Useless or Loved

June 8, 2017

Do you ever feel useless? I do. What’s even worse is when I tell myself that. Most everyone has told themselves that at some point in their life.

Satan wants us to talk like that. He wants us to think like that. As long as we think that about ourselves, we’re not fighting him, we’re not advancing the Kingdom of God, and we’re certainly not using our God given gifts to help someone else.

When we have negative self talk, we lower our standards and expectations of ourselves. Over a very short period of time we crash into the acceptable choices of less than we deserve. It is like when we were kids, and we would roll down the grassy hill, or slide down the slide. It didn’t take nearly as long to get to the bottom, or nearly the amount of work as it did to climb back to the top.

My wife tells me, “forward progress is still forward progress,” to which, in my head I say, “yeah, but it’s not enough.” Friends, that’s Satan talking in my ear, that’s what he wants me to say. Once Satan gets in your head, he will begin to close the curtains over the windows of your eyes, play the obnoxious repetitive tune in your ear so you can’t hear, beat the pounding drum of pain within your joints, and rain on your parade.

Anytime you think, “yeah, but…” You need to close the door to your mind and find something quick to be grateful for. Gratefulness comes from love, and love conquers all, because God is love. We must always remind ourselves in troubling times that God created us in His (perfect) image. God is not a failure, a looser, or do nothing right. We must stop this over-dramatization!

Stop beating yourself up for sliding down the hill, get up and enjoy the climb. Keep your thoughts and your heart set on doing your best for God, and remember, He loved you first! “May God bless you and keep you, and make His face to shine upon you” (Numbers 6:24-26)  today my friend.

(Photos of Our Daily Bread daily devotionals)