The heart moves us in ways we can’t explain.

When we love our sport or team or our coach, it’s easy to put our all into everything we do. We’re willing to work hard, put in long hours and go the extra mile, because our love and respect for those around us drives us to do our best. We are compelled to excellence by our heart’s desire to please the ones from whom we want approval.

The pressure to perform for approval, however, poses a bit of a problem. We can rise or fall on the whim of someone’s feelings, and our identity can sometimes get wrapped up in what others think of us. What they deem as our value, good or bad, we believe.

What if you knew that no matter what you did, your value wouldn’t change? What if you knew that you are already valued and loved, just as you are? What if you recognized God’s heart for you in everything — how you live out your days recognizing everything in Christ? 

You Are Already Loved

God, who set the earth on its axis and swung the stars in motion, set His sights on you and smiled. We are human beings created in the image of the triune God, and He was pleased to call His creation very good (Genesis 1:31).

God’s love is pure, unchanging, steadfast, and honest. And He’s poured out His perfect love for us again and again in new mercies each morning. There is nothing we can do that separates us from the passionate, relentless, pure love of God.

He sees you and knows everything about you. And He loves you just the same.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

You are loved. And not just in a standard, all-encompassing generic way. The God of the universe, who created you intentionally, loves you intentionally, unconditionally, and immeasurably. You are never alone — He has poured out His perfect love over you and longs for you to receive this love. He went to the ends of the earth to rescue you from your sin by sending Jesus to live a perfect life, die the death we deserved, and lifting Him up to have authority over death and sin. He brought you into His family because He loves you, and you have always been on His heart when He thought up His redemption plan.

How does God love us?

Personally

The Creator of all things knows everything about us. He knows what we like, what we fear, our hopes, the color of our eyes, and the troublesome move in our sport we can’t quite master yet. He knew where you would be born, the town where you currently live, the people in your family, and the people you’ll meet along your journey. There is no part of your life that takes Him by surprise. God is invested in you personally. And He is closer to you than you can imagine. When you feel sad, He’s there. When you’re unsure, He’s there. When you want to share something exciting, He’s ready to hear. God wants to be with you in every mood because He made you with a heart that feels and a mind that thinks, and He wants to be in close relationship with you.

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations. Jeremiah 1:5

Graciously

There is nothing God won’t do to show His love. He’s already graciously given us the best gift of all — a right-standing relationship with Him through the death and resurrection of Jesus. While we were dead in our sins, God brought us to life through His Son. God came to us, forsaking His divine holiness, to breathe, think, and act like us so that we may be saved and have a High Priest interceding for us who has been tempted and tried just like us. Jesus empathizes with us in our weakness to be made strong in God’s love. We don’t deserve anything, yet God through Jesus has given us everything. He is extravagantly gracious to us, and He doesn’t demand anything of us, but deeply hopes we turn to Him and return His love.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) Ephesians 2:4-5

Abundantly

When we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord and He takes away our sin, we are adopted into God’s family. And as sons and daughters of the King, we enjoy the blessings of being in God’s family. He lavishly loves us and gives us His presence through the Holy Spirit, and we get to take comfort in knowing our Father has our best interests in mind, and that everything He does for us, He does in love.

As children of God, we are also heirs to a glorious inheritance — together with Him for eternity. We live out of victory and freedom and have the honor of living out our days honoring Him. God can do more than we can ask or imagine, and He likes it when we turn to Him to help us in our seemingly impossible situations and watch Him go to work on our behalf. There is no better place to be than in the strong, capable and loving arms of our Father.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

There is nothing you can do that will turn the Father’s love away. God is love, and He longs to share His love with you and have you share His love with your team, community, and family. He is for you, and He pursues a personal relationship with you.

Don’t worry about what others think about you. You’re already deeply loved. Live like it.

Sarah Freymuth is the Communications Manager for Fellowship of Christian Athletes and writes content for blogs, articles, Bible reading plans, and devotionals that share God’s heart with coaches and athletes. She played softball for Concordia University Wisconsin, is in their Hall of Fame, and has led FCA Huddles since high school.