Good morning!  This is the day the Lord has made!  Rejoice and be glad in it! Thank you for allowing me to send you devotionals for many years. I will be away a couple of weeks and won't be writing devotionals.

A Profound Faith

When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”
—Matthew 8:10

Yesterday, our pastor shared the great faith of the centurion who came to Jesus on behalf of his servant, What was so profound about this centurion that made Jesus marvel? The centurion’s servant was sick from palsy, but he had faith that Jesus would heal him. Jesus recognized the centurion had a compassionate heart and had pursued Him out of love for his servant. He saw a man who recognized his authority to heal and humbly sought him to heal his servant. Jesus was so pleased with the centurion’s faith he declared he had never found so great a faith, not even in Israel.

Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, initiated it in us. To nurture our faith, it is beneficial to delve into such a great faith as that of the centurion. 

“And Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’  The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed’” (Matthew 8:7-8).

This centurion recognized Jesus’ authority and believed that his spoken word was enough to heal his servant. He didn’t need Jesus to visit his house. The centurion had faith in Jesus’ word. This demonstrates that those who simply believe the written Word of God have a greater faith than those who require additional proof. 

For a man with immense power and authority, the centurion’s humble demeanor was truly remarkable. Humility is one of the key components of great faith. People of profound faith in God don’t rely on themselves. They realize their lack but know God shall unequivocally supply their need. Those who excessively depend on themselves struggle to rely on God, and pride hinders their ability to receive from Him.

The centurion said to Jesus: “For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it’” (Matthew 8:9).

This verse demonstrates the centurion’s understanding of authority. He was under the authority of his superiors and held authority over the hundred men under him. He recognized Jesus’ authority from God to heal. Acknowledging Jesus’ authority was crucial for the centurion’s servant to be healed.

Just as the centurion trusted Jesus’ spoken Word, I must also trust the Word of God. The centurion didn’t doubt that Jesus could just speak a word and heal His servant. Do I believe and trust God’s word to do the same in my life? His Word says that I am healed. Do I believe the truth of His Word? Or do I require additional proof? If I require additional evidence of God’s truth working in my life, then His Word alone won’t suffice for me. I’ve elevated my unbelief above its truth, and I’ve become more reliant on myself than on God.

If I want a greater faith, I must acknowledge the authority of God's Word and allow it to speak “life” to me. If I want a faith that overcomes destructive emotions or sickness or loss in life, I find it in the Word. If I want a profound faith that receives God’s promises, I take possession of the Word of God. If I desire a faith that experiences the revelation of God’s wisdom and knowledge, I pray in the Holy Spirit to build up my most holy faith (Jude 20). Through faith and patience I never lack but inherit the promises of God (James 1:4, Hebrews 6:12). Having done all, I stand with bold tenacity and unrelenting faith, knowing I shall see God’s spoken Word fulfilled in my life.

Does Jesus marvel at my faith like he marveled at the faith of the centurion? Are the qualities in the centurion’s life also exemplified in mine? Is Jesus pleased with my spiritual growth and His Word manifesting in me? Jesus shall marvel at my faith when I marvel at the Word He speaks into my life. 

Self-Centeredness

 

Self-centeredness is a snare. The world encourages self-reliance, promotes success, and despises humility. If you are all wrapped up in yourself, being truly happy and finding fulfillment in life is impossible. Selfishness is addictive. Someone focused on satisfying their needs and longings is never content. There is always something more to lure them. They strive to attain their desire, but once they reach it, the excitement fades, and they need something else.
 
With self-centeredness, achievements never satisfy you. You have a void that can never be filled. This is because you can never satisfy yourself. The only way to experience fulfillment in life is to deny self. You must learn to live for something infinitely more significant than yourself.
 
Jesus said: “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
 
God did not create us to live self-focused lives. He created us to lose ourselves to Him.
 
Self-centeredness turns our wants into needs and our needs into problems. It kills relationships and dissolves good intentions. Most believers don’t know how to deal with self-centeredness. They keep praying about it and beating themselves up with guilt and shame, but nothing seems to help. 
 
