Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
Week 11: "On Being Loved" — Receiving Instead of Earning
Read the chapter "On Being Loved" in Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist.
Want the full guide for Present Over Perfect?
Free Week 1 sample in 5 min · $24.99 for all 22 weeks · 7-day refund
One of the most radical things Niequist discovered is that she did not know how to be loved — she only knew how to earn it, and this chapter is about learning the difference.
Discussion Questions
6 questions1.Niequist describes a breakthrough realization: she had built her life around earning love — from God, from her community, from herself — rather than receiving it. Does that resonate with you? How much of your sense of being loved feels contingent on your performance?
2.She distinguishes between being admired and being loved. Admiration can be won; love must be received. In your most important relationships, which dynamic is more dominant for you?
3.Niequist writes about the way her husband Aaron and her closest friends loved her in her worst moments — not despite the mess, but into it. Who in your life has loved you that way? What did it feel like to be loved without having earned it?
You're on Week 11 of 22
Don't lose momentum — get the rest of Present Over Perfect
All 134 questions across 22 weeks, with closing prayers and a downloadable PDF for your group.
One-time purchase · 7-day refund · Covers your whole group