You Are Not a Disappointment to God

Scripture: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future with a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Scripture: “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it in you.” (Philippians 1:6)

Scripture: “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20)

Scripture: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

Dear friends,

May the peace, presence, and tenderness of Jesus rest upon each of you today. There is something the Lord has been speaking over and over again to His children: You are beloved. Not tolerated. Not barely accepted. Not hired servants trying desperately to earn His approval. You are beloved sons and daughters, securely held in the Heart of the Father.

So many of us live as though God's love is fragile. We walk on eggshells spiritually, afraid that one failure, one bad decision, or one struggle will somehow disqualify us from His affection. But the Father's love is not fragile because God Himself is not fragile. He knows exactly who He is, and He knows exactly who you are. Nothing about your life surprises Him. Nothing about your weaknesses shocks Him. He formed you, created you, and lovingly fashioned every detail of your being.

IMPORTANT FACT #1: You are not a disappointment to God.

The enemy would love for us to believe that God is perpetually frustrated with us, sighing in exasperation every time we fail. But this is simply not true. God is not wringing His hands over your life. He is not caught off guard by your humanity. He knows you through and through, and still He says yes to you. Still He calls you His own. Still He pursues you with relentless love.

Think for a moment about the story of the prodigal son. The son rehearsed his speech the whole journey home. He planned to grovel. He planned to earn his place back. Shame convinced him that he was no longer worthy to be called a son. Yet before he could even finish his speech, the father came running toward him. Arms open wide. Full of compassion. Full of delight.

This is the Heart of our Father toward us. He is not standing at a distance waiting for us to clean ourselves up. He runs toward us even in our weakness. He sees the places where we hide, the places where we struggle to believe we are lovable, and He says, “You are Mine.”

One of the most astounding truths in Scripture is found in Philippians 1:6: “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it in you.” God is so confident in His ability to finish what He started in us that He continues to call us forward despite our imperfections. We are still part of His plan. We are still chosen. We are still deeply wanted.

IMPORTANT FACT #2: Your belovedness is not based on your performance.

Many of us unknowingly measure our worth by our accomplishments, our productivity, our appearance, or the approval of others. We fall into the exhausting trap of perfectionism and comparison. We begin believing lies such as: “I am not enough.” “I am too broken.” “I will never change.” “I am alone.”

But Jesus longs to free us from every false identity we have agreed with.

Sarah Kroger wrote a beautiful “Litany of Belovedness” that speaks directly to these wounds so many of us carry. It is a prayer of surrender and healing before the Lord:

“From the belief that I am worthless, deliver me, Jesus. From the belief that I am not good enough, deliver me, Jesus. From the belief that I am defined by my past, deliver me, Jesus. From the belief that I am broken and will never be whole, deliver me, Jesus. From the belief that I am only as good as my accomplishments, deliver me, Jesus. From the belief that I’m a failure, deliver me, Jesus.”

What powerful honesty before God. And yet the litany does not stop there. It moves from renouncing lies into receiving truth:

“That I am Your beloved child, help me believe it. That I am precious in Your sight, Jesus, help me believe it. That I am wanted, Jesus, help me believe it. That I am delighted in, Jesus, help me believe it. That I am not a mistake, Jesus, help me believe it. That I am known, seen, and loved just as I am, Jesus, help me believe it.”

How many of us truly struggle to believe this? To believe that God delights in us right now—not some future perfected version of us, but us today. Yet this is exactly what Scripture reveals over and over again. The Father's love is not earned; it is received.

IMPORTANT FACT #3: The greatest act of love we can offer God is to believe that He loves us.

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity once said that the greatest thing we can do for God is to believe in His love and let Him love us. What a radical thought. We spend so much time striving, proving, and performing when what the Lord desires most is our trust. He wants our yes. He wants surrendered hearts willing to receive His affection.

My dear friends, close your eyes for a moment and picture Jesus standing before you. See Him smiling at you—not with condemnation, not with disappointment, but with delight. Let yourself be seen by Him. Let yourself be loved by Him.

The Lord is stirring something beautiful in His people. As we repent and allow Him to change the way we think, He also changes the way we see ourselves. We begin to see through Heaven’s eyes instead of through the lens of shame, fear, or rejection.

So today, let us pray together:

“Jesus, You see me. You choose me.You love me. You have me. And by Your grace, I will receive Your love. I will let You love me, Lord, and I will choose to believe that I am everything You say that I am.”

The Lord is with us and FOR us. Praise God!