There is only one way to get rid of self-centeredness. You become free of it by becoming a living sacrifice.
 
Paul said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).
 
Sacrificing yourself is your reasonable service. When you choose to be a “living sacrifice,” you don’t focus on the act of your sacrifice. If you do, your sacrifice has the potential to become about you. You must take your focus off yourself and place it on Jesus. Self-sacrifice is difficult. That is why it takes humility. You can force yourself to sacrifice something, but that is not the same as letting it go in your heart. 
 
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, KJV).
 
Our lives aren’t about us. To live the life of Jesus we must learn to “live by the faith of the Son of God.” If Jesus says we can comfort those who hurt, heal the sick, forgive those who offend us, and love those who despise us, we can humble ourselves and believe it. If we humble ourselves in God’s sight, He will lift us up to be a living sacrifice (James 4:10).
 
In Matthew 16:16, Jesus blesses Peter for recognizing Him as the Son of the living God. A few verses later, Jesus tells the disciples He will be rejected, mistreated, die, and rise again. Peter, who had joyfully received Jesus’ blessing, now doesn’t receive these words. 
 
“Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You,” he declares (Matthew 16:22). Peter wouldn’t let Jesus be rejected, mistreated, and die! He would save him!
 
Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23).
 
Peter pridefully declared he could save Jesus when Jesus had really come to save him. Peter was selfishly promoting himself over God’s plan. It was true that Peter was ignorant of God’s will in sending Jesus, and he must have been crushed by Jesus’ rebuke when he had just received His praise, but Jesus had to deal with Peter’s pride before it became sown in his heart. 
 
Often, we don’t see God’s greater purpose in a difficult issue. Self will rise up, declaring we need to do something, when in truth, if we would humble ourselves and listen to the Holy Spirit, we could avoid the predicaments pride brings. We need to crucify pride before it takes root in our hearts. Humbling ourselves to live by the faith of Jesus is the only way to be a living sacrifice who overcomes pride.
 
Jesus denied Himself for our sake. He surrendered His will to the Father’s will. He was tempted as we are, yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He didn’t want to be rejected. He didn’t want to suffer pain (Matthew 26:39). But He knew He had been born to die for us (Revelations 13:8). Jesus couldn’t allow His mind to focus on any other purpose than the one before Him. That would have been pride. Jesus humbled Himself for our sake to fulfill God’s plan for His life (Philippians 2:8).
 
If we want to fulfill God's plan for our lives, we must humble ourselves as Christ humbled Himself for us.
 
“A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.” (Proverbs 29:23).
 
Pride will humiliate us. It will obstruct what God can do in and through us. We should represent the Father humbly as Jesus did. Jesus was meek and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29). He didn’t come to serve Himself but to serve us (John 13:13-17). Just like Peter, we need to humble ourselves to receive the Lord’s blessing, but we also need to be humble enough not too think highly of ourselves.
 
Life is not about us. We are blessed to bless others. We are not made to be selfish, receiving God’s blessings just for ourselves. That abuses the grace humbly given to us. We need to humble ourselves as Jesus humbled Himself for us. True humility is losing ourselves to Jesus. He is our living sacrifice. We live by the faith of the Son of the living God, who loved us and gave His life for us.



 
 

Lose Your Life for His Sake

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
—Matthew 16:25 
 
This verse makes no sense to your natural mind. Most people think that no one will look out for them if they don’t. They view everything from a selfish perspective, which is prideful and only leads to disagreement (Proverbs 13:10). 

God loves us more than we love ourselves. His plans for us are better than our plans for ourselves (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). Abandoning ourselves to His plan is the best thing we can do. It rarely makes sense to our carnal mind because our carnal thinking is the enemy of God (Romans 8:7). 

There is unquestionably suffering in following Jesus (2 Timothy 3:12). However, the suffering we endure for His sake cannot be compared with His glory to be revealed in us (Romans 8:17-18). One day, when we go to be with the Lord, we won’t see through a glass darkly anymore. We will have a complete revelation of what God was doing all along in this world.
 
