So
many Christians still fall into the trap of attempting to gain their esteem
through self-effort. We want to feel good about our self, because of the
belittling, condescension and criticism we receive. Life positions us for this
tendency by giving us praise for our successes, good behavior and
accomplishments; and then rejecting or punishing us for our failings.
The
good news is that, in Christ, our failings are not failures. They are simply
lapses in judgment, over-reactions in a situation or misinformed decisions. The
solution to this is to walk in God’s Spirit each moment of the day, with our focus
on His direction and not on our human thoughts, plans and goals (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Walking
in the Spirit requires thinking with the mind of Christ, rather than relying on
our human observations (1
Corinthians 2:16; Galatians 5:15-25). God’s plan for us started before our birth and
continues to our last breath (Psalm 139:13-14; Philippians 1:6; Ephesians 2:10). At salvation, we died
to our human mind-set, and Christ is now our whole life (Galatians 2:20;
Colossians 3:3-4; 1 Corinthians 2:3-5).
Through
God’s Spirit, we have the ability, confidence, love and self-discipline to live
a successful life (2
Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 3:26; Psalm 138:8). Our self-esteem comes from Christ in us, and
God’s unconditional love for us. Even
during trials, our confidence in God and His promises remain steadfast and true
(Hebrews
10:35-36; Matthew 6:34; James 1:12).
We
boldly approach God’s throne to receive forgiveness and grace in our times of
need (Hebrews
4:16). Christ
and His Spirit within us strengthen us to walk in God’s will all the days of
our life (Philippians
4:13; Acts 1:8).
This gives us more confidence than anything we could ever accomplish through our
own self-efforts.
Prayer:
Father
God, no matter what we face during our lifetime, we have no need to fear,
because we rely on Christ in us rather than our human capabilities (1 John 4:18). Even if the most
horrendous issue ever known to mankind comes against us, we have confidence in
Christ abiding within us (Psalm
27:3). You
are with us no matter where we live, what surrounds us or what occurs in our
life (Joshua
1:9). We
have all of our confidence in You, rather than in our self, because we know that
You work out even the negative issues of life for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).
Thought
for the Day:
We
find joy, even in the most trying difficulty; because when we pray with
gratitude in our heart, surrender to God’s will and have faith in God’s faithfulness,
He guards our heart and mind through Christ in the most miraculous ways. - Philippians
4:4-7
