I recently was talking to an older man who said, “I wish I were as good as my dog thinks I am.” His comment made me laugh. It’s true; many people are perceived to be wonderful but know they really aren’t that great. You and I struggle with sin. It’s a daily battle. Though we may put our “best foot forward,” we know that there are areas where we fail time and time again. Even the great Apostle Paul struggled. He said, “what I want to do I do not do.” We know what is right. We know how we should act and think. And yet, it’s difficult.

The Good News is that God is a God of grace. Being a follower of Jesus does not mean you have to be perfect. We’ll never do all that we should. That’s okay. God isn’t looking for perfect people. He’s looking for people who know that they’re fallen and in response turn to Him. Don’t let the enemy hound you about something you’ve done in the past that has been forgiven. If you’ve come before the Lord and asked for forgiveness, it’s over. Rather than focusing on how bad you are, focus on the goodness of Jesus. His perfect life paid the price for our failures so that we do not need to be condemned. This is good news! Because of Jesus, you’ve been washed clean. Today, instead of beating yourself up because of your shortcomings, focus rather on sharing this wonderful news with those in your world.

This is Andrew Palau.