The most crucial thing in this world is for Him to be Lord in your life. What have you made the most necessary thing? Who or what is your Lord? Is there something you hold on to, afraid you will lose, or perhaps a relationship you believe is more important than anything else? If you try to hang on to your life, Jesus said, you will lose it. If a relationship or what you possess is more important than your relationship with God, you will lose intimacy with Him. Your understanding of who you are in Christ will fade away. You will lose your life to what you desire instead of losing your life to become the new person He created.
 
“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be,” Jesus said (Matthew 6:21).
 
Is the thing you treasure a person? Your concerns and desires about that relationship are foremost in your mind. If it is something you crave, then your desire to own it outweighs anything else. Whatever your treasure becomes the desire of your heart. If you selfishly hang on to what you require instead of seeking what the Lord desires, you will lose the revelation of your new life in Jesus Christ. But if your treasure is your relationship with Him, then the genuine desire of your heart is what the Holy Spirit reveals in you.
 
Giving up your life for Jesus is all about priorities. Jesus put you first when He died on the Cross for the forgiveness of your sins—your healing—your provision—your total restoration. You were then and still are His number-one priority. Is He yours, or do other relationships, desires, or things get in the way? If you hang on to them, you lose. If you give them up, you win. 

To lose the desires that get in the way of your relationship with Christ, you must let go of the influence of your old nature. It has been crucified with Christ and no longer has the power to control your life unless you allow your flesh to convince you it still does. Allowing the Holy Spirit to direct your life is letting the new nature you have received in Jesus mold you into God’s image. Withholding nothing from the Lord will save you from the ultimate bitterness of a self-focused life and give you unmatched intimacy with Him.
 
Peace and joy are tangible when you truly understand how much Jesus loves you. Your desire to love Him springs from knowing the love He gave you. Give Him your time to learn who He says you are. Give Him the selfish longings that compete with His desires. Give Him your relationships. Give Him every struggle. Give Him all the emotional upheavals. He destroyed them on the cross. You are the one holding on to their lies. Give Him all of you so you learn all of who He is. As you grow to know who He is, you will come to know the new life He gave you, conforming you to His image. He becomes your Lord. You can never make Him Lord by what you do. When who you believe you are agrees with who He says you are, you make Him Lord. Then, you can live out of the truth of your new life in Him.
 
God desires to reveal Himself in your life. You are the desire of His heart, my friend. He yearns to be the desire of yours. Jesus is God’s gift of salvation to you. Open your gift. Open all of Him and find the new person He has created in you. Know the power of His resurrection. He withheld nothing from you. Withhold nothing from Him. 
 
“He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39).
 

The Secret of Contentment

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.
—Philippians 4:10-11

In Philippians 4:10, Paul thanked the Philippians for the way they gave to supply his needs. They had desired to give for a long time, but hadn’t had the opportunity. When Paul was arrested and taken to Rome, it took awhile for the Philippians to hear about it, but once they did, they cared for him. Their giving was one of the things that made the Philippians special to Paul. They weren’t like some he had ministered to who only took from him. The Philippians gave.

Paul didn’t rejoice because of the physical gifts he received from the Philippians; he had learned to be content without things (Philippians 4:11). It was the Philippians’ love behind their gifts that touched Paul’s heart and blessed him. He rejoiced because their giving revealed their great love for him, and he knew their giving would produce fruit that would abound to their account (Philippians 4:17).

Paul knew the source of his contentment: it was finding all of himself in Christ (Hebrews 13:5).

Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 2:24, “Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God. For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?” 

Solomon was saying that no one could satisfy their desires as he had. He was the richest man who had ever lived (2 Chronicles 1:12), yet he had determined that people had to make themselves find happiness in life.

Things and circumstances didn’t satisfy Solomon, and they won’t satisfy us either. It’s a choice. Every one of us has the capacity to be content, but just like we have the capacity to read and write, reading and writing don’t come naturally. We must learn to read and write. Neither does contentment come naturally or as a result of circumstances: we must learn to be content no matter what happens. Just as someone learns to read and write more easily than another, some people find it easier to learn contentment.

