Got someone in your life you really care about? Better yet, do you know someone God REALLY cares about?

Yea? Good. Please do me a favor.

Next time you see them, say one or more of these things to them. Or email, text or Facebook it. Same difference. As long as they know you mean it.

1. You will never ever change. You can try but we both know it won’t happen. Even if you make small strides, you’re doomed to fail.

2. You’re such a loser

3. Nobody likes you.

4. Jesus loves you because he loves everybody (doesn’t have a choice) but just so you know, he doesn’t really like you.

5. I’m sorry, but that last mistake erases all the progress you’ve made in the last year

6. You’ve messed up too many times for God to give you another chance. He’s given up on you.

7. You’ll always be the same person you were.

8. You’re not good enough.

9. If people knew what you know about you, they’d never talk to you.

10. You don’t deserve to be loved.

Hopefully about halfway through the list, you realized I was kidding. Of course you should NEVER say any of those things to anyone you love. Heck, you shouldn’t even say it to people you don’t love.

But you do don’t you?

You do.

You say a lot of those things to someone you love… someone God loves.

YOU.

Isn’t it crazy how we say things to ourselves that we would never say to others? Things we would never let others say about themselves?

Think about it.

What would you do if your friend, son, daughter, pastor or mom told you they’ll never be good enough.
Or that they were a loser? And that Jesus only loves them out of obligation but he doesn’t really like them?

My guess is you’d slap them over the head so hard so they’d wake up from their sleep, then you’d spend as long as it’s needed showing them why their conclusion about themselves isn’t true.

You would. 10 of 10 times you would do that and so would I.

But for some reason when it comes to ourselves we so easily believe the lies of the enemy. When our mind tells us we’re losers/unlovable etc, we just roll over and say yea sure. Then we throw ourselves a pity party. At least that’s what I do.

I throw a pity party and wonder why I’m bummed.

Here’s a clue Brady (and anyone else struggling with being a jerk to yourself)…

Believe the truth.
Embrace the gospel.
Fight the lies of the enemy.
Fight the lies you tell yourself.

I posted this quote by Spurgeon recently on my Facebook, but it just applies so well here. “Come boldly, O believer, for despite the whisperings of Satan and the doubtings of thine own heart, thou art greatly beloved.”

You are GREATLY beloved, whether you believe it or not. You are.

In a book I’m reading called Finally Free, Heath Lambert says this. [Warning, it’s a little blunt.]

“If God pronounces you forgiven and clean, you ARE forgiven and clean. While it may seem humble and modest to question God’s forgiveness, it is actually prideful and arrogant to refuse to believe what God declares to be true about you.”

Basically, quit calling God a liar, quit being ignorant and arrogant. And believe what Spurgeon says. “Thou are greatly beloved.”

Next time “you” shows up to tell “you” that “you’re” a loser, remind “you” that Jesus loves “you”.

He does.

Jesus loves you.

That’s always been true.
That is true.
That will always be true.

Jesus loves you.

**Thoughts from me and my guy Sammy.**