What Gospel Will You Preach to You?

Every day, you preach to yourself some kind of gospel: a false “I-can’t-do-this” gospel or the true “I-have-all-I-need-in-Christ” gospel.

My imperfection doesn’t
defeat me.
I stand in the shadow of your
perfection.
My weakness doesn’t
discourage me.
I stand in the circle of your
strength.
My foolishness doesn’t
depress me.
I am an object of your
wisdom.
My lack of control doesn’t
make me anxious.
I am buoyed by your
sovereignty.
My sin doesn’t
paralyze me.
I am the object of your
forgiveness.
My fear doesn’t
control me.
I am blessed by your
presence.
My needs don’t
embarrass me.
I am encouraged by your
promises.
My dreams don’t
distract me.
I am propelled by
your will.
My temptations don’t
control me.
I am protected by
your commandments.
My aloneness doesn’t
hurt me.
I am comforted by
your adoption.
My confusion doesn’t
stop me.
I am taught by
your revelation.

In every way I fall short of
your glory.
In every situation I fail to
measure up.
I am not held back
by me.
My hope is greater
than me.
I am not alone.
I am not left to
myself.
I do not have to depend on
me.
My hope rests on
you.
You have invaded my
life.
You have showered me with
grace
You have reconciled me to
you.
So, I can face what
I am,
because I have been chosen to be
in you.

What gospel message are you preaching to yourself today?

We either preach to ourselves a gospel of aloneness, poverty, and inability or the true gospel of God’s presence, power, and constant provision. You are preaching to yourself a gospel that produces fear and timidity or one that propels you with courage and hope.

You are preaching to yourself of a God who is distant, passive, and uncaring or of a God who is near, caring, and active. You are always preaching to yourself a gospel that causes you to rest in his wisdom or a gospel that produces a bit of panic because it seems as if there are no answers to be found.

Today, when it feels as if no one understands, what gospel will you preach to you? As you face physical sickness, the loss of a job, or the disloyalty of a friend, what message will you bring to you? When you are tempted to give way to despondency or fear, what will you say to you? When life seems hard and unfair, what gospel will you preach to you?

When parenting or your marriage seems difficult and overwhelming, what will you share with you? When your dreams elude your grasp, what will you say to you? When you face a disease that you thought you’d never face, what gospel will you preach to you?

God, in his grace, has given you his Word so that you may preach to yourself what is true.

Psalm 42

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.

By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

(ESV)

A Prayer for Today: Lord, I need you to help me preach the true gospel to myself each and every day. The circumstances of life often have a tendency to cloud my vision about who you are and what your nature is, so remind me of the truth through your Word and help me to embrace the love, grace, and care you truly have for me even when I’m greatly tempted to doubt it. Propel me, God, toward the courage and hope that can only be found in you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Discussion Prompt for Children

1. What do you think it means to preach? When do you usually hear someone preach? Is it possible for you to preach to yourself?

2. What would you say is the message that you most often preach to yourself? Why is it so important to think and talk about the things we preach to ourselves every day?

3. Why do you think it’s so important to read the Bible every day? Why do we need to be reminded of what the Bible says in our day to day lives?

4. How can I help you understand and believe the truth about God and what the Bible says about you and God’s love for you?

Reflection Questions

1. Take a moment and reflect on the regular messages you preach to yourself each and every day. How does that message you preach to yourself line up with the truth of the gospel? In what ways does that message veer from the truth of who God is and what he says about you?

2. Who is someone in your life who can help to remind you of the truth and encourage you to believe the gospel message and how it applies to your daily life? What might God want to communicate to you about the truth through that trusted person?

3. In what ways can you be a trusted person for someone else and remind them of the true gospel message each day?

4. What is your plan for regularly meeting with that trusted person to spur one another on toward living and believing the gospel message?