I think whenever I finish my “first official book,” I’m gonna write another one called, “Quit beating yourself up.”
I keep seeing over and over again how Satan continues to persuade us that we’re not good enough for God. That God can’t use us, cause we’re just a screw up. And we listen to Him. And we beat ourselves up over it. Over and over and over and over again.
STOP. Seriously. God didn’t intend for us to be legalistic about things so that we could mope around in missery all day because we’re not good enough for Him. No He gives us the law so we can know right from wrong. So we can strive to be perfect. But He knows, we never will. Otherwise – why did Jesus come and die on the cross? What was the point? It’s because Jesus was perfect. Jesus was the man that none of us can ever be.
And Satan dangles that in front of our faces and says, “You can’t live up to perfection. You might as well quit now. Just let the Pastor and Missionaries do God’s work. Cause you’re not worthy. You’d be a hypocrite if you tried to tell someone about God.”
Here’s what I read this morning that really goes along with this…
“Their sins and the evil things they do – I will not remember anymore.” – Hebrews 10:17
“With one sacrifice he made perfect forever those who are being made holy” – Hebrews 10:14
Underline the word perfect. Not that the word is not better. Not improving. Not on the upswing. God doesn’t improve; He perfects. He doesn’t enhance; He completes.
Now I realize that there’s a sense in which we’re imperfect. We still err. We still stumble. We still do exactly what we don’t want to do. And that part of us is, according to the verse, “being made holy.”
But when it comes to our position before God, we’re perfect. When He sees each of us, He sees one who has been made perfect through the One who is perfect – Jesus Christ.
From The Eye of the Storm – Max Lucado
You know why we always feel horrible when we mess up and screw up?
For one, its our conscience, but two – Satan loves to dangle those mistakes in front of us. All the time. When I screw up I just beat myself up – and from reading Xanga sites, everyone else does ALL THE TIME. But it’s not God beating us up. It’s Satan saying, “God can’t use you. You’re pathetic. You can’t control yourself. You’ll never amount to nothing.”
And then we’re defeated and don’t let God use us.
But you know what God says, “I leave 99 for you (Luke 15:3-7). I will stop everything and clean every inch of my house till I have you back (Luke 15:8-10). He will prepare the fatted calf for us when we go our own way (Luke 15:11-32), and the angels will rejoice!”
He says, “I have removed your sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).”
He says, “I forgive all your sins and heal your diseases (Psalm 103:3).”
He says, “Because of my great love for you, you are not consumed, for My compassions never fail. They come new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).”
He reminds us in Joshua 10, that even though we break our commitment with Him – like the Israelites, He will still chose to use us and perform mighty, mighty amazing works.
Don’t let Satan deceive you. God chooses you. God loves you. And God wants to use you.
Audio A puts it like this:
The Mistakes I’ve made
That cause pain
I could have done without
All my selfish thought
All my pride
The things I hide
You have forgot about
“They’re all behind you
They’ll never find you
There on the ocean floor
You sins are forgotten
They’re on the bottom
Of the ocean floor”
My misdeeds
All my greed
All the things that haunt me now
They’re not a pretty sight to see
But they’re wiped away
By a mighty, mighty wave
A mighty, mighty wave
“Your sins are erased
And they are no more
They’re out on the ocean floor
Take them away
To return no more
Take them away
To the ocean floor
To the ocean floor
To the ocean floor”
And in another song like this:
I’m lost and broken all alone on this road
The wheels keep turning but the feeling is gone
when I fear I’m on my own
But you remind me i am not alone
You say..
“I’d leave ninety-nine
Leave them all behind
To find you
(For you alone) I’d leave ninety-nine
Leave them all behind
To find you”
It’s dark and lonely and the path is unclear
Can’t move my feet because I’m frozen with fear
And you say, my child, my child
I am always here, i’m at your side
“I’d leave ninety-nine
Leave them all behind
To find you
(For you alone) I’d leave ninety-nine
Leave them all behind
To find you”
“You’re never too far down
I promise you’ll be found,
I’ll reach into the mud,
Miry clay
Pursue you to the end,
Like a faithful friend,
Nothing in this world,
Will keep me away,
I’d leave ninety-nine
Leave them all behind
To find you
(For you alone) I’d leave ninety-nine
Leave them all behind
To find you…
To find you..”