Paul certainly had to learn to be content. He was in prison in Rome and facing possible execution. The secret to Paul’s contentment was that he had died to himself and was living totally for God (Philippians 1:21, Galatians 2:20). 

A person who is dead has no needs. Paul was dead to himself so he didn’t regard himself as having any needs. Jesus had fulfilled his life. Needs are about us. Discontent and depression arise out of selfishness. If we continually die to self and live to Christ, we can rid ourselves of selfishness and be content.

One of the best ways to learn contentment is to be thankful for what you have and quit dwelling on what you don’t have. Most people in prison focus on all the things they can’t do. Paul was most likely thinking about all the things he could do. He preached the Gospel to the Jewish leaders in Rome (Acts 28:17-29), something that would have been impossible without being arrested and taken to Rome. Everyone in Caesar’s palace heard the Gospel (Philippians 1:12-18). He had earned the favor of his guards, and they granted him his own house, allowing him to have his friends visit him without restriction (Acts 28:30). Paul had complete freedom to preach the Gospel in Rome (Acts 28:31).  Promoting Jesus Christ was all that mattered to him.

We can be content in anything because godly contentment doesn’t depend upon our circumstances. This is completely opposite to the way most people think. No one really wants to be depressed, but very few feel any personal responsibility or authority to control their feelings during trying circumstances. Emotions don’t follow circumstances; emotions follow the way we think. Regardless of our circumstances, we can choose to think on things that are lovely, true, and good (Philippians 4:8). As we think, so our feelings will follow (Proverbs 23:7, Isaiah 26:3, Romans 8:6).

Even though God desires to prosper His children (3 John 3:2), Paul’s focus wasn’t on what he was given but upon Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). The Lord wishes for us to prosper, but it’s not His will for us to gripe when we are experiencing difficult situations. We can be content whether we are in need or whether we abound in life (Philippians 4:12). We, too, can know the secret of contentment—we can find “all of our life” in Christ. Just as Paul, we, too, can die to self and live totally for God.

Thinking and Living Right

The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
—Philippians 4:9
 

In Philippians 4:9, used himself as a role model. Paul informed the Philippians that if they followed the actions, words, teachings, and knowledge he had imparted to them, God would be with them. This was wisdom. If what we teach to others doesn’t resonate with our own lives, we should refrain from teaching it. On the other hand, if our teachings are effective in our lives, we should encourage others to emulate us.

Paul had just told the believers in Philippians 4:8 to think on “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report.” In verse 9, he instructed them to follow him because he was living out exactly what he had instructed them to do. He personified the principles he preached. Therefore, they should do the same.

In Philippians 4:9, there are four things listed in reverse order that encouraged the Philippians to follow Paul’s example.

The first thing Paul listed was the one absolutely necessary to draw them toward the Lord. The Philippians observed Paul’s life. When Paul and Silas arrived in Philippi, the Philippians witnessed God’s power working through Paul and Silas. An earthquake miraculously released them from prison (Acts 16:22-31). Next, the Philippians heard Paul’s message. He used the miraculous events to preach the Gospel and give glory to Jesus. They received what Paul said and were born again. Then, and only then, they learned Paul’s secret of having a relationship with God through faith in God’s grace.

When a person receives Christ, this progression of events is the norm. If we fail to walk in the power of God so that unbelievers can see that power in our lives, then few of them will ever stop to hear what we have to say. If they do hear but don’t receive, the process stops there. If they receive, then they will learn, experiencing Christ personally in their lives.

Not only were the Philippian believers to think upon what was true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, but they were also to do the things they had learned.

In the Living Bible, this verse reads, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.” The Greek word “prasso” was translated “do,” and means “to practice’” (Strong’s Concordance). This verb is present progressive. It’s used to describe an ongoing activity in the present. Paul’s instruction to the Philippians is “a command to keep on doing an action as one’s general habit or lifestyle” (The Discovery Bible, Moody Press).

