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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Free To Be You: embracing your uniqueness

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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.