5 Songs on Repeat when I Need to Remember my Belovedness

Do you ever have the kind of day where you can’t stop being hard on yourself? Maybe you wake up late, and then you’re late for work, and then you miss a deadline, and then you spill coffee on your shirt. Then the kids/dogs/cats/people in your life seem to look at you like, “Come on, lady, you know you’re better than this.”

And you look at yourself in the mirror and all you can see is

FAIL

in big, bold letters across your life? Me, too.

Thankfully, this doesn’t happen as often as it used to, and I’ve learned some powerful tools to combat negative self-thoughts over the years, thanks to therapy. But some days, I still need help remembering my belovedness–that no matter what I do or fail to do, God loves me deeply. No matter what I do or fail to do, I can’t change God’s love for me.

God’s love just is, and it is unconditional and constant.

Music has always been a big part of my life. I can’t read music or play an instrument, and aside from a year in musical theater in high school, I would have to admit that I can’t really sing well, either. But music is still an artform that I receive in my life with great joy. Thank you, musicians, for the gift you give the world!

Especially on days when all I see when I look at myself is failure and struggle, certain songs remind me just how much God truly loves me. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order:

1. “Your Love is Extravagant” by Matt Maher

Before Matt Maher was a mainstream Christian music superstar, he got his start as a music minister at a Catholic church in Arizona. (Don’t ask me how I know this, or how big my crush on him was well into college.) One of his early albums, The End and The Beginning featured this song. I’ve always had a weakness for slower, ponderous songs, and this song fits the bill perfectly. It’s been one of my go-tos for a dose of belovedness since my senior year of college.

One night, wracked with anxiety about a school project or what some guy thought of me and unable to sleep, I pulled out my iPod (the silver kind with the original donut wheel navigation), turned up the volume on my headphones, and played this song on repeat until I fell asleep and my iPod died. That was the first time that I realized that music could comfort me and remind me of fundamental truths outside of a big worship experience like summer camp or a conference.

“Your love is extravagant,” the song says. “Your friendship is so intimate. No greater love have I ever known / You consider me a friend / Capture my heart again.”

Listen to this song the next time you need a reminder of how huge and devoted God’s love for you is.

2. “Cecie’s Lullaby” by Steffany Gretzinger

Right after college, I served as a full-time lay missionary for a few years. It was during this time that I heard this song, and it still takes my breath away. It’s written from the perspective of God, your loving and tender Father, who reminds you that he is nearby and ready to rock you to sleep and give rest to your weary heart.

I put this song on repeat any time I feel exhausted with my shortcomings or frustrated by how I sometimes can’t seem to get things right. The lyrics help me imagine that I’m sitting in God’s lap, resting my head on his chest, with his arms wrapped snugly around me. When I picture myself in God’s arms, I realize that I breathe deeper, the tension in my shoulders releases, and my heart remembers that God is always here.

Listen to this song the next time you feel exhausted by life. Let the image of a loving and tender father holding you close bring you rest.

3. “Shelter” by Ray LaMontagne

In full transparency, this song is secular. But anything can be a prayer, if we let it. The chorus is where the prayer happens for me. Ray’s husky voice singing “I will shelter you” over and over again is a balm to my spirit, and reminds me that just as God shelters me, I shelter him within my heart, too.

I find comfort in knowing that God and I shelter each other, in a mysterious way. God wouldn’t shelter me if he didn’t love me, just as I wouldn’t make room for him in my heart if I didn’t love him. Make this your prayer: “You will shelter me, my love / And I will shelter you.”

Listen to this song the next time you feel vulnerable or scared.

4. “Jesus Saviour Pilot Me” by the Robbie Seay Band

This hymn was written by Edward Hopper in the 1800s. Many versions have been recorded over the years, but this acoustic version is my favorite. It makes an old hymn feel approachable, and helps me make the words a personal prayer to Jesus.

Many of the lyrics contain imagery of the ocean’s fierceness. Life is hard. Some seasons are like storm-broiled seas, and this song reminds us that Jesus is close and he guides us through even the stormiest times.

My favorite line is near the end: “May I hear you say to me / ‘Chart and compass come from me / Fear not, I will pilot thee’”

Listen to this song the next time you worry about your future.

5. “Good to Me” by Audrey Assad

This might be the best song on the list if you’re going through a particularly tough time. It’s one of the longest songs here, and the repetitiveness of the lyrics make this a good prayer to remember throughout your day. They’re also based on scripture– Song of Songs’ reference to foxes in the vineyard (Song of Songs 2:15) and Psalm 23:6 which says, “Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life” (NAB).

Listen to this song the next time you need to remember that God’s goodness pursues you and that he is with you.

Dear friend, I hope that you always rest easily in your belovedness. But on days when rest eludes you, I hope these songs help you slow down, take a deep breath and remember how very much God loves you.

What songs would you add to this list?

Meet Carrie Miller

Carrie K. Miller wants to live in a world where solitude is appreciated, silence is cultivated, and the Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl every year (or at least once every five years). As a writer and email marketer, she’s helped clients in industries as diverse as the Catholic nonprofit sector, personal coaching, business coaching, and small businesses marketing. When she’s not writing, you can find her baking, painting, cooking, reading, or playing board games. Her free guide, “Your Greatness Starter Pack” is available now at carriekmiller.com/starterpack. It will help you create rhythms and practices to find God in your daily life, conquer adulting, and tap into your inherent greatness. Discover more ways to respond to your call to greatness at carriekmiller.com.

Kara BeckerJanuary 31, 2023