It’s not the hearers of God’s Word but the doers of God’s Word who are blessed. Paul instructed the Philippians to put into practice—to make it their lifestyle—what they had seen him do. That was not an easy assignment. However, if the Philippians would think right (Philippians 4:8), they would be able to put into practice what is right; their lifestyle would emulate God’s character. The Holy Spirit living through them would produce the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in their lives.

What we think, will ultimately be produced in our lives. We cannot produce Jesus in our lives. Our actions without faith in Jesus Christ are dead. They have no power. However, our actions produced through the Holy Spirit living in us are life. Paul had died to himself so Christ could live through Him. Paul didn’t focus on crucifying himself. He focused on Christ living and manifesting Himself through him. We are to do the same.

As we think in our hearts, so are we (Proverbs 23:7). We choose what we think about. When we think right, the Holy Spirit empowers whatever is lovely and of good report in our lives. The God of peace is with us.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Abiding in the Secret Place of God

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” 
Psalms 91:1-2

Psalms 91 is a promise of favor and protection to those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High. In Psalms 91:14 says that all the promises of protection in Psalms 91 will happen for those who set their love upon the Lord. Setting our love upon the Lord and dwelling in the secret place of the Most High are the same thing. A love relationship with the Lord is the open door to God’s secret place. It’s the door to His protection.

This promise of protection is for those who dwell in the Lord, not for those who just visit Him every now and then. We are to abide in Christ. (John 15:4). This promise is for those who make the Lord their habitation (Psalm 91:9). A person can be born again without abiding in Christ. Abiding in Christ is an intimate and unshakeable relationship with the Lord who lives within you. It’s spiritually growing to believe He is who He says He is in your life. You are under His safety and protection.

Abiding in Christ gives us entrance into the protection of the Almighty. The Hebrew word that was translated “shadow” here is “tsel.” It was translated “defense” once in Number 14:9  and twice in Ecclesiastes 7:12. Those continuously trusting in the Lord will have Him come to their defense.

I John 4:8 tells us that God is love. Thus, to abide in God means we have to abide in love. “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). Those who haven’t heard the wonderful news of God’s unconditional love and grace through Jesus cannot abide in love. Consequently, the wrath of the Old Testament Law will prevent them from receiving God’s love and blessings. If you’re struggling to believe that God loves you, then you’re living under condemnation. Jesus came to free you from condemnation. There is no condemnation in Him (John 3:17). 

The Hebrew word “cether,” which was translated “secret place” in Psalm 91:1, was also translated “secret place” in Psalm 18:11. Psalm 27:5 speaks of being hidden in the “secret” of His tabernacle. And Psalms 31:20 says that the Lord will hide us in the “secret” of His presence.

“When you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety,  then there will be the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide” (Deuteronomy 12:10-11).

The Lord your God has chosen you as the place for “His name” to abide. You are His. God’s protection and safety are promises of your inheritance. But for you to receive these promises you must develop a relationship with Him. You must abide in Him, seeking Him as He has sought you.

“I will say of the Lord ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust’” (Psalms 91:2).

Psalm 91:2 states that we must intentionally say of the Lord that He is our safety and protection and we will put our trust in Him. Death and life are in the power of our tongue (Proverbs 18:21). What we speak comes out of what we have in our hearts; it’s either death or life (Luke 6:45).

Proverbs 3:3 says you are to write God’s love and faithfulness on your heart. Psalm 45:1 says your tongue is the pen of a skilled writer. When the truths of God’s love and faithfulness are written on the tablet of your heart, your spoken word has the power to speak life into God’s promises.

The promises of God in Psalm 91 are true for those who dwell in fellowship with Him. Out of the abundance of their heart, they speak His truth into life: “He is my refuge and my fortress. My God, in Him, I trust.” 

Head knowledge is like holding a key in your hand, but heart knowledge is the key that opens the door to victory. Abiding in Jesus means knowing Him intimately; it’s the spiritual understanding of His Word, that when spoken out of the abundance of your relationship with Him, produces what the Word has promised you (John 5:4-5).

