How Can Anyone Love a Mess Like This?
Bible Reading: 1 John 2:1-6
If you do sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who pleases God completely. 1 John 2:1
“I’m no good at this. I can’t help anyone,” Miguel moaned to himself. Hours after the church Christmas play had ended, he was helping pack up the costumes. He thought volunteering to lend a hand was a good thing. Mr. Garcia didn’t think so.
“You can’t just bunch them up,” Mr. Garcia barked. “They have to be folded.”
Discouraged, Miguel moved to another pile of costumes and started sorting. Soon the angels’ halos were mixed up with the shepherds’ headgear. And when Miguel fumbled a ceramic baby Jesus and broke off his arm, Mr. Garcia huffed and threw up his hands. “Miguel Diaz, you’re doing more harm than good,” he said. “I think you should call your father for a ride home.”
Miguel broke into tears as soon as he crawled in the car. He told his dad, “When I try to help, I just make a mess of things. I know I’m supposed to love others like I love myself, but I can’t see anything about me worth loving.”
Miguel’s attempt to help turned into a mess. Has that ever happened to you? It usually happens to everyone now and then. And it may make you feel worthless.
But the reflection you see of yourself in the eyes of other people isn’t always very accurate. Sure, it matters what others think about you. But what matters far more is that you get God’s view of you. When you see yourself through the eyes of the God who loves you, then you realize you have nothing to feel inferior about!
The straightest route to a strong self-love is to soak in the scriptural truth about the true you in Christ. For example:
• You are loved by God and worth the death of his Son (see 1 John 4:10).
• You are a child of God (see John 1:12; Romans 8:14-15).
• You are Christ’s friend (see John 15:15).
• You have God’s Spirit living in you (see 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19).
• You are brand-new in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).
• You are righteous in Christ (see Ephesians 4:24).
• You are in the light, not in the darkness (see 1 Thessalonians 5:5).
• You are God’s workmanship (see Ephesians 2:10).
The more thoroughly you absorb those truths about who you are in Christ, the more you’ll be able to love yourself as God does, even when your efforts are less-than-perfect. Even when you mess up, those facts are true!
TALK: What do you think of all those Bible facts about your identity in Christ?
PRAY: God, thank you that you still believe in us even when we fail.
ACT: Is there something you’ve given up on? Give it another try!