I’ve shared with you before that I have struggled with feelings of insecurity, low self-worth, feeling unloved or unlovable. And no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t shake them. It’s been a lifelong daily battle! And God in all His wisdom said to me 3 powerful words that have changed my life forever and I can’t wait to share this with you! Are you ready to overcome the battle within you? Let’s go! Do you want to know what these 3 little words are? What do you think the 3 little words are? Here they are:
Coke or Pepsi?
Not what you were expecting, huh? Were you expecting – God loves you?!? Well, yes that’s true. And those are three powerful words that can sadly be diminished when we don’t fully believe them. Back to Coke or Pepsi. I know that sounds crazy but I understood the analogy right away. “Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are two of the world’s largest beverage companies, and their rivalry is one of the most well-known in business. For decades, these two companies have been locked in a battle for dominance in the soft drink industry. The rivalry between Coca Cola and Pepsi dates back to the late 1800s, when Coca Cola was first introduced in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1886. Three years later, in North Carolina, Pepsi Cola was invented, and the rivalry between the two brands began. Coca-Cola was the clear market leader at first, dominating the market with its signature formula and marketing campaigns. PepsiCo, on the other hand, eventually caught up, thanks in part to innovative marketing strategies and lower prices.” – twoteachers.co.uk
And just like the competition between Coke and Pepsi, there’s a war for your soul and battle for your belief that’s been going on long before the 1800s. Since the beginning of time God is love and the devil has stood for hate. And the Lord has made it clear to me that it’s not enough to believe in Jesus, but you have to also accept and agree with all that He says and stands for; all that He did.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:8 nlt
Because of our sin nature people needed a Savior to put us in right relationship with God again. And when we believe and receive Jesus into our hearts, He does just that. We don’t have to carry guilt, shame, worthlessness, hate; unloved or anything else that destroys.
But the rival, Satan, knowing of our sin wants to continue accusing us, bringing charges against us because of our sin and plays on our greatest fears; you are – unloved, unwanted, rejected, worthless…. His strategy is to use part truth that we are sinners and then lie to us getting us to believe that we are really unloved, unlovable, unwanted… to destroy us. And it’s been pretty easy for me to fall for his tactics since I have felt so rejected around a few different people in life. Satan has been able to convince me that I was unlovable through people who don’t know or follow Jesus.
“See, they don’t love you. Something is wrong with you. You are unloved, unlovable and worth nothing.”
I have lived in discouragement, disheartenment and at one time depression because of it! Have you ever felt like this?
At the end of the day there is a choice to be made and it’s more serious than…
Coke or Pepsi
But if nothing else, Coke or Pepsi drinkers are seriously serious about their loyalty! My hubby happens to be a die hard Diet Coke drinker. And if we are at a restaurant that serves only Pepsi- he’s getting either unsweet tea or a Diet Dr. Pepper, but there is NO WAY he’s going to accept a Pepsi- never has, never will! Ever since he made the choice of Coke his loyalty has not strayed.
In this analogy God was showing me that my husband has more loyalty to his beverage of choice than I have to my God!! I carried around two highly opposing beliefs in my life; you are rejected in one hand and you are loved in the other.
I didn’t even realize what I was doing. It kind of felt like it was just happening to me. I walked around feeling like a victim.
This brings me to my first point.
1. What you choose is what will carry.
So when I say I felt rejected, unloved, unlovable, worthless- all of that. God was showing me that I chose to carry those. I carried that around as my sense of identity. It was like a burden on my shoulders. True, that I may have picked them up from people, maybe even as a child at some point, but couple with my own insecurity it only grew. But ultimately it shouldn’t matter what people are doing around me. If I carry their opinions or feelings associated with their behaviors, it’s because I chose it. Ouch!!
When the voices in your head run wild, you’ve got to take control!
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV
When I had arguments, opinions and thoughts in my head I needed to relentlessly and undoubtedly take them captive to obey what Christ says about me. He paid the ultimate price for you and me because we are so very loved and worth it! And because I was carrying all of these destructive “labels” they were drowning out the voice of who God said I was. And I was falling for it!!! (ugly cry) Carrying conflicting labels leads to chaos within you! You need to take those thoughts captive and replace them with truth to overcome the battle within!
And just like Coke or Pepsi –
What you choose is what you carry. – We carry the consequences of it in our bodies and minds.
