Pursue Peace With Everyone

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
—Romans 4:19

This world is filled with distrust, conflict and strife. As Christians, we must make it our purpose to pursue the things that make for peace. This was the instruction that Paul gave to the Romans in Romans 14:19.

This verse begins with “therefore let us.” It’s a command given to every Christian. Paul also wrote in Colossians 3:15: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” As members of the body of Christ we are called to peace. We should pursue peace in all our relationships. 

“Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another” (Romans 4:19).

The Greek word in this verse from which “pursue” was derived is “dioko.” It presents two ideas.

The Greek word, “dioko,” was a hunting term, referring to a determined hunter who unceasingly pursues his prey. Since “dioko” is a participle, this word defines an ongoing action. This diligent hunter never gives up until he successfully apprehends the prey he pursues.

The word “dioko” is also often translated “to persecute.” This tells us that this pursuit isn’t accidental. It’s a deliberate, well-thought out plan. Just as a hunter doggedly follows the tracks of his prey, a person who persecutes another does the same. His actions are meant to intentionally hurt another person.

In choosing the word “dioko,” Paul is telling us to deliberately develop and execute a plan that will bring peace with those we are in conflict with. A haphazard attempt will end up failing. Just as a hunter is resolute in capturing his prey, and a person is determined to persecute someone else, you must doggedly follow a plan inspired by the Holy Spirit until you gain peace in that relationship.

Paul also tells us that we are to follow after the things that make for peace. Examples of these things are asking for forgiveness, admitting mistakes, or acknowledging a wrong that inadvertently took place. Pride only breeds strife (Proverbs 13:10).  We should speak evil of no one, be peaceable, gentle, and show humility to all men (Titus 3:2). 

The Greek word for “peace” in this verse is “eirene.” It’s been translated as tranquility or harmony. To achieve peace in a relationship, conflicts and disagreements must be set aside, and distrust must be overcome. We must diligently pursue peace until our relationships are tranquil and harmonious.

Paul also tells that we are to follow after “the things by which one may edify another.” He commands us to make it our purpose to “edify” one another.

The word “edify” was the Greek word “oikodome,” which described the planning and building process of a house. Paul used this word to describe how we must build our relationships. Random attempts won’t overcome issues. Building strong and peaceful relationships that stand the test of time takes serious prayer and humbly considering the views of every one concerned. Once a Holy Spirit inspired plan is developed, it must be deliberately and intentionally followed.

If we lay down our disagreements and distrust of each other, pursuing peace with each other and doing the things that make for peace, we will build what the Holy Spirit wishes to accomplish in our relationships with each other. He possesses the knowledge and wisdom to bring about peace. He knows precisely what we need to do to “edify” or build relationships effectively with others. We must seek the Holy Spirit for His plan and not turn away from it.

If you have been through a painful experience with another believer, Romans 14:19 commands you to lay down your distrust and disagreement and pursue the things that make for restoration and peace. Instead of tearing down each other, the Holy Spirit wants to reveal His plan to build a strong and peaceful relationship that will last.

If you’re willing to let go of unforgiveness, hurt, distrust, and bad attitudes, and listen to the Holy Spirit, He will provide you with a plan. If you humbly and faithfully pursue His guidance, His plan will achieve peace.

Are you tired of the war? Be intentional in seeking peace. In all humility lay down your weapons and pursue the things that make for peace. This is God’s will for you. If you pursue His will,  He will honor your pursuit.

God’s Word Is Final

 

Have you ever heard someone say, “God said it and that settles it?”  
 
What has the Word said to you? Whatever the Holy Spirit has shown you in the Word is settled in your life. It’s God’s will for you. 
 
Settled means “established, stable, solid, firm, matured, and complete.” God’s promises are established. They are solid. They are complete and settled in His Word just as they are settled in heaven.

“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides” (Psalm 119:89-90).
 
God’s Word abides. It is unchanging. God’s Word reveals His promises, and He is faithful to accomplish His promises in your life. How you believe the promises of God in your heart determines whether His truth is established, solid, and complete in your life or not.
 
