All very well and good?

There are thousands of self-help books out there which teach us to accept ourselves for who we are. Books which tell us we’re valuable, and worthy of love, and good.

And it sounds wonderful because we all want to believe we’re decent people. We desperately want to be ‘enough’. To do good things and make a difference in this world.

Yet the Bible seems to say we’re incapable of any good on our own.

That there’s nothing in us that makes us good enough to meet the perfect standard God requires.

That’s why we need Jesus.

We might be naturally kind and caring and loving people, but sin happens. Day by day we mess up with unkind words, thoughtless comments, or harsh judgments.

We can’t escape it.

And we’ll never be able to save ourselves from the ultimate consequences of our sin.

Sin wraps itself around us like a blanket we don’t want to lug around. Deep down, we want to be free of the burden of our sin and brokenness.

And the Bible says we can be.

The Psalmist cries out after realising the depths of his sin:

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”
(Psalm 51:1‭-‬2)

David knows God’s love is unfailing. He knows he has great compassion. He knows he can blot out his sins as if they were never committed. And he knows God can wash away his iniquity and cleanse him from ALL his sin.

He can do this because Jesus’ death paid the price we couldn’t pay.

His blood washes it all away. Every throwaway comment, harsh statement, and judgmental thought.

All we need to do is come to him, repent, find freedom in God’s unconditional forgiveness, and ask for help in doing better. Living better.

And we aren’t alone in this task.

The Holy Spirit helps us to be truly kind, genuinely caring, and closer to good than we could ever be on our own.

I’m so grateful I don’t have to imagine or conjure up a sense of my own value. God, the creator of the universe, gives me my value. He tells me I’m precious. He gives me my purpose. And he shows me I’m worthy of love.

Because of Jesus.

And that’s good enough for me.