Imagine two chairs facing each other. You sit down in one, and Jesus sits down in the other. You’re now sitting knee to knee and toe to toe with Jesus. What does He see when he looks at you? What does He think of you? Is He disgusted and disappointed, or is He delighted, bursting with affection? Years ago, I heard a speaker ask this question, and the thought of having to look Jesus straight in the eye made me weep. I felt shame. What I didn’t know then is that I was experiencing Imposter Syndrome. Imposter Syndrome is when you doubt your abilities and feel like a fraud. You may have self-talk that sounds like if they really knew me, they wouldn’t [insert fear]. I even felt this way with Jesus, and He knows more about me than I know about myself!
Recently on Susie Larson Live, Susie had Dr. Andrew Farley as a guest. At the open of the show, Susie asked the question, what do you suppose God loves most about you? They went on to talk about Dr. Farley’s book The Perfect You: God’s Invitation to Live from the Heart. He shared about his decade-long journey of going from striving to do more/be more to earn God’s love to truly understanding the grace available to us because of the New Covenant. Dr. Farley writes: In the Gospel message, we see a God who is more than a banker canceling our debt. He’s more than a travel agent changing our itinerary. He’s the Great Physician infusing us with resurrection life.
If you are struggling to do more/be more instead of living out of grace, there is hope. It can be a long process, but God will be with you every step of the way. Here are a few helpful steps:
- Get an accurate view of yourself. The more you spend time with God and in His Word, the more you will understand God’s affection for you. It’s important to note that this is about spending time with God, not ticking something off a list. Linger in God’s presence, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.
- Memorize key verses. Understanding what the Bible says about you is vital in living out of grace. When you have verses memorized, you can use them to combat false thoughts. Here are two verses to get you started:
- “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
- “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
- Keep track. This is a long and sometimes lifelong process. Journaling how you’re doing will create a place for you to go back and remember how far you’ve come.
You can do this! I promise it’ll be worth the effort. Just remember to give yourself grace along the way.
For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
Written by Angela Smith
Angela is Co-Producer for Susie Larson Live and host of the Advent with Faith Radio podcast.