God has given you His Word to know His will. His Word is His will. It is His final authority in your life. To experience the power of the faith that is yours in Christ, you need to know what His Word reveals. When you believe God’s truth is “settled, established, stable, solid, firm, matured and complete in your life,” you know it is your final authority. It is your final truth. It is the end result. You receive it as your truth by faith.

Stop the doubt in your heart. It will keep you from receiving God’s truth. It’s your intentional choice to constantly renew your mind with His Word and stand on it. It’s your choice to believe without wavering (Romans 12:2, James 1:6-7) and put on the new life that Christ has given you (Ephesians 4:24).
 
When you are renewed in your mind with the Word and guard it as the final authority in your heart (Ephesians 4:23, Romans 12:2), you mature in the finished work of Christ. When you believe God’s Word in your heart, you receive its settled and final authority. You believe by faith the incorruptible seed of God’s final Word.
 
The enemy will come and try to steal God’s truth which has been sown in your heart. Perhaps, you once received God’s promise with joy and believed it for a while. But when tribulation came—either from circumstances or the opinions of others, you let go and doubted God’s final authority on your promise. The cares of life and the deceitfulness of riches choke out the Word and keep it from bringing forth the abundant life the Word promises. However, when you receive the seed of God’s Word in your heart and continually nurture it, you truly “hear” what the Word says and understand it. Then it “indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matthew 13:23).
 
Is the Word the settled and final authority in your life? Do you believe God’s truth?  What has God’s truth birthed in your life? Not what you try to birth. Not what the world or the opinions of others try to birth. It’s His Word that births the fruit of His truth in your life. What has His truth birthed in you?
 
You have been born again, my friend in Christ, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23). His Word is the final authority in your life. It is His truth. It is mature and complete. The living and active Word of God transforms your life when you believe the Holy Spirit’s revelation of its truth above what you sense and experience.
 
God’s Word is settled. His promises are His final say. “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach)” (Romans 10:8). Seek to hear and believe God’s Word of faith in your heart. His faithfulness endures forever (Psalm 119:90). He accomplishes His Word (Psalm 119:90). Hold fast the confession of your hope without wavering, for He who promised, is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).
 
God’s final Word is Grace.

The Word in My Heart

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
—Proverbs 4:20-22
 
 
This Scripture doesn’t say God’s words are “like” health to us. It says that His words “are” health to us. You may have a million dollars in a bank, but that money doesn’t benefit you if you never withdraw it. You may be told that life and healing are in the Word, but you won’t receive their benefit if you don’t find them.

When we give attention to His words, incline our hearing toward them, and keep His words in our hearts, we spiritually consume healing and health. When we fill our hearts and minds with the world’s evil, anxiety, fear, and despair, we spiritually consume depravity and loss. Many believe in healing, desire healing, and ask God for healing, but their hearts may not be open to receiving the healing God has spoken of. 
 
Look at the story of Paul preaching the Gospel at Lystra. 
 
“And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, ‘Stand up straight on your feet!’ And he leaped and walked” (Acts 14:8-10).
 
Paul was preaching the Gospel and most likely wasn’t even preaching on healing specifically. Yet, this man “heard” healing. It only took the Gospel. It only took God’s words. The Gospel IS the power of God (Romans 1:16). What the crippled man heard reached his heart because faith was born, and it was evident to Paul. The lame man’s miracle came with the “hearing of faith” in his heart (Galatians 3:5). 
 
Have you heard God’s words? Not just with your ears, but spiritually with your heart? His words are life and healing to all who find them. They must first be found spiritually before they can manifest in you.
 
Meditate on Psalm 107:20: “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

Don’t just accept the obvious in this verse and not be open to what the Spirit wishes to reveal to your heart. Come hungry to the Word. Contemplate and consider each word in Psalm 107:20. Don’t give up and say His Word isn’t working. The Word is alive and active and always working. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His thoughts. He wants you to find them. Allow His thoughts to paint a picture in your mind. Dwell on it. Envision it. Anticipate it. Believe it in your heart.

