IT IS A GREAT GIFT THAT BRINGS US PEACE to know who we are in Christ!
When we know Who He is and who we are in Christ, it will change how we think, talk and live. Last week we recognized the power in knowing Who our God is. Our peace will grow exponentially by knowing Him. That is the first part of the anchor to our peace. Today, let’s focus on the second key component which is knowing who we are.
The Bible defines who we are but sadly, many of us have a hard time believing the “good” about ourselves. We may have believed negative lies about ourselves for so long that it is a challenge to see or believe who we are in Christ.
But the truth is … we were created uniquely by the One who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 139:13–16 (NIV) (I added highlights and italics for emphasis)
For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.
God created you wonderfully with specific gifts, passions, and desires.
He also made you to view and process life in your own unique way.
Often, we dismiss how God has created us.
We try to hide the fact that we are sensitive or bold and even strong-willed.
Others may have tried to discourage our personality, but our God created us perfectly.
Although the scripture is true, that Almighty God created us wonderfully, we can still struggle with who we are to such a degree that we don’t fully believe it. It can sound good for others but believing it to be true about ourselves can be hard for us to do.
God showed me how my thinking and His truth did not line up. It was hard for me to thrive when my thinking was wrong.
LET ME SHARE A LESSON I learned when God was exposing my wrong thinking. I hope it helps you.
As I was in the process of reprogramming my mind many years ago, I recognized that although I was beginning to know God’s amazing truths, I was still full of negative self-talk. Unfortunately, many of us have a horrible way of speaking to ourselves or about ourselves. Sometimes we are repeating what we have heard spoken about us. Other times we have simply adopted a negative viewpoint about ourselves. Either way it is destructive.
I found that even though I was reading the Bible and walking with God, I would still catch myself in negative self-talk.
I pointed out my own flaws, inconsistencies, past and present failures.
My thinking could be harsh and critical.
I knew I had to rethink how I was thinking.
I began to pray this prayer:
“Lord, this is what I say about myself . . . but what do You say?”
Then I waited for Him to speak to my heart. The first time I asked God this question, I recall being moved by His answer, which was, “You are the apple of my eye.”
That was such a sweet moment. That statement gave me a visual of looking into God’s eye and seeing my reflection there. I could feel His grace covering me. It made me realize that He was tenderly and lovingly thinking about me. That was in stark contrast to the way I was feeling about myself.
Can you see yourself as the apple of God’s eye?
Deuteronomy 32:10–11 (NIV)
In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft.
When we are feeling bad about ourselves, God’s Word allows us to see how:
He lovingly cares for us
Rescues us
Shields us
Cares for our needs
And guards us as the apple of His eye
He teaches us to fly and catches us when we fall.
He faithfully carries us when we need it.
Your heavenly Father wants you to know that He is FAITHFUL, and He created you uniquely and wonderfully.
He sees you. He got you!
You are … Redeemed, Heard, Never Alone, Safe, Covered, Beautiful, and a Cherished Child of the King. He has seated you in heavenly places. He rejoices over you! He is protecting, teaching, leading and guiding you! You are Enough and Able to do what He calls you to do because He has enabled you! He has good plans for your life. Embrace the quirky, unique you He created you to be!
YOU ARE LOVED by your FAITHFUL Father. He is teaching you to FLY!
Peace in your journey!
Love,
Dawn
P.S. If this was helpful to you, please send it to a friend. Thanks. We appreciate you!
Some excerpts were from my book, Continuous Peace, 4 Steps to Living the Life of Peace God Intended.