2. One choice is clearly the best.
God’s word will always be truth and the devil’s ploy will always be lies. The devil’s label of lies will always beat us down and tempt us to feel less than. God’s love will always build us up.
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
John 10:10
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
John 14:6 NLT
God doesn’t force His way on people and that is love. But the enemy forces, manipulates, tricks, lies, baits – any way he can to make you disappointed, discouraged and doubt who God is and what He says!
This is clear opposition, clear distinction between the two. There is a battle for your belief. There is NO middle ground. Just like die-hard coke or pepsi drinkers – NO MIDDLE GROUND!!!
And if you choose both, or let me put it another way – refuse to choose just one – like I did… it will lead to confusion, compromise and crush you. One day you’ll feel great and know that you are loved and the next day something will happen and you’ll feel rejected and think you are unloved. I know because this was a pattern of mine for too many years!
But this is what God says about you:
Long ago the LORD said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
Jeremiah 31:3 NLT
That’s who you are – LOVED. And that’s who you are – HIS PEOPLE. But if you choose to be okay with both or refuse to choose here’s what will happen:
6b be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
James 1:6b-8 NLT
When you don’t make a definitive choice your emotions and life will be blown and tossed about; you are divided. It will feel like a constant state of confusion and chaos in your identity, self-worth and confidence.
You must pick only one;
And just like Coke or Pepsi lovers –
One choice is clearly the best.
3. The power to decide is in your hands.
You don’t need anyone else’s input in your decisions. Stop feeling bad about what other people choose to do; how they live their life, and start choosing for yourself! You don’t need permission to do what’s best and right for you. This power is in your hands whether you are around other people or alone with yourself. This one point has been a truly difficult battle for me. I was timid in my own power, not wanting to disappoint. I also took, believed, and accepted other’s poor behavior as my truth. And if that wasn’t bad enough, I would mull around in my mind the rejection I felt from them when they weren’t even around. This power to decide is in your hands and my hands. And it has nothing to do with anyone else, except God.
As I’ve gotten older I started to realize that I don’t have to accept anything from other people that I choose not to. I have the power to decide if someone is disrespecting me or just being rude in general – I CAN DECIDE! NO! – That’s not who I am, but it sure says a lot about where their heart is. And truly, it must be an empty place. But let me add…that doesn’t mean it’s your place or mine to fix. If nothing else, I’ve learned that as people, if we don’t see a problem in our own behavior we won’t see a need to change. And we don’t change for other people, but ourselves.
I have the power to decide to be like Jesus- not the world. I have the power to decide to follow Jesus – in all that He did, all that He says and His way of believing and living. This is love. This is power. This is good. Really good. This will be hard and worth it! Great!
Just like Coke or Pepsi –
The power to decide is in your hands.
Quick Recap:
1. What you choose you will carry.
When the voices in your head run wild, you’ve got to take control; take every thought captive to obey Christ! Find, know and remember what He says about you and what He did for you!
2. One choice is clearly the best.
The devil’s label of lies will always beat you down. God’s love will always build you up… and choosing both or neither will toss you about.
Faith is believing what God says in spite of the voices in your head or in the world.
Laurie Krawchuk
God says that He loves you! God says Jesus died so that He could have a now and forever relationship with you!!!
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:15 amp
3. The power to decide is in your hands.
This message today is calling you to make a choice!
And here’s the truth:
This is NOT even a choice about you feeling worthless or unloved. This is really a choice about who you believe? God or Satan (the enemy of God.)
Believing that you are loved- is actually the truth! And by believing in that truth you are actually living out your faith; believing, serving and honoring God!
If you ‘ve never thought about it that way – it’s totally a different perspective!
And the people who you feel hurt by, who are they following?
This is more about you and I following Jesus instead of following our feelings. And this is such a human thing to do! But if we’re not careful we will fall to our feelings every time, instead of Jesus!
But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua 24:15 NLT
I was holding REJECTED in one hand and LOVED in the other. On good days I felt loved, on bad days I felt less than. I could never truly receive all of God’s love for me as long as I held onto lies.
But since I finally decided to choose the best choice, God, and throw out the worst choice, the devil’s lies about me – I am so much happier, more confident and feel good about myself and being me. And my loyalties are NOT divided!!
THIS HAS BEEN A GAME CHANGER!
IT’S SO SIMPLE, YET SO POWERFUL!
It’s like –
Coke or Pepsi?
Choose wisely.
Much love and grace, Laurie
