YOUR SELF IMAGE OF VICTORY

By Rev. Kenneth A. Fletcher

Being born physically into this present world, we are expected to conform with the thinking of the world. Pressure is applied for us to be the way the world wants us to be. Many small children have harsh words spoken to them, over and over again, by the people they love. At a young age, when they are so impressionable, they start believing many of the demeaning things that others have said unto them. They began seeing themselves as they believe others see them.

Even as adults, we are affected deeply by words. Words are powerful! They can build up or tear down. They can soothe and heal or downgrade and wound. Sometimes, you can go into a room where harsh words were just spoken and you can still feel in the tension and hurt lingering in the atmosphere. Words contain power - power that can help or hurt!

Before being saved, we saw ourselves by what we had been taught through precept and example. We basically saw ourselves by what had been put into us - good or bad.

When we're born again, we received new life and a new spirit. 2 Cor. 5: 17 says: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Though we received a brand new spirit when we were saved, our soul (mind) still wants to think the same old way; we still saw ourselves as we were before Jesus re-created us! God did a miraculous work in our spirit - something that we could not do for ourselves. However, God will not renew our mind for us. It is our responsibility! We must renew our own mind and begin thinking God's thoughts!

Our stinking thinking is not God's fault! My dear friend, if you are seeing yourself differently than God sees you, then you have a distorted view of yourself! Romans 12: 2 says to us: "...be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

God expects you to do something about the way you see yourself! It is a fact that, in life, you are never going to rise above what you see yourself to be. If you see yourself successful, you'll be a success! If you see yourself as a failure, you've failed before you begin. It is vitally important, then, to have a true "self image". You must think right and believe right about yourself. The only way to get the proper prospective is to see yourself the way God sees you! He created you; He knows you!

Start seeing yourself from His point of view. You are so valuable to Him that He sent His only Son from heaven to have you! He didn't send an angel, a cherub, or someone else. No! He came Himself through His Son! God thinks you're worth sacrificing His Son!

My friend, it is time to drive out the negative junk in your mind and begin thinking right about yourself! It's time to start acting like who you are; a child of the living God! Look at Romans 8:14, 17: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are sons of God...And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and Joint-heirs with Christ;..."  Hallelujah!

You are a child of the King! You're a co-heir with Jesus in The Royal Family! Glory to God! That is who you are! God has lifted you up to live in union with Him, not just as a servant - but as a son! You have the very Spirit of God living inside you! THERE'S GREAT VICTORY IN YOUR SPIRIT - NOW!

"And because you are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou are no more a servant, but a son: and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Gal. 4:6-7

Stop and consider the awesome reality of these truths. Think how big your heavenly Father is. You have great favor with God because you belong to Him!

Friend, you're God's own child! Meditate in God's Word about who you are, what you have, and what you can do (especially in the epistles). Find the scriptures that say: "in Christ", "in him", "in whom" "by whom", etc. Meditating deeply in these scriptures will enable you to actually SEE YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU: A VICTORIOUS CHILD OF THE KING!  Bless you!    K. A. F.