the Father loved him. He talked about it over and over in verses like John 10:17, which says, “The Father loves me” (NLT).
Knowing and remembering that God has unconditional, extravagant, continuous, and never-ending love for you, just like he did for Jesus, is the foundation of a resilient life. As Paul says, “I am convinced that neither death nor life . . . nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39 NIV). We can be resilient, knowing that we can never be separated from God’s love.
You may be thinking, “Well, of course God loves Jesus. That’s his Son.” But did you know that Jesus says the same thing about his love for you as God’s daughter or son? In John 15:9-10, Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love” (NIV).
Understanding how much God loves you is the basis of your personal security. If you are not convinced that God loves you at all times—unconditionally and completely—then you’re going to be easy prey for the disapproval of other people. You’re going to be a people pleaser.
But when you are secure in who you are as God’s child—when you understand and accept how God feels about you—then you can face difficult times with confidence and less stress.
When you need to be reminded of how much God loves you, just look to his Word.
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1 NIV).
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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