I. Self Image and YOU! What is the definition of the word "Self Image? It is the evaluation that a person makes of himself in comparison to some standard, or the way that he has come to think about himself habitually. Questions: 1. When you look in the mirror what do you see? 2. Do you see the image of Christ as you look deeply into your eyes that reveal your heart and soul? 3. And have you ever wondered how God sees you and view's your life? 4. Do you worry that He sees your flaws and mistakes and loves you less?
Beloved, God knows you perfectly and loves you completely just the way you are. He doesn't see you as the world sees you because:
- You are His masterpiece
- His workmanship of grace and love
- You are His work of art
The doctor in charge asked her if she would like to speak with the patients. The sight of the suffering she said, deeply touched her and she said "no", I think I am unable to talk. I just want to go off somewhere and cry.
A moment later she changed her mind and ended up beside the bed of a man who could barely breathe. She told him about Jesus Christ and how God had allowed His Son to suffer for each of us.
Corrie writes: I finished speaking and from my bag took a small embroidery, on one side was stitched a beautiful crown. The other side was quite mixed up. When I see you on the bed, I said, not speaking, not moving, I think of this embroidery, I held up the back side of the embroidery. Your life is like this, see how dark it is. See how the threads are knotted and tangled, mixed up. But when you turn it around then you can see that God is actually weaving a crown for your life.
God has a plan for your life and He is working it out in beauty. He picked up a pencil and wrote in a shaky handwriting. Thank God I am already seeing the beautiful side. What a miracle.
As we allow Him to work in our life, He will continue to form us into His image in such a way so our lives will glorify Him. In Ephesians 2:10 it says:
Verse 10: For we are His workmanship(the skill shown in a finished work of art) created(to create from nothing and to create in a spiritual sense) in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
It was by God's divine plan that we were created in the image of Christ. Even though we don't see that image in ourselves always, understand beloved that He sees us with eternal eyes that look beyond our faults and our failures. He looks through the blood of Jesus and he sees perfection, a righteous child, a holy, pure, complete and redeemed creation. He sees our future and our destiny and He knows exactly what part of our lives needs His greatest attention, because He knows our every frustration, disappointment, hurt, rejection, anxieties and fear.
For many of us this is a hard concept to grasp, because we see our lives as being incomplete and unfulfilled. We know all to well our past and present failures. We spend more time dwelling on the past, that we miss our today. What is in the past needs to stay there and their is nothing you can do to go back and change it.
God's views you from a totally different perspective and when He sees your life, He sees a person of worth, value and promise. He has pledged His love to you and He walks with you through disappointment and is never disillusioned by your negative acts.
You may be saying, but how can He love me that much? I don't deserve His love. I have made so many wrong decisions and I have let Him and others down. But you see, He sees the finished product and you are His joy because it says in Zephaniah 3:17 that:
Verse 17: The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult (to be extremely happy) over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
God rejoices over you beloved. He knows your life is in the process of becoming all that He has planned for you to become. And even though you are not yet what you will be, know and understand that God is patiently molding and shaping your life into the "Image of Christ".
Remember: He is the potter and you are the clay
There is never a reason why you would give up. You are not alone and Jesus is walking right beside you. He is with you cheering you on into Victory and is there to strengthen and encourage you. When your eyes are fixed, immovable and positioned on Him and not your circumstances, your faults or your failures,it is then you will begin to see life and yourself differently.
Instead of thinking negatively and seeing yourself as a failure or as one who doesn't measure up begin to think on the things that Philippians 4:8 tells us:
Verse 8: Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think of these things.
And what are some of the things that are true about you?
1. That you are complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)
2. That you are united with the Lord, and you are one spirit with Him ( I Corinthians 6:17)
3. Your are God's workmanship, created for good works (Ephesians 2:10)
4. You can be confident in knowing that the good work God has begun in you will be
perfected (Philippians 1:6)
5. You are God's coworker (II Corinthians 6:1)
6. You are a personal, Spirit-empowered witness of Christ's (Acts 1:8)
7. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13)
So if Ephesians 2:10 says that we are created in Christ, that makes us united with Him in every way and joint heirs with Christ. It also makes us partaker of His divine nature.
If we look up the word "partaker" it says that it means: To have or appear to have a certain amount of some quality or character of the one you are taking from.
And what is this "divine nature"? It is a God like nature that acts, speaks and thinks in a way that will reflect His qualities and these qualities distinguishes that person from the natural man that reacts out of a fleshly nature.
Next week part II and we will talk about Your Identity.
Blessings,
Elma Garlock
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