Beloved: A Study through the Writings of Brennan Manning

 

Session 2: Living as the Beloved, Not the Performer

Based on Abba’s Child and Luke 3:21–22

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I. The Moment of Naming

Before Jesus healed the sick or preached a sermon, He was named.
As He rose from the Jordan waters, a voice broke through the sky:

“You are My beloved Son. With You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22)

This was spoken before any miracle, before any ministry, before any merit.
Identity came before accomplishment.

Brennan Manning wrote,

“Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.”

To live as the beloved is to begin where Jesus began, with affirmation, not achievement.
It means believing that God’s first word over your life is not “Do,” but “Be.”

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II. The False Self and the Beloved Self

Manning often described the tension between two selves:
the false self, driven by fear, control, and image,
and the beloved self, rooted in divine acceptance.

“The false self is the self that wants to live without love, yet cannot live without it.
It is the self that thrives on admiration, control, and performance,
and dies the moment it is no longer needed.”

The false self measures worth by comparison and applause.
It exhausts the soul because it builds identity on shifting ground.

But the beloved self rests in a deeper truth:
that love precedes performance,
and identity is not something we earn, but something we receive.

“In every encounter we either give life or drain it; there is no neutral exchange.” — Manning 

To live as the beloved is to give life because we live from fullness, not lack.

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III. The Freedom of Being Known

Jesus lived free because He lived known.
He did not chase approval or explain Himself to His critics.
He stayed rooted in the Father’s voice that named Him beloved.

“If you have the courage to accept that you are accepted,
then you will begin to experience freedom.” — Manning

This freedom is quiet.
It allows the heart to release its addiction to performance.
It gives permission to stop editing the self and start living truthfully.

When the heart accepts belovedness,
perfection loses its appeal and presence becomes enough.

“Do you believe that the God of Jesus loves you beyond worthiness and unworthiness,
beyond fidelity and infidelity? That He loves you in the morning sun and in the evening rain?” — Manning

Belovedness is not earned; it is endured.
It waits until we stop running long enough to be found.

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IV. Returning to the Voice

Each day, the world shouts alternative names.
You are only as good as your success.
You are only as valuable as your relationships.
You are only as lovable as your usefulness.

But heaven still whispers,

“You are My beloved child.”

This voice does not compete; it invites.
It calls us back to simplicity, to the center where love defines everything.

Paul wrote,

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:16)

Our task is not to create identity, but to remember it.
That remembrance becomes the beginning of rest.

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V. The Invitation

The beloved life is marked not by striving, but by stillness.
It lives from blessing, not toward it.
It no longer asks, “What must I do to be loved?” but “How can I live loved today?”

“We cannot bask in the love of God without letting it reach the cracks of our hearts.
When it does, it dismantles fear and rearranges everything.” — Manning

This is what it means to be Abba’s child:
To wake each day knowing that the only thing required is presence.
To let love speak first, and let that be enough.

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Living as the Beloved This Week

1. Begin each morning with identity, not obligation.
   Before checking your phone or list of tasks, whisper aloud:
   “I am the beloved of God. Nothing I do today can change that.”

2. Pause before reacting.
   When you feel criticized or unseen, take one slow breath and silently recall Romans 8:16.
   Let that truth steady your response.

3. Replace striving with stillness.
   Spend ten minutes each day doing nothing but breathing and resting in God’s love.
   Picture His presence around you, not evaluating you but delighting in you.

4. Practice non-performance.
   Do one small act of kindness or service this week that no one will know about.
   Let it remind you that worth is not found in applause but in alignment.

5. Close each night with gratitude.
   Reflect on where you sensed love speaking louder than fear.
   End with this simple prayer:

   “Abba, thank You for calling me Your child.
   Teach me to rest in who I already am.”