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August 4, 2020 8:00 pm
Malcolm appeared confident as a teenager. But this confidence was a mask. In truth, a turbulent home left him fearful, desperate for approval, and feeling falsely responsible for his family’s problems. “For as far back as I remember,” he says, “every morning I would go into the bathroom, look in the mirror, and say out loud to myself, ‘You are stupid, you are ugly, and it’s your fault.’”
Malcolm’s self-loathing continued until he was twenty-one, when he had a divine revelation of his Christian identity. “I realized that God loved me unconditionally and nothing would ever change that,” he recalls. “I could never embarrass God, and He would never reject me.” In time, Malcolm looked in the mirror and spoke to himself differently. “You are loved, you are beautiful, you are gifted,” he said, “and it’s not your fault.”
Malcolm’s experience illustrates what God’s Spirit does for the believer in Jesus—He frees us from fear by revealing how profoundly loved we are (Romans 8:15, 38–39), and confirms that we are children of God with all the benefits that status brings (8:16–17; 12:6–8). As a result, we can begin seeing ourselves correctly by having our thinking renewed (12:2–3).
Years later, Malcolm still whispers those words each day, reinforcing who God says he is. In the Father’s eyes he is loved, beautiful, and gifted. And so are we.
Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading titled love beautiful gifted was written by Sheridan Boise. Malcolm appeared confident as a teenager, but this confidence was a mask in truth a turbulent home left him fearful, desperate for approval and feeling falsely responsible for his family's problems for as far back as I remember he says. Every morning I would go into the bathroom. Look in the mirror and say out loud to myself. You are stupid you are ugly and it's your fault Malcolm self-loathing continued until he was 21 when he had a divine revelation of his identity in Jesus.
I realized that God loved me unconditionally and nothing would ever change that. He recalls I could never embarrass God and he would never reject me in time. Malcolm looked in the mirror and spoke to himself differently. You are loved. You are beautiful you are gifted. He said, and it's not your fault, Malcolm's experience illustrates what God's spirit does for the believer in Jesus. He frees us from fear by revealing how profoundly loved we are and confirms that we are children of God, with all the benefits that status brings as a result, we can begin seeing ourselves correctly. By having our thinking renewed. Years later, Malcolm still whispers those words each day reinforcing who God says he is in the father's eyes. He's loved beautiful and gifted and so are we. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional Scripture reading is from Romans chapter 8 verses 15 through 17 the spirit you received does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again.
Rather, the spirit you received brought about your adoption to son ship, and by him we cry, Abba, father the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now we are children, then we are heirs. Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Let's pray father, thank you for loving us gifting us, making us your children and calling us your beloved please quiet those voices in our heads that tell us we are stupid, ugly and worthless. Help us to see ourselves as UCS. Thank you Lord Jesus name we pray.
Amen long. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread ministries
