“We are not what we do, we are not what we have, we are not what others think of us. Coming home is claiming the truth. I am the beloved child of a loving Creator.”
The spiritual writer Henri Nouwen wrote this quote when speaking about faith in the modern world. I think they’re worth holding and remembering: You are the Beloved of the God.
But what if, like me, you’re pretty imperfect, and you’re going through something or working on yourself? You are the Beloved.
What if you’re stressed out, or overwhelmed? You are the Beloved
What if you made a breakthrough, got the promotion or things are just going well? That’s great! Anyways, you are the Beloved.
In less religious words, maybe you hold on to something similar: “you are enough,” and I can affirm that is a wonderful and necessary message to hold. If you’re caught in the losing game of comparing yourself to others, or feeling the pressure to prove your worth, or trying to pick up the pieces after a crisis, it’s good to remind yourself it’s true: you are enough.
As a Christian, I want to take that further. Because “you are enough” is a response to the message “you are not enough,” it suggests in some way that you aren’t, don’t have or have not done enough. But this is a reaction to someone else’s understanding or your understanding of yourself.
It’s important to learn to deal with those understandings, but as Christians we focus on how God sees us. 1 John 3:1 says, “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are.” We are the Beloved Children of a loving creator, who loved us enough to give us a redeemer in Jesus Christ, and who loves us still by sending the spirit to move in our lives.
I’ll be the first to say that often religion can do the very opposite of this message and instead cause people to feel they are lacking, or not good enough. In the Christian faith, too many people have experienced guilt, anxiety or shame around how well they do or don’t practice the faith.
I can’t speak for anyone else. But I still can’t let go of that identity. In the letters of the New Testament, you’ll continually see the term “beloved.” That’s both a term of endearment and an identity. For example, in 1 John 4:7, in a letter to a church community in crisis, John writes “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”
You are not what you have. You are not how you feel, or how you make others feel. I’d also add that you are not what you contribute (or don’t) to the world around you. You are not your worst day or your greatest success. In a world that wants us to see others as enemies, or competitors, or means to an end, this is grace.
From my view, it’s hard to say anything beyond “you are enough” if you don’t believe in or care about God. This is one of the reasons I believe: because there is something more to this world, and that “something” loves you, and wants to be known by you, no matter who you are. It’s not easy. This requires faith and trust to believe.
You are the Beloved of God. God feels a certain way about and has plans for you, to never leave or forsake you, to walk with you on your worst days, to help you live, and to serve others and God’s whole world.
In the Christian faith, we believe that in Christ, you are more than enough, you are on the receiving end of the grace of God, who loves you and wants to be in your life. And our God wants to give you that love, so that you can pass it right along to those who need it. So no matter what you have, think, feel, or do — you are the Beloved.
Ogg is the pastor of Congregational-Presbyterian Church in Lewiston.
