
According to Him
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Question: What rock ‘n’ roll chica has the rare combination of one
of the most unique names in musical history and *mad* guitar skills?
If the name Miley Cyrus came to mind, please dismiss that thought immediately…you’re fired.
Ladies and Gentlemen, her name is Orianthi Panagaris, her
eco-friendly guitar is named “Pepper,” and you probably know her as
“that blond chick that sings ‘According to You.’”
According to you I’m stupid
I’m useless
I can’t do anything right
According to you
I’m difficult
hard to please
forever changing my mind
I’m a mess in a dress
can’t show up on time
even if it would save my life
According to you, according to you
Who is “you”? Apparently it’s the guy she was dating who obviously didn’t have a lot of good things to say to her:
According to you
I’m boring
I’m moody
and you can’t take me any place
Can
anyone out there relate to Orianthi and her unhealthy relationship? I
would bet that there are a few voices in your world that would fall
under the category of “According to You”…that cause you to feel
“stupid” and “useless,” and any other number of things, making you
wonder if you mean anything to anyone.
Sometimes it’s our parents, teachers, coaches, or even the images
and expectations we get from the media that make us feel worthless. But
ultimately, those messages come from the one that the Bible calls the
enemy of our souls, “the accuser” Satan.
Satan accuses you of being worthless, unlovable, incompetent, and
hopeless…why? Because if you have trusted Christ, you are God’s child,
which means Satan wants nothing more than to steal the joy out of your
life, kill your dreams, and destroy your hope of finding God’s amazing
plan for your life.
In the song “According to You,” Orianthi discovers another voice which she refers to as “According to him”:
But according to him
I’m beautiful
incredible
he can’t get me out of his head
According to him
I’m funny
irresistible
everything he ever wanted
Aren’t those the words we all want to hear? Wouldn’t it be amazing
if we had a person in our lives who believed in us and saw the best in
us even through our flaws?
You do have Someone like that. There is a heavenly song playing for
all believers in Jesus Christ that started even before the universe
existed called “According to Him” - and here are just a few of the
lyrics:
According to Him*
I love you, my people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
According to Him
I know the plans I have for you, they are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
According to Him
No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what He has prepared
for those who love him.
According to Him
His unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
According to Him
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
He is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
Are you picking up on how God feels about His children? In Christ,
we are way beyond “beautiful, incredible”…in fact, according to Him, He
chose to die rather than live without us.
So now, like Orianthi, you have a choice between two voices. Don’t
listen to the accusations of the devil and the world. Instead, tune
your soul into the melody of heaven that assures you for eternity that
you have the unfailing love of your Father, the forgiveness of Jesus
Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
And just like you would pass along a link to an amazing video on
YouTube to your friends, get the word out about the Bible’s version of
“According to Him.” You have friends that are trapped in the world of
negative messages but you have the voice of the gospel that will allow
them to choose a different perspective – that they are loved by God the
Father when they put their faith and trust in Christ.
According to Him… He made you, He loves you, He died for you.
*Jeremiah 31:3; 29:11; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Psalm 103:11-13
Isn’t it great to know that the Creator God of the universe
has forgiven us and loves us unconditionally because of Christ? That’s
why it is so critical that we get the word out to our friends and
families that are only hearing the “according to you” messages. Send
your friends the link to this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu1aQvm5MrU)
and then bring up a conversation with them about the different voices
in their lives and how they impact them. Pray for an opportunity to
share the true “according to Him” message.
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful
God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those
who love him and keep his commandsDeuteronomy 7:9). (
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we
should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason
the world does not know us is that it did not know him (1 John 3:1).
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).