The Beloved Manifesto.
I have lived with the word beloved for seven months now, and as with the words that came before it, I can honestly say that this word chose me. And as I have prayed, God has been faithful to show up and show me what this word means. Beloved is everywhere I look: on my instagram feed, in the books I'm reading, the sermons and songs I'm listening to. I want to etch it on my skin, but more than that, I want it written on my bones. I want beloved to permeate my heart and every single breath that I take for as long as I am on this earth.
The Manifesto
I will share the grace of Jesus Christ who made a way for me to be adopted into the family of God and called me his beloved.
I will tell my truth with vulnerability and courage because I am beloved.
I will laugh, in Jesus' name, because I am beloved.
I will treat my body with kindness because I am beloved.
I will not despise the holy ground where my feet reside today because I am beloved.
I will plant seeds of grace and truth and I will tend my garden faithfully because I am beloved.
I will pray continually, without ceasing, in every circumstance, because I am beloved.
I will dream big dreams and celebrate small moments because I am beloved.
I will believe in the power of the first step, and every step after that, because I am beloved.
I will find the place where the passion of my heart meets the need of this world because I am called, and because I am beloved.
I will be a confident minister of the gospel because I am beloved.
I will take time to rest and refresh the inner parts of myself because I am beloved.
I will hone my creativity, because I was made in the image of a creative God and I am his beloved.
I will seek wisdom in every situation, believing that God will provide, because I am beloved.
I will choose to see others as beautiful and blessed, and I will refuse to compete with them, because I am beloved.
I will speak to the injustice and pain in this world, in my own neighborhood, and let them know that their days are numbered, because I am beloved.
I will move toward, rather than away from, people who are of different ethnicity, political affiliation, religion, church denomination, gender or gender identity, economic status, or sexual orientation because I am beloved.
I will refuse to pick up any armor that is not of God. I will refuse to add to the noise of debate and discord and water cooler gossip. I will demolish walls of division brick by heavy brick because I am beloved.
I will refuse to feed my body, my energy, my relationships, my creativity, or my peace to shame because I am beloved.
I will humbly serve my spouse and raise my children to know and walk in the love of Christ because I am beloved.
I will be a faithful friend and speak light into the lives of others because I am beloved.
I will fling the doors wide open to make room for others, and I will make room for myself so that we can come undone together because I am beloved.
I will not despise my brokenness, and instead, celebrate its daily redemption, because I am beloved.
I will not allow my one wild life to be driven by anxiety because perfect love casts out fear and I am beloved.
I will sing my song on the mountain tops and in the valleys. I will walk through deserts and do hard and holy things. I will be led by still waters and it will be well with my soul because I am beloved.
Psst! Click HERE to download a free printable copy of The Beloved Manifesto.