A good friend of mine sent me a great post, written by Jason Mallard. It was too good to keep to myself, so with permission, I am sharing it below.
“I was asked by a guy who has a blog to write a letter to the Younger Me so that younger men might benefit from what I have experienced and learned. Here is what I wrote.
“Dear Younger me. If I could tell you an essential Truth that you could have grown up knowing, that would have changed the way you lived, it would be that God (the Father, the Son and the Spirit) are always good, always kind and always loving and that they will never, ever forsake you or stop loving you. Even though this was your theology, it was not your belief system and you really doubted these foundational truths.
“If you had believed these truths, you would have lived differently in these ways:
• You would have realized that Love is freely given and received, not earned.
• You would have known that the gospel is about receiving not earning.
• You would have given up your tireless efforts to earn God’s love and people’s acceptance.
• Since love is not earned, then you would have known that Love could not be lost or revoked.
• You would have lived with the understanding that God’s desire is for your fellowship, not your works; that He created you a son, not to live as a servant.
• You would have moved from the field of labor (working to earn God’s approval and acceptance) to the table of fellowship with Him, living as the true son that you were.
• You would have known that making a mistake does not reduce your value and you would have been less fearful of failing.
• You would have embraced perceived failure as an opportunity to learn more about the goodness, kindness and love of God.
• You would have known that failure occurs when you do not trust God and that our other failures simply provide an opportunity to remain close to God and trust Him for our righteousness.
• In failure you would have learned that the Father is the safest person to be with and you would not have escaped away into your world of working and earning to gain back His love and approval.
• You would have known that being honest with yourself and other men was freedom.
• You would have known that trusting God in the midst of your struggle and attractions is the objective.
• You would have lived in the security that nothing can separate you from the God who loves you with an everlasting love.
• You would have lived with the revelation that you could NEVER be a disappointment to God who created you and loves you fully, completely and unconditionally.
• You would have realized that God extends invitations rather than demanding obligations.
• You would have realized that every one of God’s invitation was for your good, to prosper you and give you His Life.
• And, you would have enjoyed the life that God designed for you.”
I hope you found this message as much of a blessing as I did.
As we reflect on the powerful truths shared in this letter to a younger self, it's important to keep reminding ourselves of Go's enduring love. If you're looking for a way to carry this message with you, I'd like to share with you a meaningful design from our collection that echoes this sentiment of God's love. Our 'Original Love Letters' design, inspired by John 3:16, serves as a beautiful reminder of the ultimate expression of God's love for us.
This design combines symbols of Christ's sacrifice with he reminder that God's Word is His love letter to us - much like this letter to a younger self is a love letter of wisdom and truth.
If you'd like to learn more about this collection as a daily reminder of God's love, you can find it in our collection here: The Original Love Letters Collection
Whether through personal reflections, shared wisdom, or daily reminders, may we all grow in our understanding and acceptance of God's unconditional love.
God bless,
Justin