“We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). If we don’t allow God to love us, we will hardly be able to love Him in return. If we don’t make peace with ourselves, we will never be able to love others as the Bible commands us: “…You shall love your neighbor as yourself…” (Mark 12:31).

Above all, human beings need the revelation of the love that God personally bears for them. The love that God has for us is the foundation of our faith, our liberation from sin, and our ability to serve without fear or insecurity. God has instilled in each of us a burning desire, a deep longing, and a need to be loved. The Bible reveals that God loves us as much as He loves Jesus! (John 17:23).

Those who think they are righteous in the eyes of God through their efforts to overcome their flaws also think they exasperate God with their failures and catastrophes. It is impossible for us to push God to the limit. Love cannot be pushed to the limit, and nothing we can do will ever make God stop loving us. God does not possess love: He IS love! (1 John 4:8). Many people develop a self-image based on shame, the result of the unjust treatments inflicted on them by others (parents, teachers, friends, strangers).

After a while, the attitudes and opinions of others become imprinted on us. If we don’t know how much we are loved in Christ, we risk developing a sense of insecurity. Don’t let how others treat you determine your worth. People who lack confidence are the battleground of an inner war: most of the time, they are the disputed territory.

Since it’s easy to get up in the morning and make a list of everything wrong with us, the devil takes advantage to sow lies in our thoughts so that we use them to create a negative view of ourselves – built on the opinions of others.

This text is an excerpt from the book “How to Regain Confidence in Myself?” written by Joyce Meyer.

We invite you to read the following article: “Satan Has a Bad Attitude, and He Wants to Pass It On to You“.