“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach” (Romans 10:8).

God wants me to receive the truths of my salvation. Jesus is the Word God sent to heal me. Jesus has delivered me from sickness and every fruit of sin. His Word of healing is near me, in my heart and in my mouth. I am healed within spiritually to receive healing without. I shall seek and receive His Word in my heart and speak its truth out of the redemptive fullness of His abundant life within me.

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

What do I bring forth out of my heart? Do I bring forth the death of the flesh or the life of the Spirit?  May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in His sight. May they bring forth His life.

Take the Time

You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
—James 4:14

Two weeks ago, I flew to Massachusetts to visit my sister and brother. It was a long overdue visit, and I couldn’t wait to reconnect with them. The trip was filled with long-forgotten memories and brought immense joy as I remembered the times we had shared through the years.

While my sister and I drove from western Massachusetts up into Vermont and New Hampshire, staying in historic inns filled with warm fires, my daughter from Florida spent time with my husband in Alabama. As my sister and I explored charming shops and savored cozy meals together, my daughter and husband spent much-needed time together. The time we all spent with each other was a precious gift, valuable beyond any price.

Spending time with loved ones is an essential aspect of life. It strengthens relationships, creates cherished memories, and fosters a sense of belonging. In our fast-paced lives, it’s imperative to prioritize these precious moments.

“They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46). 

There is something special about breaking bread together. Whether it’s a family meal or a getaway trip with loved ones, spending sincere moments together creates a unique heart connection. Taking time to be with our loved ones reduces stress. Good times spent with those who are integral to our lives “fill us with laughter and songs of joy” (Psalm 126:2). Sincerely connecting with family also gives us a sense of purpose and meaning in life.

It’s easy to get caught up in our responsibilities and forget the importance of spending time with our loved ones. Making time for each other should always be a priority, as the memories we create and the relationships that grow through the years are well worth the effort.

Life is a fleeting moment, and we never know what the future holds. Our lives are like vapors that exist for a brief time before vanishing away (James 4:14). There’s a distinct possibility that I may never see my sister or brother in Massachusetts again on this earth. Every moment I spend with my husband, son, daughter, grandchildren, and other loved ones, I realize that this might be my last chance to share this life with them. I want them to cherish the memories of my love for them.

Two of the greatest gifts you can share with someone are your time and your faith. When you share your time, you’re giving a part of your life that you’ll never get back. Sharing your faith offers the hope of seeing them again in eternity. 

Memories are never truly lost. If you have negative memories, make an effort to create new, positive ones. Don’t leave those you love struggling to remember the depth of your love for them. Don’t hold onto hurt or bitterness that prevents you from forgiving. You are called to a higher level of love. Freely forgive as Christ has forgiven you. Take the time in this life to cherish those who are God’s gifts to you. 

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.

Sources of Your Self-Image

Everyone has a mental image of their identity that manifests in their emotions and relationships. Your self-image, the perception you have of yourself, influences how you interact with others. As a Christian, this image can be healthy, reflecting how God loves and sees you, or poor, reflecting how you perceive yourself through the eyes of that old person who died on the cross with Jesus.

Yesterday, we looked at the first source of our self-image, the outer world of family. As children, our knowledge and feelings are largely shaped by the way our family members respond to us. We observe their expressions, hear their words, and witness their reactions, which provide us with insights into our own identities and who we will become. As adults and new creations in Christ, how we perceive God’s love for us greatly and powerfully affects how we see ourselves.

Today we consider the three other sources of our self-image—the inner world, Satan, and God and His Word.

Your inner world consists of the spiritual, emotional, and physical equipment you bring into the world. This includes your senses, nerves, your capability to learn, understand, and respond. The inner world for some people includes physical deficits.

