God Loves You Even When You Don’t Feel Worthy

A few years ago, an epic parenting failure left me feeling like the worst mom in the world. I imagine you’ve had a few of your own failures—moments when it was hard to believe that God loves you in the middle of your messiest moments.

The evening of my failure, the sun was sinking low.

It was time to clean up the house and relax for a few minutes before going to bed. I’d put away the toys three times throughout the day, and I told five-year-old Bekah it was her turn.

I was ready to crash onto the couch and clock out for the day.

On cue, our sweet girl put away every toy—except for one. Instead of stashing the magnetic drawing board in its spot, she plopped it directly on top of my legs as I reclined on the couch.

“I told you to put these toys away!” I unfurled. “How dare you drop this last toy on top of me instead of putting it away!”

Immediately, tears filled Bekah’s eyes. Instead of gently responding to her in a loving way, I continued on my rant. “Don’t you dare throw one more fit today! I’m tired of the fits,” I barked.

Shaking her head furiously, she pointed at the drawing board. “Read it,” she whimpered.

My heart melted as I read the words she’d written on the drawing board: “I love you, Mom. U R the bestest mom ever.”

God Loves You Even When You Don’t Feel Worthy

Needless to say, I didn’t feel like the best mom ever. I profusely apologized to Bekah, loved her as well as I could throughout the remainder of our day together, and slinked off to bed feeling like the worst mom in the world. As I picked up my Bible for my evening reading, no part of me wanted to draw close to God. I didn’t feel worthy of his love.

Almost immediately, the words of Romans 5:8 came to mind: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I was reminded that even when I mess up—even when I don’t feel worthy of God’s love—his love remains. Regardless of whether I feel God’s love, he still goes on loving me. He proved his love—once and for all—when Jesus died on the cross for me.

We all experience times when we don’t feel lovable. Romans 5:8 reminds us that regardless of whether we feel loved, God demonstrated his love, once and for all, when he allowed his beloved Son to die for us.

The next time you feel unlovable, remind yourself that God loves you unconditionally—even when you don’t feel his love. The cross is proof of his love, and nothing can take his love away from you.

~~~

As for my relationship with Bekah, she’s 11 now, and I’ve failed her more than once since that sad evening with the drawing board. But by the grace of God, we keep loving one another through our failures, and we are growing stronger with each year.

Your Invitation to Soak in God’s Love

I invite you to rest with the Lord for a moment, and allow your thoughts to settle. Now, imagine your most precious loved one. Relish in thoughts of everything you love about this cherished person.

Imagine sending your most precious loved one to suffer and die on behalf of another person. Reflect on the fact that there could be no greater demonstration of love. God wants you to know that he loves you so much that he sent his beloved Child to die in your place. There is no greater demonstration of love. Bask in this truth before you move on to the next part of your day. This truth holds the power to transform your life.

A Free Devotional Book to Help You Bask in God’s Love:

God wants to speak into your life. Will you respond to his invitation today? I have a gift to help you respond today: My 10-day online devotional Fan the Flame. This devotional offers dozens of practical ways to connect with God and hear what he wants to speak to you. Click here, and I will send this devotional directly to your email inbox.

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Calling all moms and daughters!

Additionally, my teen daughter, Bekah, and I are passionate about helping moms and daughters grow closer while connecting with God. We have written two mother-daughter devotionals together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section after each devotion.

Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, purity, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. We will help you!

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