John 8:44 | Genesis 1:27,31 | Romans 5:8 | 1 John 3:1
Don’t listen to the lies.
You might think you’re the greatest thing since sliced cheese…and a bag of chips. But that probably isn’t true. (Seriously–sliced cheese is pretty great.) On the other hand, you might think you are worthless, or stupid, or ugly. That definitely isn’t true.
Why? Because those are lies from the devil.
“He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
John 8:44b NLT
The devil is the father of lies. And as Molly Jean pointed out, when someone tells you things about yourself that are contrary to God’s Word, those are lies. Regardless of who pronounces them, those are the devil’s words.
What does God’s Word say about you? To start with, as God finished each day’s worth of creative work, he saw that it was good. But when he added human beings into the mix, it took goodness to the next level.
Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!
Genesis 1:31a NLT
With the addition of humans, Creation went from just “good” to “very good!” This is because humans were made in God’s image; they were like him in many ways.
So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27 NLT
And since God is the biggest, best thing in the whole Universe, that makes humans pretty remarkable. Think about it: you are created in God’s image, a part of his crowning creative achievement. To think you could be worthless, in light of that fact, is ridiculous. Especially since He paid such a huge price to save you.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:8 NLT
If God was willing to send Jesus to die for you, it’s not because you are worthless. Or even merely ugly.
He loves you more than any earthly father ever could. And no matter what ‘everybody else’ may say, remember that you are his child. He loves you very much, and He thinks you are beautiful and worth saving.
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.
1 John 3:1 NLT
So…who are you going to believe?
Questions for Group Discussion
- Do you believe that you are beautiful? At what point is this belief more than just a logical conclusion? Does it need to be an emotional choice, as well?
- Are all negative thoughts about yourself false? Or are just the negative thoughts that pertain to your identity or value as a person?
- What is the difference between negative thoughts about yourself and humility? Does God want you walking around thinking you are scum? Is that what humility is?
Challenge: Fight the Lies
Warning: you may need index cards for this. (…Which is a problem because you may not know what index cards are.)
Are you hearing a ton of negative thoughts and/or comments about who you are, how valuable you are as a person, your general chances at happiness/success/making the team, etc.? Then, have we got a challenge for you!
Sometimes, it takes practice and repetition to change your belief–even for lies like those.
- On a 3”x5” index card (or your preferred electronic device), write down one of the negative thoughts or comments that currently plagues you.
- On the other side of the card (or electronic device’s screen), write a scripture that you would prefer to believe instead of the devil’s lie.
- Make as many of these as you need to.
- Carry the cards (or the device) with you throughout the day. At each meal, and whenever as needed, read the scriptures.
- As you memorize the scriptures, it may become unnecessary to carry the cards.
