You are not worthy. You are worthless. That is something you could never do. Bad things don’t happen to good people. It is all your fault. You’re not qualified. You’ve made too many mistakes. Your family is not the right family. Success will never be yours. You are not enough. Other people are better than you. No one has ever had it as tough as you have. You cannot overcome that so you may as well give up. God could never use you. Who do you think you are?

Do any of these sound familiar? Boy, I cannot tell you how many times many of these statements have danced and turned cartwheels in my mind through the years. Some have even camped out and stayed awhile.

Are you believing any of these statements about yourself right now? If so, I have one question for you. “Who told you that?”

In the beginning…

Since the beginning of man, the devil has been trying to tear us down with lies, to trip us up with deception, and to terrorize us with fear. If he can get us to believe we are ineffective, then we are. When he steals our self confidence, we won’t even try. If he can get us to doubt the truth, we won’t share it with others. He wins sometimes, and we let him. It’s a sad truth that should make us angry.

In Genesis 3:11, The Lord spoke to Adam and Eve, And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

If you know the story, you know that the serpent tempted Eve with eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This was the only tree that the Lord told Adam and Eve not to eat from or they would surely die. Way back then, even in the Garden of Eden, the devil (the serpent) was stirring up trouble for man.

Adam and Eve were naked and they were not ashamed. Then the serpent got involved, Eve ate the forbidden fruit and shared it with Adam, and you know the rest.

Time for a disclaimer.** Please know that I am making absolutely zero excuses for Adam and Eve. They sinned, and they disobeyed God. They listened to the serpent when they should have been listening to God. Man is unworthy of God’s mercy and His grace. But I am so thankful that He showers it on us anyway. It is not because of who we are. It is because of Who He is.

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. Isaiah 64:6

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

What about you? Who are you listening to?

Next to “Are you a born again Christian?”, “Who told you that?” is probably the single most important question a Christian can answer. Because if the answer to “Who told you that?” is ultimately anyone other than “God”, then you are living in a state that is less than your full effectiveness for God. In essence, if you are living your life out of a misguided perception and you are making decisions based on that, then you are falling way short of the abundant life God has planned for you, and you are missing out on the full service that you could be doing for Him.

How can you know the truth? Funny you should ask. It’s all written down for you right there in the Holy Word of God.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

When you doubt, when you feel worthless, when you feel guilt heaped upon you so heavy that you cannot carry it, ask the Lord for truth. Pray and ask God for direction and validation.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

Make sure you are listening to the right voice that is speaking truth into your life. Listening to the wrong voice can shut you down, and you may not even realize it. 

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

The next time you are feeling uncertain, remember, ask yourself, “Who told you that?” The truth of that answer will surely set you free.

Dear Lord: Thank You for the truth of Your Word, and that You are always there for us when we pray. Help us to see when the devil is trying to trip us up and tear us down. On the other hand, help us to see in humility that our true worth comes from You and not from anything that we do on our own. Grow our desire to know You more, and to seek Your will always first for our lives. We thank You for loving us and for sending Your Son Jesus to die for us. Thank You that through Him You give us the grace that we need each day for our journey through this life.  Amen

Have you felt at times like you just don’t measure up? That you’re not enough? Have there been times when God has picked you up above the despair and loved on you as His precious child, and made you feel worthy? I would love to hear about your experiences. Please share your thoughts and comments to encourage our readers.

Thank you for reading and sharing my blogpost today. May you be assured of God’s love for you today. It never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.