Maybe you’ve collected some negative labels of your own over the years? All of us have fallen short in various ways, and some of us have experienced trauma not of our own choosing. It can be tempting to allow these things to tell us who we are, but names that keep us stuck and discouraged are not from God.

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Ephesians explaining that even before the world was created, God had set His eyes on–and chosen–us. Imagine standing in a crowd and having the God of the universe point His finger at you and declare, “I choose you.” This is what He does every day of our lives.

So, my response was to work harder, read more, pray longer. And soon my relationship with God became a legalistic ritual that no longer brought me joy. And that is not God’s intention for the spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible study. The good news of the gospel is that God’s love doesn’t depend on us.