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 5:7).

The Holy Spirit’s Unique Insight

If you desire the Holy Spirit to guide you, possessing spiritual wisdom and revelation to understand God’s purposes for your life is crucial. Paul’s prayer to the Christians in Ephesians 1:17 serves as a valuable Word to apply: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him” (Ephesians 1:17).

The Phillips translation of Ephesians 1:17-18 reads: “I never give up praying for you; and this is my prayer. That God, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the all-glorious Father, will give you spiritual wisdom and the insight to know more of him: that you may receive that inner illumination of the spirit which will make you realize how great is the hope to which he is calling you.”

We cannot know who we are or what God has planned for us without the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and “inner illumination.”

In Ephesians 1:17, the word “wisdom” comes from the Greek word “sophias.” It describes an insight that is not naturally gained. In other words, this is not man's natural wisdom. This is a supernatural, unique insight from the Holy Spirit. 
 
In this same verse, the word “revelation” comes from the Greek word “apokalupsis.” This word signifies something hidden for a long time and then suddenly, almost instantaneously, it becomes visible to the mind’s eye. That sudden moment when the Holy Spirit reveals something that has been hidden from you is called a revelation. The knowledge has always existed, but just wasn’t apparent to you.

The spiritual truths we comprehend today have always resided in the realm of the Spirit. At one point, they were concealed from our view. Even though they had always existed, the time for their revelation had not yet arrived, so they remained hidden from our sight. When the opportune moment arrived for a spiritual truth to be revealed and for the Holy Spirit to remove the veil that concealed that truth, our mind instantly recognized and comprehended it. That revelation was a profound experience.
 
Think of a time when you suddenly saw something in the Word you had never seen. That truth had always been there, but it had been hidden from your sight. Then, unexpectedly, one day, it jumped off the page and came to life. You saw it, and you understood it. You had a revelation. 
 
Spiritual truths are hidden until the Holy Spirit reveals them to us. Paul prayed for God to give the Ephesian church “a spirit of wisdom and revelation.” The Ephesian Christians needed wisdom (and so do we) beyond their human understanding. He asked God to give them unique insight. He prayed for the veil that had hidden their understanding to be suddenly gone, and they would be enabled by the Holy Spirit to see what they could never see by themselves—His revelation.
 
The Ephesian Christians weren’t smart enough (and neither are we) to figure out their lives, so Paul prayed for God to give them a unique insight into His knowledge. He explained that this kind of wisdom could only come through a revelation, and only God could provide them with the wisdom they needed. 
 
Are you looking for direction? Ask God to give you His spiritual wisdom and insight to know Him better. God has all the answers you need—answers you’ll never discover with your natural reasoning. They aren’t as far off as you might think. In an instant, the Holy Spirit can lift the veil that has held you in darkness and flood you with His light, enabling you to see clearly what you need to understand. 
 
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
 
The Holy Spirit is here to assist you. His desire is to help you. Ask Him for His wisdom. He doesn’t withhold His unique insight from you.


 

Your Value in Christ

You need to develop a picture of your worth and value from God and not from any warped reflections of your past. The healing of low self-esteem truly rests on a choice you make. Will you succumb to Satan’s lies, misrepresentations, insults, and hurts, allowing him to tie you up you with destructive feelings and beliefs about yourself? Or will you seek your self-esteem from God and His Word?

What right do you have to criticize and despise someone whom God loves so deeply?

Never claim to know that God loves you, but you simply can’t stand yourself. This statement betrays faith in God’s love. It’s an insult to Him and an understated expression of resentment towards your Creator. When you feel contempt for His creation, you are essentially revealing a dislike of yourself and a lack of respect for Him. You’re calling yourself unclean in God’s eyes and failing to grasp the profound depth of His love for you and your importance to Him.

What right do you have to criticize or despise someone whom God has honored so highly? 

