A love that Doesn't Compare

Because it’s Valentine’s week — and also my birthday — I want to share about a kind of love that doesn’t compare with anything in this world: the love of God.

I have always loved hearts. Maybe because I was born on Valentine’s Day… I guess it comes naturally 😄. I love February — the pinks and reds everywhere, the heart-shaped balloons, and all the little reminders of love. It has always made me happy.

But this year, I celebrate differently.

This year, I see life through a different lens—because I got to live. After the cancer scare, everything changed. Moments like that slow you down and remind you how fragile and precious life truly is. All my life, I have seen too much to take things for granted, and that mindset has always led the way for me — living fully, intentionally, and desiring to walk in God’s will for my life. But this past year solidified that even more. It deepened my gratitude, my awareness, and my desire to live surrendered to Him.

During my thirty-fifth year, God helped me understand something deeper about His love. I began to grasp that His love is freely given. I don’t have to perform for it. I don’t have to work for it. He already loves me with an everlasting love.

When that truth settled in my heart—that God delights in me—something shifted. My identity became more secure in Him. I began to understand that I am loved by Him, not because of what I do, but because of who He is.

🤍 Becoming Beloved—A Reflection Inspired by Francis Chan

Francis Chan writes about the reality that many believers live as though they must earn God’s love. We strive, perform, and measure our worth by how well we think we are doing spiritually or personally. But the message of being beloved changes that perspective completely. To be beloved means that love begins with God—not with us. It means that before we accomplished anything, before we proved ourselves, before we had everything together, we were already fully loved.

That truth is both humbling and freeing. When we truly embrace that we are beloved, striving begins to lose its power. Fear softens. Comparison quiets down. We stop living for approval and begin living from love. Instead of trying to reach for God’s affection, we realize we’ve been standing in it all along.

And this past year, God has been teaching me just that—I don’t live trying to earn His love; I live because I already have it. I am His beloved, and He is mine.

✨ The God Who Rejoices — Zephaniah 3:17

One scripture that has become deeply personal to me is Zephaniah 3:17:

“The Lord your God is in your midst, the Mighty One who saves; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”

This verse completely reshaped how I see God’s love. It shows a God who is not distant or disappointed — but present. A God who doesn’t simply tolerate us, but rejoices over us. The imagery is so tender: God quieting us with His love, calming our anxious hearts, singing over us like a loving Father who delights in His child. Think about that — the Creator of the universe rejoices over you. Not because you performed perfectly. Not because you had it all together. But because you belong to Him.

Sometimes we imagine God watching us with a list of expectations. But Zephaniah reveals something different — a God whose love brings rest, safety, and identity. His love silences the noise of striving and reminds us that we are already chosen.

And when that truth settles deeply inside you, identity becomes secure. You stop wondering if you are enough, because in Him, you are held, known, and loved.

As I step into year 36, my prayer is simple:

To continue following Him wholeheartedly.

To live fully in His will.

To never take life for granted.

To walk secure in His love.

Because when you truly understand that you are loved by God—deeply, freely, eternally—you stop striving and start living.

And that kind of love doesn’t compare with anything in this world. 🤍

💗 For the Woman Reading This....

Maybe Valentine’s Day feels joyful for you or maybe it feels heavy.

Maybe you’re waiting, healing, rebuilding, or simply tired.

But I want to remind you:

That your identity is not found in relationships, achievements, or how loved you feel by people. Your identity is rooted in the One who created you. You are not loved more when you perform better. You are not less loved when you struggle. You are fully known—and fully loved—right now.

Guess what you are His beloved, fully loved by HIM!

With Love

AMR