We are what we behold and what we think. Our thoughts dictate the words we speak. Our life thrives or plummets according to the beliefs in our heart.

I finished Darlene’s biography. Four years of a prison camp’s rigors left a tremendous toll on her health. She lost 23 pounds from food deprivation and hard labor. Yet, she had an inner strength that caused her to spiritually thrive.

Yesterday the Lord took what I had read and applied it to our thoughts. Our negative thoughts torture our spirit. We imprison our spirit through our dominant flesh, and deprive it of spiritual food when we don’t read God’s word. We torture our spirit unmercifully when we dwell on the negative.

Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 15:13 says, “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.”

Depression is often the fruit of a broken spirit. It is startling to understand the power of our thoughts. They can bring us down or cause us to rise up.

We are called to endure. The Lord strengthens us with His mighty power so we can endure. He is our example. Luke 22:39-46 is the narrative. Verse 42 says, “…Father, if it is Your will, take this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Verse 43 says that the angel came and strengthened Him.

When satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, after he departed Luke 4:14 says, “Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit…”

Our Strengthener is the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. He is present in all our trials and temptations. He brings up His word that is hidden in our heart in the moment of our need. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us.

Ephesians 1:19 Amplified says, “And (so that you can know and understand) what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength.”

Is your endurance-strength ebbing? Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have NEED of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”

The Strong’s definition for endurance is: constancy, perseverance, continuance, bearing up, steadfastness, holding out, patient endurance.

Note in my Bible: It describes the capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances, not with a passive complacency, but with a hopeful fortitude that actively resists weariness and defeat.

Here is one of my favorite verses in the Amplified. Ephesians 3:16 says, “May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the (Holy) Spirit (Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality).”

I use a part of this verse as a faith declaration: I am right now being strengthened and reinforced in and by and through Your mighty power. I love the word ‘reinforced’ because it reminds me of rebar.

I am reading an autobiography written by Darlene Deibler Rose. She and her husband had been married one year when they went as missionaries to New Guinea. They and the other missionaries with them we captured and imprisoned during World War II. When she was flat emotionally, spiritually, and physically the Lord would tenderly strengthen her so she could endure.

“Tortured For Christ” is the story of pastor Richard Wurmbrand in Romania who was imprisoned for his faith. One time when he was drugged and beaten senseless, then thrown onto the floor of his cement lined cell, he could not form words to pray. He said: Jesus I love You. The Lord wrapped him in warmth and strengthened him so he could endure.

Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We are designed to walk in purity. Think about it. The more that His word is hidden in our hearts, the more it trains our thoughts. Psalm 12:6 says, “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”

Psalm 119:140 says, “Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it.” Pure in this verse and the above verse means that it is refined.

Are you refined by His word? David said in Psalm 26:2, “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart.” He also wrote Psalm 139. Verses 23-24 say, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

We are designed to influence through who we are IN Christ. Yesterday I had my teeth cleaned. From the moment I walked into the building I heard ‘COVID’ conversations. When my hygienist, a believer, asked me how I was doing with COVID, I said: you know, I think the greatest challenge for believers is to not complain. I set the tone for my entire time with her.

We are forerunners who carry the baton of truth. Let our thoughts be formed through the truth of His word hidden in our hearts. Let us emulate the Lord. John 1:14 is our mandate. That we will represent the Living Lord so others will behold His glory as we walk in grace and truth. Let our words be pure truth, coming from a pure heart that continually sees God.

Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Psalm 18:26 Amplified says, “With the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the perverse You will show Yourself contrary.”

What brings defilement into our hearts? Matthew 15:18 says, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.”

Verse 19 described one of ‘those things’ as evil thoughts. For years I skimmed over verse 19 because I didn’t think the list fit me. Then the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to understand what evil thoughts were: a negative dialogue, gossip, complaining, disgust, critical judgment, bitterness, and unloving. I repented because I was guilty of all the above.

Hebrews 12:15 says, “Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.”

A defiled heart defiles those around them. Conversely, a pure heart will influence through its purity. Which would glorify the Lord? Righteous thoughts align with God’s thoughts and ways.

The Lord stands as an adversary to the defiler. Balaam is a good example of this. Numbers 24:22-34 is the account. I want to sum it up: walled in on both sides, no way to turn either to the right or the left, Angel of the Lord standing with a drawn sword. Verse 32 says, “…I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me.”

I like to illustrate the function of our heart with a braid. It is totally integrated. Picture this: our mind (our thought) leads off and our emotions (feelings) and will (choices) follow. You cannot separate them.

How you think, feel, and the choices you make affect every aspect of your life. We are created to glorify the Lord. We are designed to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

His word is our blueprint. Paul used great words to describe our lives. 1 Corinthians 3:9 says, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.”

Verse 10 says, “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.”

Verse 12 says, “Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw.” Our sure foundation is salvation by faith. We are to add to our faith the inward grace and character that will endure through our fiery trials.

The lies of the enemy which we have believed are wood, hay, straw. Peter encourages us in 1 Peter 1:7 about our faith that will not perish. It says, “That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Character is who we are inwardly. It doesn’t change like a chameleon according to who we are with. Our message and messenger is the same. That is how to celebrate you.

We are called to emulate the Lord. Paul did. 1 Corinthians 11:1 says, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.”

2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” May your life be a fragrant bouquet of an overcomer.

I want to start this post with a new song. Receive it as a gift to encourage and expand your heart in your view of yourself.

Celebrate Your Uniqueness

My hands have made you and fashioned you in My image. There is no one else like you. Don’t try to copy others. Influence them through who you are. Be you in the design of My making.

Creativity is freedom from sameness. It all begins in your thoughts. Be free to explore and develop the passions I’ve given you. Thoughts can box you in or free your spirit. Accepting who you are will cause you to thrive in every aspect of your life.

All things work together for good to those who are called according to My purpose. Nothing is in vain. I will redeem it all. The things you have been through have given you eyes to see and ears to hear and compassion to minister to others. I want you to celebrate you as I celebrate you. You are created for My glory.

We are created to think, feel, and choose. Do you love yourself enough to eat healthy, gather with folks who will inspire and challenge you, and be discerning in what you watch and listen to?

Our heart is created to respond to truth. It craves it. However, we can misunderstand our cravings and seek after empty things. Our choices affect every aspect of our lives. When God’s word is hidden in our hearts, it feeds into our thought processes to nourish and satisfy as nothing else on this earth can do.

Listen to the words of these verses. Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart…” Psalm 104:34 says, “May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord.” Psalm 103:5 says, “Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your strength is renewed like the eagles.”

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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.