By

Nancy Arant Williams

Perhaps you’re like me and you’ve struggled with depression, disappointed with yourself and your lack of perfection.

Well then, there’s something you should know. God created you and me knowing we would never be perfect until we get to heaven. That’s right. He created us, knowing we would be less than perfect!

He created us and loved us unconditionally, so much that He bought us back from the clutches of the enemy with the blood of Jesus. And once we are called by His name, He delights in us, like a Daddy does his darling little child. (If you are not yet a child of God and want to know more, please click here.)

In fact, scripture says God completes us--that whatever we are not, He is. Isn’t that incredible? Let me say that again. Whatever we are not, He is. Whatever we lack, He supplies. We are incomplete without Him, but fully equipped when we allow Him to save us, change, fill, and use us.

The thing is, most of us have heard terrible, demanding, perfectionist messages from society, our parents, our churches and the devil himself. And you and I have adopted those messages and used them to belittle, shame, and even try to motivate us to do better. But they don’t motivate us, do they? They embarrass and paralyze us, hindering us from stepping out again. They make us afraid to try, because we might fail.

The good news is, those messages are not from God. They are lies from the pit of hell itself, and they prevent us from receiving the promises of God.

For most of my life, I’ve felt ill-equipped, inadequate, and ashamed of my lack of perfection, and it hindered me no end. And though I knew I was given victory to live what scripture calls the abundant life, I simply couldn’t grab hold of this concept.

One small failure had the capacity to knock me down for a week, a month, a year, or, on occasion, a lifetime. I simply could not forgive myself for my failures. And the list was endless.

Because I knew I didn’t have this down, I hung onto God for dear life, bugging Him to give me the key to overcoming this terrible obstacle. Just like Jacob had wrestled with the angel of the Lord, I wouldn’t let Him go until He blessed me with answers.

And this year, He did exactly that. He showed me things I’d never seen before.

First, He showed me that His Word is truth, and in His Word, He makes declarations about me that I need to grab hold of. When I do that and repeat them on a daily basis, my mind is renewed, and my heart can actually grasp the fact of His love, making it my own.

And once the new messages become my own, I can let go of doubt, fear, anxiety, and dread of the future, because I know that I know that I know that my God loves me, and He has everything under control. The future is bright, because nothing is impossible with God. I can rejoice because scripture says He delights in me and in giving me the desires of my heart. He thinks I’m worthy! I can forgive, because I have been forgiven everything I’ve ever done. And now I can rest, believing with my whole heart that these things are truth.

But how can we grasp these truths? By daily reinforcing the incredible words God says about us in scripture.

I learned these truths three months ago, and as I first read the declarations listed below, I shook my head. I knew they were God’s words about me, but I absolutely didn’t believe them, so I set them aside until the next day.

The second day, I picked them up again, hopeful this time, because if God said them, they certainly had to be true. And I followed the directions. Looking at myself in the mirror, I read them out loud. I wept and wept, overwhelmed when I finally grasped the truth, that God’s love has covered my sins, freed me from the sins of my past, given me hope for the future, and offered me a niche in the incredible kingdom of God, where I can be a tool in the Master’s hand. If my attitude is right toward God, He says He will use me. How could He possibly love me that much when I’m so weak and imperfect? I don’t know, but He does!

And that was the beginning of transformation, the beginning of healing, hope and revival, renewed excitement about my wonderful God. The fears and doubts and dread are gone, shattered by the truth of God’s amazing love.

The following are the declarations that have changed my life. So often we struggle to trust God, because we feel we aren’t worthy. And because believing God loves us is foundational to everything else we do, we must renew our minds, reinforcing and believing what God says about us. Remember, He says these words about you!

             Repeat this exercise everyday and you’ll never be the same again.

Stand in front of a mirror, look yourself in the eyes, smile and with passion, repeat these words:

I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

He puts a new song of praise in my mouth.

I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me.

I am the apple of His eye, and He delights in me.

I am the beloved of God.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I am not who I used to be, but a brand new creature in Christ.

I am forgiven, and God has long forgotten things I refuse to let go. Therefore, I will no longer bring them up, but loose them.

I am changed by the renewing of my mind, replacing my old messages with the new and powerful words of anointing God says about me.

I will not fear, but will believe God in every situation.

I will stand on His promises, and refuse doubt and depression, because they are lies from the pit.

I will rejoice in the Lord, for He is the strength of my life.

My God sings a song of joy over me.

I will comfort myself in the truth of His Word that says He is my provider, my protector, my victory and my hope for the future.

I will abide in the Lord, believing Him for every good thing He wants me to have, the fruits of the spirit, the power that comes with living in His very presence, and the faith to believe for the impossible. For scripture says those who waiver and doubt will get nothing.

I will praise God with passion, yearning after Him, no longer satisfied with simply going through the motions, for only then will He hear my cry, and pour out His spirit on me.

I will wait upon the Lord, anxious to hear His voice and obey, ready in season and out of season to minister to those who need to hear and be encouraged.

Pass it on!