Differences exist between people in the spiritual, emotional, and physical tools they have to navigate life. Look at children. No two children are alike in emotional and physical makeup. You can have one child who is so stubborn that you almost have to knock him in the head to get his attention. Then you have another one who is so sensitive to the touch, you only have to look at him to get a response. You can’t raise one child the way you raise another one. God sees us as He created us. We are all wonderfully made but also wonderfully different. God raises us according to how He knows we will learn, understand, and respond to Him. Regardless our different makeups, spiritual rebirth in Christ is the power which changes everyone emotionally and physically.

The spiritual part of our lives cannot be ignored. This is where Christians differ with secular and humanistic thinking, which looks at human nature as fundamentally good. We don’t believe this. In His Word, God has revealed to us that we aren’t born into this world fundamentally good. We are victims of a moral deficiency, an inclination to do wrong. It’s called original sin.

Down through the generations since Adam and Eve’s sin, flawed parenting has existed. Less that perfect parenting is revealed in frustration, ignorance, inappropriate words and actions, and the most detrimental, conditional love. We are all a victim of Adam’s original sin. We came into this world inclined toward the wrong. Consequently, we are imbalanced in our motives, desires, and purposes. This causes our reactions and responses to also be off kilter, unbalanced, and imperfect.

Children often misread what they see due to the inherent self-centeredness in all of us. This significantly impacts their self-image. No matter how hard a parent attempts to raise their child to have a healthy self-image, children can misinterpret what they see and hear and grow up feeling inadequate. There is no perfect parent or child. However, there is the Word of God that has the power to renew us from the inside out, transforming what is off kilter and imperfect.

The Word of God reveals that we are not just victims. We all have fallen short of God’s glory and share in the responsibility of who we are and what we are becoming. No one is ever truly healed until he forgives those who have wronged him and receives God’s forgiveness for his own wrong reactions.

The next source of our self-image is Satan. He is certainly the author of low self-esteem. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Satan uses any dislike we have about ourselves as a weapon against us. He is a liar (John 8:44), he is an accuser (Revelation 12:10), and he blinds our minds to the truth of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). In all these ways, the devil exploits our feelings of inferiority and inadequacy, urging us to belittle ourselves to prevent us from realizing our full potential as God’s beloved children.

The last source of our self-image is God. He is the perfect source, who through the renewing of our minds with His Word, transforms us mentally, emotionally, and physically to agree with His image of 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).

As a believer in Jesus Christ, you can move from the torturous mess of a poor self-image to a healthy self-image. You can turn away from your crucified nature’s perception and see how God perceives you—this new person you are in Him. Through His resurrection power, you can experience healing and restoration of your spirit, soul, and body. This is God’s promise to you. This is His work, but you must cooperate with Him by faith. No longer a mess, your life can become the manifestation of His message. 

Tomorrow, as we explore some misconceptions about loving God, ourselves, and others, I encourage you to begin seeking your identity in God’s Word. See yourself through God’s unwavering commitment to you, His unconditional love, and grace.

Your Self-Image: the Reflection in Your Family’s Mirror

Stop hating yourself! This was a strong word Pastor Bill had for someone during his message yesterday. You can be told again and again that God loves you, but without a healthy self-image, you will have trouble receiving God's love. If you see yourself as unworthy of His love, you won’t be able to love yourself. And if you can’t freely receive God’s love, you can’t freely give it away.

Your self-image is based on images and feelings that shape your perception of yourself. It encompasses both mental pictures and emotional experiences. Proverbs 23:7 reveals this truth: “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.” The way you see yourself and feel about yourself way down deep in your heart, reveals who you will be and what you will become. Paul declared in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that we are to “cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” To develop a positive self-image that nurtures a healthy relationship with God and ultimately with others, it’s crucial to challenge and overcome negative thoughts and embrace obedience to the Word. 

A healthy self-image is composed of three essential elements. The first is a sense of identity, of belonging, or being loved. Simply put, this is the awareness that you’re wanted, accepted, known, and cared for. The second is a sense of worth and value. This is the belief that you have something worth offering in this world. The third is a sense of being able to capably accomplish something in this life. You know you can do a task you undertake.

