3 Reasons to Preach the Gospel to Yourself
We are living through history right now.
These are literally unprecedented times, with uncertainty and despair running rampant. As Christians, we know we worship a sovereign Father Who is in complete and utter control. But it’s easy to lose sight of that in the day to day. And certainly the world is full of nonbelievers who feel lost, anxious, and without answers.
Now, more than ever, Christians must daily preach the Gospel to ourselves so that we can be His light to the watching world. But what does it even mean to “preach” the “Gospel” to yourself? Please don’t write this off as wordy Christianese; the question I’d like to pose, simply, is, “Are you and I daily living in the reality of God’s grace?”
I think, for many of us, it boils down to this: We don’t accept just how powerful and life-giving the Holy Spirit is, and just how badly we need the Holy Spirit — especially now.
I myself have been in countless small group settings, fumbled my way through a passage in Scripture, and watched — in awe — as the Holy Spirit did amazing things with the text and challenged our group. But then, in the quiet of my thoughts later that same week, sinful thought patterns rear their ugly heads. And those sinful thought patterns start to breed sinful behaviors. Before I know it, my sin has turned to shame and suddenly I’m “unforgivable.”
But that’s crazy and counter-Gospel. To combat the enemy’s lies, and to live out the hope of Christ in these uncertain times, I must stay grounded in Scripture and continually preach the Gospel to myself.
Preaching to Yourself Will Keep You Kingdom-Focused
Our seemingly insignificant lives are made up of countless days and hours where nothing really significant happens — or, at least that’s how we feel. But what does God show us all throughout the narrative of the Bible? He uses insignificant people living insignificant lives to accomplish significant things. God is in the business of proclaiming audacious promises and then using His broken people to fulfill them — and He’s still doing that today with me and you. Preaching to ourselves by the reading of His Word and prayer keeps our hearts oriented toward His kingdom goals. We get to play a role in His miraculous work! (Hebrews 13:20–21)
Preaching to Yourself Will Keep You Humble
Our God displayed what is inarguably the greatest act of humility when He sent His son Jesus. Think about it: God became man, He was born in a lowly manger to two insignificant people, He washed feet, dined with the disenfranchised, and then He was crucified. His ministry was literally all about dying to Himself that He might grant life — redeemed, everlasting life. Oh, how we need reminding of this! When I prop myself up, and when pride wells up in my heart (and so often it does), preaching the Gospel to myself forces me to confront the reality that the risen Jesus I love and adore embodied and embodies perfect humility, and I’m being obedient when I strive for humility. (Ephesians 4:1–8)
Preaching to Yourself Will Sustain You
In times like this, we need to be sustained. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually. As Christians, we can lean into the fact that Jesus bought us life-saving and life-giving sustenance by His blood on the cross. God’s everlasting life freely offered through His Son is the absolute best news we’ll ever receive. And, while sharing this news with the world is a part of our calling, we must share and re-share this news with ourselves daily. By the Holy Spirit, this will sustain us — His grace is all we’ll ever need. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
My prayer is that, by the end of reading this, you’ll see our absolute need to continually preach the good news of the Gospel to ourselves so that we may be focused on His kingdom work, remain low and humble, and be wholly sustained. May the Holy Spirit stir you to action, even now.