“Consider the incredible love that the Father has shown us in allowing us to be called ‘children of God’” (1 John 3:1, Phillips). That’s not all we’re called. In the very next verse, Paul says, “Here and now, my dear friends, we are God’s children.” Do you believe that when you call yourself unworthy in His eyes and put yourself down that He is pleased with you?

What right do you have to put down or despise someone whom God values so highly?

“In human experience, it is a rare thing for one man to give his life for another, even if the latter be a good man… Yet the proof of God’s amazing love is this; that it was while we were still sinners Christ died for us… We may hold our heads high in the light of God’s love” (Romans 5:7-8, 11, Phillips). God has declared your value. He holds you in such high esteem that He sacrificed His beloved Son to redeem you.

What right do you have to demean someone whom God has provided for so completely? 

“How much more will your Father which is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him” (Matthew7:11, NKJV)? “God shall supply all your need” (Philippians 4:19, NKJV). This doesn’t sound like God wants you to dislike yourself or feel inadequate. It sounds like He loves you and wants to take care of you.

What right do you have to despise someone whom God has very thoroughly planned for?

“Praise be to God for giving us through Christ every possible spiritual benefit… Consider what he has done—before the foundation of the world he chose us to become, in Christ, his children, holy and blameless in His sight… He planned, in his love, that we should be adopted as his own children through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:3-5, Phillips).

What right do you have to belittle someone in whom God delights? 

Paul said that we are “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6, NKJV). Do you remember what the Father said when John baptized Jesus? “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17, NKJV). In Ephesians 1:6, Paul presents us with a bold truth: we are “in Christ.” He used this phrase at least ninety times. You are “in Christ,” consequently, you are in the Beloved. God looks at you in Christ and says to you, “You are My beloved child, in who I am well pleased.”

Just where will you get your self-image from? From the reflections of your childhood? From the past hurts and false beliefs that have been ingrained in you? Or will you declare, “I will no longer succumb to these lies. I will not listen to Satan, the liar, the deceiver, the accuser, who twists and distorts what is true. I will embrace God’s opinion of me and allow Him to transform me until His loving assessment of me becomes an integral part of my life, right now, to my very core.”

You must cooperate with God in this process of transformation and renewal. Such work is an ongoing process. There’s no single Christian experience that will transform your self-image overnight. You are to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). The verb “transformed” in this verse signifies a continuous action, while the word “mind” describes the way you perceive life every day.

How can you cooperate with the Holy Spirit? Whenever you find yourself putting yourself down, ask God to get your attention. You might even realize that your whole life has been a put-down of yourself. Take a moment to consider how you react when someone compliments you. Do you say “thank you” or do you give a long explanation about why you’re not so great? If you’ve been demeaning yourself for a long time, it’ll be hard to stop making those excuses. But with God’s help, you can.

Someone might say, “You did so well teaching that lesson,” and you respond with “Well, it wasn’t me. It was all the Lord.” Sure, it was the Lord. However, it was also you partnering with Him. God couldn’t have taught it without your surrender. If you do this kind of thing repeatedly, it reveals a low self-esteem and your feelings of unworthiness.

Let God love you. Let Him guide you on this journey, teaching you to love yourself and others. You crave love, His approval, affirmation, and acceptance, which He freely offers. But due to wretched coaching from other sources, it becomes difficult to embrace His love. In fact, it becomes so difficult that you find it more comfortable just to stay the way you are.

Today, I dare you to embark on God’s healing journey, so that you can know without a doubt who you are as a child of God and that you are His Beloved.

Loving God, Self, and Others

“The first and most important one is this,” Jesus replied—‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength’. The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’. No other commandment is greater than these.”
—Mark 12:31, J B Phillips


Some Christians build a theology around something they consider wrong. A virtue can also be made out of a vice. It’s impossible to think incorrectly and live correctly, or to believe error and exercise truth. We must let God and His Word correct any wrong beliefs.

