I think life is a lot of learning from mistakes. We are all constantly growing, and part of those growing pains is learning from when we mess up. Sometimes we mess up only a little and sometimes it’s a big deal, but these are all moments for us to learn and mature. I never like holding on to something that someone has done to me in the past, because I don’t want people to hold on to the things I have done to them in the past. It’s a thing called grace and forgiveness, and it’s what Jesus modeled for each of us during His time one earth. Jesus chose to love everyone, even the people who would betray and kill Him. Even His last moment on the cross, Jesus cried out to God to forgive the people because they did not know what they were doing (Luke 23:34). That kind of love is the same love that is freely given to you and me.

I’ll never forget finding some golf clubs in my family’s garage when I was a kid. They were my dad’s and he told me to be very careful, so I of course went outside and started swinging like a pro. I was hitting the balls and feeling good, until one hit made the ball curve just right and it slammed right into the glass cover of the electrical meter on our house. The glass exploded into millions of tiny pieces and I thought I was for sure doomed because of this lucky shot.

I ended up telling my dad, even though I wanted to lie about it, and instead of being grounded for eternity, my dad treated me with love and forgave me. I was blown away, and that same kind of love is given to each of us ten times more by God. My dad’s response helped me be more careful and grow into a more mature version of myself.

God loves us, so be the best version of yourself.

Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. I don’t live any longer, but Christ lives in me. Now I live my life in my body by faith in the Son of God. He loved me and gave himself for me.”

The thing that is so beautiful about Christ dying for each of us, is that He loves us so much in order to not live in sin anymore. This means that we are called to live into our full potential. God loves us and wants us to live into the design He has for us, which means we need to grow and mature from who we once were. Knowing the depths of God’s love for each of us means that we must live into the calling over our lives. Being the best version of yourself is simply choosing to live like Jesus.

Love God and love others; a simple choice that causes us to live into who God created us to be.

Don’t go back to who you once were, choose to live like Jesus.

Knowing God loves you means that you are worthy.

When my dad forgave me, it showed that he saw that our relationship was more valuable than a broken object. Yes, I was disciplined and needed to learn that lesson, but that did not alter the way my dad saw me or loved me. I knew that my dad loved me even when I messed up.

Guess what?

That’s the same way God treats us.

God says that we are worthy of His love. More than anything in this world, He loves us. He loves us so much that He made a way to have a relationship even in our own sin. When you live knowing that you have value, that you are worthy of love, you see yourself the way God sees you. You begin to have confidence to move forward in every area of your life, knowing that God has a purpose for you. Knowing that God loves you changes everything, because knowing that God loves you means that you are worthy above all else.

This week, your journal prompt is to thank God for loving you. I want you to write that down so that you can remind yourself that you are worthy of love in the moments where you feel unloved or not worthy of the attention of someone else.

I know thanksgiving can be a challenging time for many, but remind yourself that God loves you more than anything else in this world. Reach out to Him and cultivate that relationship that He so desperately wants with you. Be the best version of yourself that God has designed and know that you are worthy of love. No matter what this time of year looks like for you, remember the blessings God has poured out in your life, all because He loves you greatly and wants a relationship with you.

I hope your journal is beginning to look a lot more intentional, and I hope you continue to press into the best relationship you will ever have. I will see you here next week, for the final journal prompt in this series.

-Joshua Thomas

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About the Author: Joshua Thomas is a writer by day and superhero by night. When he’s not writing and crimefighting, you can find him reading a good book, sipping warm tea, taking pictures, or dreaming. The young writer doesn’t fully know what he’s doing, but is enjoying the journey of it all. You can follow his hipster photos and Jack Kerouac musings on Instagram @joshua_thomas__