jesus loves me, by jill lamkin

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬a ‭ESV‬

Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong

I sang this song growing up.  I now love this song.  It’s true and it goes deep, but somewhere between first learning it and my love for it now, the song got rewritten in my heart - not in actual words and not consciously but in the way I understood my relationship with Jesus.  It might have sounded something like this:

Jesus loves me?
I don’t know
I think the Bible tells me so
Other ones to him belong
But I am weak and they are strong

My desire for a deep and close relationship with God always ran up against the fact that I could not make myself good enough.  I could not even keep myself in the forgiveness he had given me.  I thought it was just my own unique, private failing.  I didn’t know that this was the whole crux of the gospel.

The enemy crafts lies uniquely fitted to us.  I was believing the “always striving to be good and pleasing enough” lie package.  I wondered what it would have been like to grow up outside the church and to have found Jesus without my “religious baggage,”  but I know there is a lie package the enemy fashions for that as well.  No one is exempt from the lies of the enemy.  The lies all seem so true, so unique, so shameful, so isolating, but they all come down to this: I can (or I should) take care of this pain, sin and shame on my own.  I am the only one I can trust to do it.  I know I can’t, but I will keep trying in whatever way temporarily soothes it:  maybe it’s addictions to substances or relationships or success or religion.  

There are many ways to try to soothe it, but only one way that will really bring peace: trusting that Jesus’ love is stronger than the lies and is able to destroy them, and trusting that he is willing and ready to do it with no condemnation, because he loves me, died for me, and lives.

AND . . . he is able and willing to continue making me new.  He even takes joy in my asking.  We are weak, but He is strong
Yes, Jesus loves me
The Bible tells me so.

I am thankful for this journey through Re:gen and being always reminded that Jesus loves me.
Jill