One of the factors that contributes powerfully to your self-image is what you have experienced in life. This is the influence of the outward world on your development. These experiences begin the moment you are born. Your experiences reveal how you were treated, how you are raised, and how you related to people in the early years of your life. When you were a little child, you had no understanding of who you were, but as you grew you began to gain an image of yourself. Where did you get this image? From what people “mirrored” back to you. You recognized the way important people in your life reacted and responded to you; you saw yourself through their understanding, and you grew to reflect it.

When Paul wrote about growing up spiritually in 1 Corinthians 13:9-12, he used this of idea of a child growing up and “mirroring” the reactions and responses of others.

Your knowledge, including your understanding of yourself, is imperfect. As a child, you spoke, thought, and reasoned in a childlike manner. But as you matured, you let your childish ways go, yet, until you grow up spiritually, you will see yourself as a reflection of how others reacted and responded to you.

A child only partially understands love. As we grow up and mature, we develop a deeper, more profound understanding of love. Our knowledge and feelings are largely shaped by the way our family members respond to us. We observe their expressions, hear their words, and witness their reactions, which provide us with insights into our own identities and who we will become. As these gradually become an integral part of us, we gradually take on the characteristics and qualities of the person we see in our family’s mirror. 

If you haven’t grown spiritually, you’ll constantly seek love, acceptance, and care. This is because you don’t have a sense of being loved, accepted, and belonging to God; you’ll try to earn the love He has freely given you. You’ll see your mistakes, sins, and life through the lens of others, not realizing the new creation you are in Christ. One day, you’ll have perfect knowledge. Then you’ll see God face-to-face. Now you know in part, but then you’ll understand yourself fully, even as you’ve been fully understood by God. If your self-image isn’t being transformed by the Word of God, the partial understanding you have now will never grow. You’ll continue to see yourself as if in a darkened mirror.

Do you need a new mirror?  If low self-esteem has been ingrained in you, it becomes challenging for you to experience love and acceptance from God, and a sense of worth in your work for Him. Many spiritual struggles are not spiritual at all. Although they may seem and feel like God’s judgment, they come from low self-esteem reflected in the family mirror.

Only God’s Word, His perfect mirror, reflects who you really are in Jesus! Only Jesus can redeem a poor self-image! Only the continual  renewing of your mind can transform you to see yourself the way God sees you. 

The redemption of your self-image is a journey. It is a process. It begins as a commitment, but continues as an intentional choice. You must follow through on your commitment. Otherwise, you’re only fooling yourself. If you don’t listen to the Word and obey it, it’s like glancing at your face in a mirror; you see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like (James 1:22-24). The Lord wants you to always know who you are in Him! He wants you to always remember He loves, accepts, and cares for you. He wants you to make yourself captive to His Word and to be obedient to it. 

There are other factors that contribute to our self-image: our inner life, Satan, and God and His Word. I’ll try to share these in the upcoming days. If you are someone who suffers from a poor self-image, I’m praying for you. It’s my prayer you’ll diligently seek the healing God has sent to you in His Word to deliver you (Psalm 107:20).

The Consequences of Humility

Many Christians place trust in themselves before they trust God. They put their opinions and experiences above God’s Word. They look to themselves instead of looking to God. As a result, they struggle to believe Him. Since they haven’t given their worries to the Lord, they have trouble receiving His care. They get weary. Pride keeps them from experiencing the benefits of God’s grace.

Our words reveal what is in our hearts (Matthew 12:34), and our words will either acquit or condemn us (Matthew 12:37). The Lord knows when we are full of conceit and pride. Yet, He is gracious (Psalms 145:8). He doesn’t treat us as we deserve (Psalm 103:10). 
 
Pride is full of jealousy, bitterness, and anger. It doesn’t produce righteousness (James 1:20). Pride declares that the end justifies the means. But a good outcome isn’t so good when a morally bad thing is used to achieve it. God grants us time to accept His grace, repent, and humble ourselves (2 Peter 3:9). But a time will come when God will judge our pride (Hebrews 10:30).
 
