About a month ago, I was in the midst of an internal war with myself. I was bombarded with self-doubt and confusion that slowly corroded my spirit and poisoned my faith. I began to question the meaning of my life and my worthiness to be blessed with so many incredible gifts - a loving family, supportive friends, security, a healthy body. My doubt originated from dwelling on the sins of my past and by allowing the guilt of those sins to weigh down upon my soul. All of my grievances were afreshed and the pain of those decisions renewed. Considering my past, present, and future sins, why would God deem me worthy of beautiful blessings rather than someone else more holy and worthy? Yes, my past is cluttered with misgivings, but beyond human reason, God loves me and has chosen me for a purpose.
Why?
After the smoke cleared and the debris settled, I began to reconstruct my spirit via Scripture. My focus was St. Paul's letters to the Corinthians.
1. We cannot earn grace nor perform good deeds so as to be worthy of God's love.
Ch 2, 3: 1; 4-6 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that ourselves we are qualified to take credit for anything as coming from us; rather our qualification comes from God, who has indeed qualified us as ministers of a new covenant..."
2. God's grace is enough to remove my sins (however unforgivable I think they are). My weaknesses give me the opportunity to surrender to God so that he may He may shine through.
Ch 2,12: 9 "God said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness."
3. Don't compare yourself to others! God made you with a specific purpose that no one else can fulfill.
Ch 1, 12:14 - Now the body is not a single part, but many. If an ear should say, "Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body," it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?
But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended.
4. We can glorify God by fulfilling our purpose - not by dramatic acts of heroism, but by small acts of great humility (Love).
Ch 1, 13:1 If I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
Whenever I feel doubt seeping back into my spirit, I read these Scripture verses again and place all of my confidence in God our Father. He is the fountain of Life and the perfection of Love - unconditional and immortal.
