Question: I can believe God’s promises for other people but not for myself. Why?

Answer: It’s not uncommon for many people to accept that God is a loving God. But yet, they can find it hard to accept that God loves them. This can be especially true if they feel that they have sinned too much for God to love and forgive them. Or, they think of their relationship with God the same way they think about their relationships with people.

In many of our lives, we’ve had various people disappoint us, mistreat us, break off their relationship with us, or even abuse us.  We come to learn that there are people who cannot be trusted. These people may even be family members or close friends — even those who have been in our lives for many years.

But our Almighty God loves us greatly, and He can indeed be trusted! His Holy Word tells of His great love for us. In fact, “God IS love.” (1 John 4:8 NKJV)  And Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him; And He shall direct your paths.”

Unfortunately, instead of listening to these truths of God, we start to listen to the lies of Satan.  We forget that he is our enemy. In John 10:10, Jesus tells us that, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come  that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

So when you are experiencing those occasional feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness,  lack of confidence, or unworthiness — or just feeling plain unloved — know that these feelings are not from God.  They are from our enemy Satan. He tries to capture our minds so he can pull us away from God.

But don’t lose hope! God is able to bring the victory of healing in these battles that go on in our mind. Sometimes He heals us directly. Sometimes He uses others like trusted Christian counselors, doctors, and pastors to help you through these mental struggles.  Thank God for providing these wonderful people in our lives to be a blessing to us!

Remember the good news God gives us in Jeremiah 29:11:  “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Of course God’s greatest show of love towards us came through His only Son, Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)  So repent. Ask God to forgive you of your sins, and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior!

Read God’s Word. Learn about the promises, hope, and love He has for you. Pray to Him about your needs. And know that unlike people, God always keeps His promises. He does not lie so we know we can trust that His Word is true! Lean on God and stop letting the devil steal your joy! Start living the “abundant” life God has planned for you!