Breaking the Lie — Morning Devotions

Do you sometimes feel you equal zero? That you’re a nothing, a nobody, a cipher? There are so many forces in this world that conspire to make us feel worthless. But as Eleanor Roosevelt is quoted as saying, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” We have to participate with Satan in this particular lie for it to be effective. We have to agree. If he can convince us that we are nothings, he has bound us to labour endlessly in his ‘prove-your-value’ concentration camp. And all in vain—we’ll never succeed in proving our worth.

Accepting our intrinsic value

We don’t need to, of course. God made us, and God gave us intrinsic value. That means we’re valuable not because of what we do, but just because we are. We are valued so highly by God that he sent his Son to die for our salvation. Why would God do that for something he didn’t value?

Of course, what that means is that we really must accept God’s offer of salvation—and intrinsic value—if it is to have any impact on our lives. A coin lost in the mud is of no practical value to anyone until it is found and cleaned up. Jesus told a parable of a woman who discovered she had lost a coin and scoured her house endlessly until she found it. Jesus also said he came to seek and to save that which was lost—that is, us. Why? Because we are valued by God.

If this You are worthless, you equal zero lie devalues you, it also devalues God’s care for you. How senseless would it be for God to waste the blood of his precious Son on such a person as you, Satan says. That suggests that God’s care for you is idiocy. Are you ready to believe that?

Breaking the lie about life

Finally, this lie devalues life itself. If you are worthless, why keep on living? If you feel worthless, you may come to believe others are also worthless. What difference does it make, then, whether they live or die? What difference does it make if you should kill them if, after all, they are worthless? Most of us never kill anyone literally. But many of us have participated in murdering the self-esteem of others.

Satan loves this lie. If he can get you to believe it, then he can urge you to treat others in such a way that they would begin to believe it themselves. The cycle of abuse, of shame, of worthlessness can then go on and on and on. Break this lie. Accept the fact that God sent his only Son to die for you and that God must feel you’re of value. Deny Satan the satisfaction of rendering you wretched and self-pitying. Respond with the mind of Christ—by valuing them.

The truth about our value to God

Learn these Scriptures and quote them when you begin to hear the ‘You = zero’ lie again:

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• “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save those which were lost.” (Luke 19:10)
• “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
• “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Jesus says to us: I love you. I died for you. I care about you.

Value yourself. You might ask yourself this question: If God thought you are worth saving, but you think yourself worthless, are you setting your standards higher than God’s? Most of all, when this voice comes to oppress you, seek through prayer to hear that other voice, the voice that says, I love you. I died for you. I care about you.

Maybe the words of the child’s song express it best: “Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so.” This I know. Once I was lost, but now I’m found—and Jesus made me whole.

By: Dr Robert E Coleman
The War Cry, Jan. 10 / 98