Job discovered this truth. He lived around 2200 BC. He was a man of integrity who followed God even when no law required it. Job feared God and rejected evil. He was wealthy, but in just one day, Satan stole his wealth and took away his children. And then painful boils covered his entire body. 
 
When Job’s friends heard of his plight, they came and grieved with him for seven days. Finally, Job opened his mouth, emitting the bitterness and anger in his heart. He cursed the day of his birth and wished for his death (Job 3). Then Job’s friends responded, not easing his pain at all.
 
“Bad things don’t happen to good people,” they said. “Your own sin has brought all this adversity on you.”
 
“If I’ve sinned,” Job responded, “show me my sin. I don’t know why this is happening. I’m innocent.”
 
The advice of his friends only caused Job more grief. During their back-and-forth conversation, Job began to question and doubt God. He went from “I don’t understand why this is happening to me” to “God isn’t fair to me, and there is no benefit in serving Him.” 
 
Job 32:1 says that Job’s friends stopped answering him because Job was “righteous in his own eyes.” 
 
When God finally spoke, He did not explain Himself or answer Job’s questions. He only addressed Job’s foolishness. In chapters 38-41, God reminded Job who he was and who He was. Was Job the creator? Did he clothe himself with excellence and glory? Did he put the prideful in his place? 
 

It’s God who brings the prideful low and exalts the humble (1 Peter 5:6).  
 
Look at Job’s response:
 
“I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance” (Job 42:6 NLT).
 
Humility and repentance are the right responses to God’s correction. Job humbled himself and repented, and God exalted him by restoring everything Satan had stolen. 
 
Look at the responses of others in the Word to the glory of God. Each time they experienced the Lord’s glory, humility was the consequence. When Isaiah saw the Lord, he repented (Isaiah 6:5). When God spoke to Abram, he fell on his face (Genesis 17:3). When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, Moses hid his face from God’s glory (Exodus 3:5-6). When the angel appeared to Joshua, he bowed to the ground in utter devotion (Joshua 5:14). 
 
If we ever genuinely see the glory of God, we, too, will humble ourselves and lose all conceit and pride. 
 
When faced with adversity, we don’t need to go from “I don’t know why this is happening to me” to “God isn’t fair, and there is no benefit in serving Him.” Pride is dependence on ourselves instead of God. It keeps us from experiencing the blessings of His grace. God exalts those with a humble heart—just as He exalted Job when he repented. 
 
God, who once was hidden from us because of our sin, sent His Beloved Son to become our sin so we could be justified and receive His glory (Romans 8:30). For those who believe in Jesus Christ, God no longer judges and humbles us from without. He no longer judges our actions, but our hearts. And Jesus has justified and glorified us, humbling us from within. 

Disgrace comes with pride, but grace and wisdom come with humility (Proverbs 11:2). God gives more grace to the humble (James 4:6) and wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5). The consequences of humility are grace and wisdom.
 
How can I not respond in true humility to the Lord who humbled Himself for me? 

Your Master?

What is it that you repeatedly and faithfully submit to in your life? Whatever it is, it rules your life. While you may declare Jesus as Lord of your life, if you faithfully and continually submit to other things, then those things truly rule your life. They become your Master.

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey” (Romans 6:16)?

In John 5, there’s a story about a man who was a slave to his circumstances. He had been lying by the Pool of Bethesda for thirty-eight years because of a physical affliction. He, along with many other sick people, were waiting for an angel to alledgely stir the waters, and the first person to enter the water would be healed.

This sick man had subjected himself to two different masters, who governed his life. He was held captive by the very things he was obedient to. 

First of all, this man was a slave to his sickness. It had dictated his life for nearly four decades. His identity, daily regimen, and his future were constantly centered around his sickness. It had mastered his life. Secondly, superstition ruled his life. His belief held him captive to a pool of water. I can’t find anywhere in the Old Testament where it mentions healing being bestowed upon Old Testament believers through an angel stirring the waters of a pool. Yet, many people, along with this man, had subjected themselves to this belief. His illness and that pool were all that man could see. They were his entire existence, and they had become lords of his life.

