Our Own Worst Enemy

 (04/20/10)

Did you know that next to Satan, we are our own worst enemies?  Think about it.  How many times in a day do you mentally beat yourselves down?  I know that I still struggle with this.  I’m overweight, clinically obese, to be exact, with exactly 37 pounds to lose (well, it was that the last time I looked).  I went through my young life being made fun of.  I held on to that pain for years.  I learned to take humor and use it as a shield.  I would make fun of myself before anyone else got the chance.  I convinced myself (CAUTION!! BIG LIE AHEAD!) that the pain was somehow lessened if it comes from within.  I still catch myself doing this some days.  Those old habits are hard to break.

            So, I guess my questions to you today are as follows:  How do you see yourself?  Do you beat yourself up?  Do you do it for things you have no control over?  Has it become a way of life?  And the most important question is:  Is there a difference in the way you look at yourself, and the way God sees you?  I’d say, for most of us, the answer to that last question would be yes.  So, how do we change this?  The first thing we have to realize is just how much God loves us.  That’s the most basic thing.  It ties into every part of our lives.  Let’s all take the time this week to really examine God’s love for each of us… and remember that not just knowing it, but accepting it, will help us to see ourselves as God sees us. 

Psalm 136                   Isaiah 63:7-9              Jeremiah 31:3

Lamentations 3:22-23                       Zephaniah 3:17