We live in a world that beats us down. We are surrounded by forces that tend to make us feel small and worthless sometimes. In this kind of world, it’s important that we learn to recognize good—especially the good within ourselves.

Granted, we all fall short of perfection. It is part of our mortal condition. We have weaknesses that we surrender to all too easily, and we have help in our failures, because none of us is strong enough by ourselves to stand up to the devil one on one.

I believe in a real devil—the personage we call Satan. He exists, and he hates every one of us on earth because we enjoy the privilege of living here in mortality—a privilege he lost by rebellion before we came here. The devil will do anything to make us miserable as he is.

It is in his best interest for people not to believe in him. That way he can work without our being aware of his influence. If he confronted us directly, many would resist being manipulated. It is better for him if he can simply whisper to us, inviting us to indulge in the weaknesses that he knows we have.

Usually we fall into sin without thinking about the end result. That is why we need Jesus Christ and the grace He offers.

“Be ye perfect,” He said in the sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:48). Would He give us a commandment that is impossible? No. But it is important that we understand all the things “perfect” may mean. The Greek word in the biblical text means complete, or fully developed. We might say this means being of full integrity—endeavoring always to practice what we say we believe. We may not reach this level all the time, but we are expected to try. Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery—a sin worthy of death under the Mosaic law—and then He said to her, “Go, and sin no more.” That is what is expected of each of us.

We have sinned in the past, and we will continue to struggle and fall. Because of this, we would be eternally lost without the grace of Christ. But He expects us to get up and try again.

Why would He willingly suffer and die for our sins? Because it was a commitment He made before coming to earth? Yes. But there was something more. He saw enough good in each of us to feel we are worth saving. Despite all of the times that we fail, He loves us.

It is important to see the good in ourselves without becoming proud of it. In The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis explained that the way for the devil to distract us from doing good is to get us to stop and pat ourselves on the back for it. We need to find the balance that lets us recognize good within ourselves while we still plead to God for the forgiveness He offers through the grace of His Beloved Son. No matter how much good we might do, that grace is still essential to our salvation.

When we find the good within ourselves, this will help us understand how to heed His repeated admonitions to “go, and do” (Luke 10:37) and to “follow me” (Matthew 9:9, 10:38). In what shall we follow Him? In doing the kind of works that He did. The good and strength within us can be used to lift others. (See Hebrews 12:12.)

You have many weaknesses. When the devil tells you that you are no good because of them, or when you cringe at the unworthiness within yourself, you must remember that you also have strengths.

So here is today’s thought to ponder as you try to take up your cross and follow Him: How good are you?