“When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well’” (John 5:6)?

One day, Jesus broke into this man’s self-consumed existence and presented him with a new option. This option meant that the masters of sickness and superstition would have to relinquish their control on him. “Do you want to be made well?” Jesus asked him. This man could attain true freedom if he was willing to let go of these two masters who were ruling his life and accept Jesus’ option.

Many times, we allow our circumstances, superstitions, fear, and erroneous thinking to control us without even knowing it. While we declare that Jesus is our Lord, we remain bound by other masters that rule our lives. True freedom, including healing, can be found when we choose to make Jesus our one true Lord.

You can be a slave to what you face in life or you can be free of its mental, emotional, and physical bondage. Who or what is your master? Are you longing to be free of your affliction? Surrender your mind, heart, and future to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the One who purchased your freedom with His life. He didn’t come to just stir the waters for the first one who could reach Him. He came to all who would believe in Him.

Release yourself from the control of circumstances. Your journey to true freedom begins with recognizing the “masters” that hold your life in bondage and then making the decision to break free, giving your heart to the One who loves you and yearns to set you free.

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
 

Walking by Faith

While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
 —2 Corinthians 4:18


This sinful world may attack my senses and emotions daily, but Paul proclaims my life in Christ should center on what is unseen rather than what is seen. Despite Paul’s words, many Christians are more moved by their feelings and human reasoning than by the “unseen.” 

Paul writes that we are to “to walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Why do people who live in a world of “sight” build their lives around things they can’t see, yet are convinced they are real? If a physician tells someone they have a specific diagnosis, they will believe what the doctor has said. We can’t see for ourselves what is happening in the world, yet we trust the news, allowing our emotions to be influenced. However, often when someone states they believe God’s Word over physical circumstances or symptoms, it is thought that they have lost touch with reality. 

The Christian life is to be controlled by faith instead of physical sight. There is a sense in which sight is involved, but it is spiritually seeing by faith rather than seeing with the physical eye that should determine our lives.

Moses “by faith…forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:17). In other words, Moses’ faith allowed him to carry on despite hardships, because he could visualize and understand the God who is incapable of being seen (John 1:18). Abraham was strong in faith because he was fully persuaded that what God had promised, God was able also to perform (Romans 4:20-21). The woman with the issue of blood was strong in faith, being healed the moment that she acted upon her belief (Mark 5:25-34).

Faith is being certain of what is believed (Hebrews 11:1) and acting upon that belief (James 2:20). God is the object of our faith and what we believe. Our faith is in Him, and not what we see, hear, or feel. We must always believe the promise of God and the God behind that promise. Faith, like a seed, must be planted, watered, and nurtured (Matthew 13:18-23). It is a lifestyle where you daily “walk by faith and not by sight.”

Walking by faith is the decision to believe in God’s Word, to take into account the invisible and visible aspects of the world, and choose to see as God sees. Walking by faith is evidence of the unseen world of God’s promises (Hebrews 11:1). While a physician may see an illness, the believer chooses to see healing and life. While another may see lack, the believer chooses to see the riches of their inheritance in Christ Jesus.
 
Walking by faith means I choose to set aside my emotions and human reasoning. It means I choose to submit to God rather than succumb to fear, worry, depression, symptoms, or what I perceive as lack or failure. Walking by faith gives freedom from those limitations and steps into a place of certainty where God’s Word holds the highest authority over all aspects of life.

Faith without my response is dead; it has no power. For the rest of my life on this earth, I will renew my heart with the unchanging truth of God’s Word and focus exclusively on His promises. I will daily die to self and trust Him above all that bombards my senses and emotions. 

Today I choose faith in Jesus over self, healing over sickness, joy over despair, peace over fear, and supply over insufficiency. Walking by faith and not by sight is a decision I make daily to walk in His victory.