Demeaning yourself isn’t true Christian humility; it actually contradicts some fundamental teachings of our Christian faith. The great commandment is to love God with all your being. The second commandment is an addition to the first—to love your neighbor as yourself. We don’t have just two commandments. Within these two, there are three commandments: to love God, to love yourself, and to love others. Loving yourself is second only to loving God, as Jesus explicitly stated that self-love is the foundation for loving anyone else. The term “self-love” carries a negative meaning to many individuals. Regardless of whether it’s referred to as self-love or self-worth, it’s undoubtedly the basis of our Christian love for others. This idea of self-love contradicts the beliefs of many Christians.

Do you believe that you need to belittle yourself? You need to correct this belief. When you love God, yourself, and others, you are fulfilling the entire law of God (Matthew 5:43-48). When Jesus proclaimed the law, He did not endorse or glorify it, unlike some Pharisees who did. Instead, he was emphatically reiterating the fundamental principle of the eternal three-in-one—a genuine love for God, for ourselves, and for others. This fundamental principle of God is inherent in the very nature of the universe, and it works within each one of us. A person with a positive self-image is healthier in every aspect of life compared to someone with low self-esteem. This is the way God designed you, and if you deviate from the way He created you to be, you’re not only embracing erroneous theology but also paving the way for your own downfall.

Many Scriptures suggests the importance of a positive self-image. The Apostle Paul said it was the basis for one of the most intimate relationships of all—marriage. “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies,” he declared. “He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church” (Ephesians 5:28-29, NASB). 

J.B. Phillip rephrased Ephesians 5:28 in this way: “The love a man gives his wife is the extending of his love for himself to enfold her.” The very best example of this love is given in the next verse: “And that is what Christ does for His body, the Church.”  Then Paul emphasized this self-love again." Let every one of you who is a husband love his wife as he loves himself, and let every wife respect her husband.”

If someone has little love for himself, this is the very reason their marriage will eventually fall apart; they are loving their spouse the way they love themself. Degrading oneself works its way through a marriage and begins to destroy it. If you’re going to be a good husband or wife where you don’t require constant affirmation and validation from your spouse, a genuine understanding and careful nourishing of your own worth are absolutely necessary.

A good self-esteem is crucial to love your neighbor. Paul’s advice in Romans 12:3 is to the point; each believer should not think more highly of themselves than they should, but should think with sober judgment. Clear-headed judgment is balanced. It doesn’t overestimate or underestimate. Satan is the one who confuses and blinds us, accusing us with words like, “Oh, be careful. Don’t feel too good about yourself.” True humility neither demeans or promotes. 

A Christian exercising true humility is totally dependent on God’s estimation of them. Individuals with low self-esteem are constantly striving to prove themselves. This is partly because they may feel unappreciated and exploited, and they don’t believe God’s estimation them. Someone with a poor self-image is consumed by feelings of  rejection rather than God’s love for them. They are constantly looking at themselves, wondering about themselves, constantly seeking praise, and manipulating others into reassuring them. 

It’s challenging to truly unconditionally love others when you’re constantly seeking affirmation of your own worth. While it may appear you’re loving someone, you might be using them to reassure yourself that you’re okay. 

Trying to demean yourself in the eyes of others isn’t a part of true humility or godliness. It’s actually thinking less of the value God has placed on your life in Jesus Christ. Self-crucifixion and self-surrender should never involve this kind of false humility.

You develop your self-worth and value from God, not from the distorted mirrored images of your past. The healing of a poor self-image hinges on following through on a commitment to seek God’s truth for oneself, to be captivated by it, and to be obedient to the faith it inspires. 

Will you succumb to Satan’s lies, innuendos, accusations, and hurts of the past, allowing unhealthy, unChrist-like feelings and beliefs to bind you? Or will you seek your self-worth from God and His Word?

To cultivate a healed and healthy self-image, you must pursue knowing God. As you grow to know Him, your image of yourself will begin to agree with God’s assessment of you. As you take in the Word as your own, you will begin to see yourself through the eyes of the Lord rather than those of the old man who died on the cross with Jesus. Are you hungry to experience God’s love, transforming your self-image? In the next devotional, let’s start the process to make the value God has placed on your life yours and to co-partner with the Holy Spirit to see it accomplished.