As a little girl, my favorite movie was “Beauty and the Beast.” I would wear my bright yellow dress to look just like Belle as my Dad would sing the song, “Tale as old as time…” while I walked slowly and elegantly down our staircase.
We would dance, and laugh, and in that moment…I felt like the prettiest girl in the world. It’s a memory I will never forget…being a little girl adored by her dad, a feeling that can never be replaced.
Over the years I’ve spent time with friends who have searched their whole lives for this feeling. They never received the love and admiration from their dad, so they began looking for it everywhere else.
This past Sunday as we went deeper into the idea of a godly Christian family that requires wise leadership, I thought about all the people out there who simply wanted to hear from their dad, “I’m proud of you” or “I love you,” but never got to hear it.
And as we seek to embrace and know the love of our Heavenly Father, how do we truly grasp on to it? How do we live like we are loved?
It’s a question I’ve been asking for awhile, because even though at times I know I am loved by Him, I have a hard time embracing this and living in a way that carries confidence in His love for me. I feel so unworthy.
Do you ever feel that? Like you’re not sure why He picked you?
There’s an overwhelming feeling of gratitude, but there is also a lingering feeling of disbelief…like why would He ever choose a sinner like me?
But the more I think about this, the more I realize that this is the exact reason that makes His love so great.
Romans 5:8 tells us, that Christ loved us and died for us “while we were yet sinners.”
He chose love while we were still in sin. He chose love in our ugliness and shame and disobedience. He chose to pursue us like a little girl twirling in front of her dad with a bright yellow dress. His delight for us and love for us infinite.
It’s hard to believe that He chose us, but that is what makes His love as a Father so wonderful…so worthy, and so desirable. That kind of love is simply beyond what our human minds can grasp.
If you’ve been hurt by a father figure in your life, can I first sit with you and say that I am truly sorry? Sorry doesn’t even seem like the right word to use. But what I mean is, that God never desired for you to experience this kind of deep pain. He never delights in your suffering. While He might allow circumstances to unfold in your life, His heart is to see you whole again.
In pursuit of that wholeness, I do believe He is asking something new of you now…I believe He wants you to grasp on to His love with everything you have. To actually believe that He is a good, good Father. To not be afraid to let go and let Him in. His love will change you in the best possible way.
Let me leave you with these words from Cory Asbury’s song, ‘Dear God’, as we think about this kind of love. It is a beautiful letter between our heavenly Father and His child. The third verse goes something like this:
“Dear child,
I hope you know how much I love you and I’m proud of you.
And please believe, the thoughts I have for you
Will never change or fade away.
And when you felt like giving up…
I never did.
Cause I’m not scared of imperfections,
Or the questions in your head,
Just know that you have always been enough.”
Is it possible that God is asking you to see yourself the way He sees you, to dance in front of Him, to laugh and play and feel His proud and adoring gaze?
And at the end of our lives, I hope we can run to His arms the way He desires us to. I hope we can accept Him as a good and faithful father, with no strings attached, knowing that He is simply good, and we can depend on that love more than we could ever imagine.
We would dance, and laugh, and in that moment…I felt like the prettiest girl in the world. It’s a memory I will never forget…being a little girl adored by her dad, a feeling that can never be replaced.
Over the years I’ve spent time with friends who have searched their whole lives for this feeling. They never received the love and admiration from their dad, so they began looking for it everywhere else.
This past Sunday as we went deeper into the idea of a godly Christian family that requires wise leadership, I thought about all the people out there who simply wanted to hear from their dad, “I’m proud of you” or “I love you,” but never got to hear it.
And as we seek to embrace and know the love of our Heavenly Father, how do we truly grasp on to it? How do we live like we are loved?
It’s a question I’ve been asking for awhile, because even though at times I know I am loved by Him, I have a hard time embracing this and living in a way that carries confidence in His love for me. I feel so unworthy.
Do you ever feel that? Like you’re not sure why He picked you?
There’s an overwhelming feeling of gratitude, but there is also a lingering feeling of disbelief…like why would He ever choose a sinner like me?
But the more I think about this, the more I realize that this is the exact reason that makes His love so great.
Romans 5:8 tells us, that Christ loved us and died for us “while we were yet sinners.”
He chose love while we were still in sin. He chose love in our ugliness and shame and disobedience. He chose to pursue us like a little girl twirling in front of her dad with a bright yellow dress. His delight for us and love for us infinite.
It’s hard to believe that He chose us, but that is what makes His love as a Father so wonderful…so worthy, and so desirable. That kind of love is simply beyond what our human minds can grasp.
If you’ve been hurt by a father figure in your life, can I first sit with you and say that I am truly sorry? Sorry doesn’t even seem like the right word to use. But what I mean is, that God never desired for you to experience this kind of deep pain. He never delights in your suffering. While He might allow circumstances to unfold in your life, His heart is to see you whole again.
In pursuit of that wholeness, I do believe He is asking something new of you now…I believe He wants you to grasp on to His love with everything you have. To actually believe that He is a good, good Father. To not be afraid to let go and let Him in. His love will change you in the best possible way.
Let me leave you with these words from Cory Asbury’s song, ‘Dear God’, as we think about this kind of love. It is a beautiful letter between our heavenly Father and His child. The third verse goes something like this:
“Dear child,
I hope you know how much I love you and I’m proud of you.
And please believe, the thoughts I have for you
Will never change or fade away.
And when you felt like giving up…
I never did.
Cause I’m not scared of imperfections,
Or the questions in your head,
Just know that you have always been enough.”
Is it possible that God is asking you to see yourself the way He sees you, to dance in front of Him, to laugh and play and feel His proud and adoring gaze?
And at the end of our lives, I hope we can run to His arms the way He desires us to. I hope we can accept Him as a good and faithful father, with no strings attached, knowing that He is simply good, and we can depend on that love more than we could ever imagine.
Erika Pizzo
Erika is an author of various books on the topics of faith, mental health, and victory in Christ. She also hosts the weekly podcast “Temple Care” where she provides regular messages of encouragement. Erika lives with her husband, daughter, son, and their fluffy poodle in sunny Southern California. Her two favorite things are a visit to the beach and a chai latte in hand.