First, the reason for all the affirmations is that there is too much devaluing of people today. People, sometimes even we ourselves, too often believe the lie that we are worthless. Others treat us as thought we have no value until we are broken and shattered and begin treating ourselves that way. Life becomes miserable and barely worth living. Feeling worthless and insignificant destroys lives, and if anyone feels that they are of no value, I promise you, that's a lie.
But you don't know me! No, I don't. But I know the One who knows you better than you know yourself, and He has declared you precious, loved and of great value. That said, combating a horrible and destructive lie with another lie doesn't help.
A hundred people are stuck on the roof of a multi-story building that is on fire and know that if they don't get off that roof they'll die. The evil jerk who started the fire is sitting on the roof with a bullhorn trying to encourage the hopelessness. He wants to see everyone burn and die. So he shouts repeatedly that there is no point in trying to escape the fire. They are all weak and can't do anything to save themselves. This is a lie, and he knows it, but some believe it. They sit down and wait to die.
Others know instinctively that this is wrong. They try to keep everyone motivated to try. They want to survive, and they're doing their best. They say that everyone has strong legs and is in good shape and can jump to the next building which isn't on fire. The problem is that they aren't all in the same shape. There are some who are more weak than the rest, even some who are cripple. The other problem is that the next building is 40 feet away. The world's greatest long jumper is there, but he knows that even he can't make that jump. Others though continue to encourage him and tell him he's good enough and can make the jump. Finally, he believes it and tries. And falls to his death.
Compared to me, you may not be a loser. Compared to Billy Graham you may be great. But we aren't held to the standard of what I can do, or even how good Billy graham did. It doesn't matter that we're better than Hitler. The standard we are held to is the perfect sinlessness of Jesus. It's not that God is being unfair. It's just that there is a gap between us and Him and we are not strong enough, able enough, to leap that gap.Compare yourself to me or any number of more obvious losers, and you may be able to convince yourself that you are great. But when it comes time to make that leap to life, you;ll fall short. The cripple and the long jump champion both die, even thought the long jumper is more able.
The good news is that Jesus is for losers. Jesus willingly placed Himself on our burning building. Then He made the leap, doing what we need to do and can't. But He didn't just jump and leave us. Reaching the other side, He turned and made a way for us to cross the gap to Daddy behind Him. He stood on the other side and set a bridge in the shape of a cross from life back to our place of death. Anyone and everyone who wants to can cross the bridge. Even the cripple just has to want to cross it, and He will come and carry them across. The least able and the most can all freely make the journey over the cross because the One who made the bridge declared it is for all who see the need and accept it.
But those who say I don't need the bridge and try to jump the gap themselves will fall short. The ones who don't try will die on the roof. It's not because Daddy is unfair or doesn't care. He made the way. You, no matter what you've done or what has been done to you, are not too cripple to escape. The bridge is for you. Daddy loves you as you are, not as you should be, and He wants us to make it off the roof to life. You are worth so much that Jesus died to save you. And if you are the best person to live since Jesus, better than all the rest of us, you are not good enough, You can't make the leap, but the bridge is there for you as well, because Daddy loves you too. So, please don't try to escape the roof yourself. Don't believe the lie that you are good enough. Don't believe in yourself. Believe in Jesus and live.
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