Preach the Gospel to Yourself Everyday
For much of my Christian life, I've struggled with accepting God's love and forgiveness. Becoming a child of God didn't automatically rid me of my deep insecurities and perfectionistic streak. Becoming a pastor only made things worse. When I felt that I preached a poor Sunday sermon, I felt discouraged for days after. When the church didn't grow or people left, I took it personally. I didn't believe that many in the church leadership were on my side.
Honestly, I am painfully aware that there's nothing in me that would merit favor with a holy God. But the Cross says that Jesus took on himself my sin: past, present, future (I Peter 3:18). The Bible says God loved me and chose me from eternity past (Eph.1:4,5).
I could quote many more Scriptures chapter and verse on this topic. But there always seemed to be a disconnect between mind and emotion. It was like having a severed electrical connection between what I knew to be true and how I felt.
Thankfully, over time that connection has slowly been restored.
Christian writer Jerry Bridges coined the phrase, "Preach the gospel to yourself everyday", in his book Transforming Grace. He maintains that if we meditate on the Scriptures that detail the gospel, our minds and emotions can be healed. I've found that Romans 8 especially helpful. I'm not there yet but I'm on the way.
Here's some truths from that great chapter that may help you as they have helped me:
God doesn't condemn me (8:1)
Because I'm now in Christ, God no longer condemns me. In fact, when my heart condemns me, the Bible says, "God is greater than my heart and knows all things" (I John 3:20-21).
I've been adopted as a child in God's family (8:15-16)
My identity ultimately rests in my relationship with God not my achievements or performance.
The Holy Spirit makes sense of my jumbled prayers (8:26-27)
God hears and understands my prayers even I don't
There's nothing-absolutely nothing-that can separate me from God's love (8:31-39)
Romans 8:31-39 provides a comprehensive list of roadblocks to God's love. None of them can stop it.
Dane Ortlund is a pastor who wrote a book entitled Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. On p.99, he writes this about mature believers in a church:
"Perhaps they have simply tasted, over many years, the surprise of a Christ for whom their very sins draw him in rather than push him away. Maybe they have not only known that Jesus loved them but felt it."
Let's preach the gospel to ourselves everyday.