Believe Up

The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the unwary, when I was brought low, he saved me. Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

Psalm 116:5-7 NIV

“I have struggled with such low self-esteem for a long time.”

When I heard those words from a friend, I felt no compassion. I certainly did not encourage her. The only emotion I could muster was anger. I did not direct that anger at her and did not dare say it aloud. I directed my emotions towards myself.

Why? What could cause such a negative reaction? It came because I had uttered those same words on many occasions. Hearing them come out of someone else’s mouth made them seem like such a cop-out. I had to admit I had used that exact statement as an excuse on many occasions.

Try something new? Oh, I will probably fail, so why try? Sin? Well, I feel low, so I participate in unhealthy practices to accentuate my lowliness. Making new friends? They probably will not like me, so why do it? Getting out of my comfort zone? Oh no, that would produce way too much anxiety.

I realized I “believed low,” meaning I accepted Satan’s lies about me as truth and acted accordingly. The time had come to “believe up” – acknowledge God’s loving, compassionate thoughts about me and put them into practice.

“Believing up” allows us to drown out Satan’s lies and accusations completely.

“Believing up” permits us to live out God’s plan. It takes away lame excuses and pushes us beyond ourselves.

God’s plan, opinion, and best always lead us higher. Sometimes, we may not feel “enough,” but God equips us with his righteousness. By trusting in our gracious, righteous, compassionate God, we can have rest for our souls.

God, thank you for your goodness. Thank you for replacing Satan’s lies with your truth. Help us to see ourselves as you do and to live like it. Give us the wherewithal to

 “Believe Up.”

Susan Partida