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Free To Be You: embracing your uniqueness

Freedom From Self-Hatred: embracing your design

Exposing Self-Deception: overthrowing the lies you have believed

We are created to be a reflection of our Creator. Each one of us is unique. There is no one like you! Even identical twins have different thumb prints. How amazing is that!

I am not talking about how we look physically, but who we are inside. Our experiences shape how we view ourselves. Every experience is recorded in our limbic system. Our heart is designed to think, feel, and choose. All three work together in a synergetic way.

Our thoughts about ourselves come from what we believe about ourselves based on our experiences. I constantly go back to Proverbs 23:7 which says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…”

Do you like and accept yourself? Self-hatred and self-rejection are lies planted in your heart by the enemy who hates and rejects you. Here is an amazing freeing truth. Psalm 119:73 says, “Your hands have made me and fashioned me…”

We are like clay in the hands of our Potter. He has created us as unique vessels to display His glory. In Jeremiah 18:1-2 the Lord told Jeremiah to go to the house of the potter. Verse 4 says, “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.”

I make two applications from this verse. We are ALL marred by sin. We are also marred by our trials. It is in the crucible of our trials that the Lord molds our marred hearts in ways that could not take place any other way. He purifies and frees our faith from the lies we have believed. He singularizes our focus. He redeems all that we have been through. Nothing is in vain.

I think one of the strongest lies the enemy uses is against ourselves. What does your heart believe about you? When our belief is based on what God has said in His word, our heart will resonate with that truth.

We are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). Our heart has the capacity to think, feel, and choose. How does God think about us? Psalm 139:17 says, “How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!”

How does He feel about us? Jeremiah 31:3 says, “…I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”

When did He choose us? Ephesians 1:4 says, “Just as He chose us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.”

The Lord created us for a fulfilling relationship with Him. He, our Creator, has brought us near to commune with Him Heart to heart, and Spirit to spirit.

Self-hatred and self-rejection oppose God’s thoughts, His desires, and His choices for us. Any thought against ourselves is a lie from the devil. He hates us because we are made in the image of God. The enemy will do anything he can to turn us away from pursuing the Lord through intimate communion.

Fiery dart-lies are strategically targeted. They come in the first person so we will believe that they are our thoughts. Not! Do not receive them, nor give them another thought. Our thoughts, feelings, and choices are designed so that our heart has the capacity to wholeheartedly worship the Lord.

Matthew 12:34 says, “…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” We speak what we believe. A good counselor listens to what their counselee is saying because it is a clear indicator of what they believe about themselves.

Ephesians 4:23 Amplified says, “And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude).”

In my first published book I have a chapter called “Crashing Through The Barriers.” The only way for inner transformation to take place is through experiential truth.

Romans 12:2 says, “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” It is all about our thoughts that come from our beliefs. Our heart is designed to be a reservoir of God’s hidden words of truth.

When wrong beliefs take up residence in our hearts, it decreases our capacity for truth to be our inner governor. What you truly believe about yourself is evident through your words.

Every thought has a belief behind it. You may not recognize it because your beliefs so thoroughly permeate your thought processes. Have you ever done something that you instantly said, ‘I am so stupid’ or another derogatory statement? The word that comes out of your mouth is what you truly believe about yourself. If it doesn’t reflect God’s word about you, then you have believed a lie.

Let’s go back to John 17:3. It says, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

Before we acknowledged the Lord as our personal Savior, we lived in our flesh 24/7. Roman 8:5 says, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”

Our mindset at salvation was not instantly converted. Ephesians 4:22-24 explains the process of sanctification. “That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

We dethrone ‘self’ by putting off the old, and putting on the new BY renewing our mind through the word of God. There is no other way. John 6:63 says that our flesh profits nothing.

Progressive sanctification is not a bandage-cover up, but a humble submission to the scalpel of His word. It splits and deftly penetrates to reveal the roots that hold us captive to our flesh.

Let’s take complaining as an example. Why do we complain? Our focus is on us. Now let’s take rejoicing. Who are we focusing on? Yes, the Lord. Nehemiah 8:10 says that the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Anything that we do in our own strength is the futile activity of our flesh. Therefore we dethrone ‘self’ through focusing our attention on the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Last night I kept seeing flesh spelled backwards. Look! When we take off the ‘h’ it is self. Here is another sIn, and another prIde. Notice the ‘I’ in the middle of these words.

The I is prominent in self. It is all about ‘me’ and what ‘I’ want. Jesus’ words in Luke 9:23, “…deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” is lived out practically through our thoughts and our focus.

Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” His kingdom rule in our heart should be our first priority.

When I was younger I made lists of things I had to do each day. Then I would scan my list and prioritize it. The imperative things were my first. If there was nothing urgent, then I would do all the easy things first just so I could get things marked off my list. I loved the marked-off lines!

Let’s mark off all the ‘self’ in our priorities. What would that look like in our day’s activities? Sobering thought. Romans 14:17 says, “For the kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” The whole chapter challenges our flesh. It ends with, “…whatever is not from faith is sIn.”

That brings up the question: can we have faith and live in the flesh at the same time? No. Faith is activated when we hear God’s word. It is His word hidden in our heart that keeps us from sinning.

1 Corinthians 15:31 Paul said that he died daily. Verse 34 says, “Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.”

Matthew 11:12 says, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” In a kingdom there is a king. In Jesus’ Kingdom, He is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. He has equipped us to be His warriors on earth. He is our Warrior Example.

Colossians 2:15 says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” Through Jesus’ death on the cross, He made provision for the captives of satan to be set free.

Does the Lord sit as King upon the throne of your heart? Are you bringing every thought into captivity, or are you being held captive through your thoughts?

Wrong thinking becomes wrong actions. We have to take our role as a warrior seriously. We must ‘war’ against every thought that opposes God’s way. As we ‘war’ we bring our thoughts, purpose, and actions into alignment with His rule.

How do we practically do this? Luke 9:23 Amplified is very explicit. “And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself (disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself) and take up his cross daily and follow Me (cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also).”

We can summarize the above verse in two words: dethrone self. SELF is our enemy because it usurps the King’s rule in our heart.

Years ago we sang this song: I went to the enemy’s camp and I took back what he stole from me…David was a renegade warrior. 1 Samuel 30 is the whole story.

First David inquired of the Lord. He went out under God’s word to him. Verse 8 says, “…Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” Verse 19 ends with, “…David recovered all.” What did he recover? Their city was plundered. Their wives, children were taken. He and his men brought them all back.

What has the enemy plundered from you? Isaiah 5:13 says, “Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge…” Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…”

There is something wrong with this picture. 2 Peter 1:3 says, “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us…”

The enemy of our soul seeks to keep us from knowing the Lord, and walking in His provision. The truth is stated well in John 10:10. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…”

The Lord is Truth. I love John 1:14-16. Jesus is the Living Word. He is full of grace and truth. Verse 16 in the Amplified says, “For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received (all had a share and we were all supplied with) one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift (heaped) upon gift.”

If verse 16 is not your experience, then you have been plundered. Truth is to be lived, embraced, and experienced. Daily reading His word equips us to guard our hearts and minds and not give the enemy’s lie another thought.

Renegade Thoughts Part Two
When we are walking in His righteousness, being led by the Holy Spirit, our thoughts will be conformed to God’s will. It is imperative that we know satan also has a will.
2 Timothy 2:26 says, “And that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”
The will of satan is to ensnare, entangle, and capture our hearts. Our heart is our belief center. If he can get us to believe his lies, they will become our truth. In my past, there were lies in my heart that truly seemed more real than God’s truth. In 1993 I learned that not every thought was of my origin. That radically changed my life.
That is why John 8:32 says, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” It is describing experiential truth. Truth that we have mined from God’s word as we read it daily and bring it into our heart. The truth that sets us free from our captivity then becomes a sentinel to warn us of enemy encroachment.
Encroachment means an intrusion into a person’s territory or rights. Here is an excellent example of how this happens. John 13:2 says, “And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him.”
See, it is through thoughts. Here is another. Acts 8:22 says, “Repent therefore of your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.”
Note that Jesus never sinned. A believer sins more through their internal dialogues than actual physical sins. Years ago I read a biography of Dwight L Moody. He said something like, I have to be kept continually filled with the Holy Spirit because I leak.
Galatians 5:16 says, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

Renegade means to desert and betray an organization, country, set of principles; having treacherously changed allegiance. We are created in the image of God to be glorify Him in all that we say and do.
John 15:16 says, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”
Here is an example of a renegade thought. Any thought against yourself, others, or your circumstances is classified as renegade. Why? It goes against your design, and it is in rebellion against God’s choice.
Self-hatred, self-rejection, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness are all rebellious attitudes against God’s word. 1 Samuel 15:23 says, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord…”
We are created with the ability to think, process, and to create. When we use our ability against God’s way it is rebellion. Ephesians 2:2 says, “…the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.”
Our obedience or disobedience is a heart issue. What we think in our heart governs our actions. Many of David’s psalms address this truth. Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”