Our
personal identity is usually based on the opinions from other people. We form
our evaluation of our self from comments made to us by these friends,
relatives, associates and neighbors. It is also derived from satanic lies
planted in our mind from birth.
Over
time, God helps us to erase these negative recordings in our brain and to
develop a healthy sense of who we are in Christ. Walking by the direction of
God's Spirit for each moment of our day helps us to make wise choices and to
develop a spiritual mind.
If
we try to live up to the expectations of other people, we push our self to the
point of extreme fatigue, burn out, resentment, and outright anger over the
heavy burdens we accept. This is caused by attempting to please people rather
than God.
Jesus
encourages us to deny our self, but He is talking about our vain, conceited,
self-centered, sinful ambitions rather than about our basic needs and the essence
of who we are as a person (Galatians 5:19-21).
We
trade these carnal desires to promote our self with an eternal attitude of our
position as a bond-servant and slave to Jesus Christ. We deny selfishness and
unrighteousness that is contrary to God's will and Word (Philippians 2:3-7).
God's
grace and forgiveness are His free gifts to us, even while we are still caught
in the net of unholy desires. We slowly come to the realization that we are
already crucified with Christ, and He lives in and through us (Galatians 2:20).
We simply submit to and cooperate with His Word and Truth.
This
enables us to grow into spiritual maturity by allowing God to nurture our soul
with His healing love and grace. He transforms our imperfections with Jesus
divine character and nature. This helps us to develop the same loving and
serving attitude that Jesus has.
Prayer:
Father
God, help us to deny the lusts of our flesh (Galatians 5:15-25), and teach us
that through our relationship with You, we find comfort, encouragement,
tenderness, compassion and a balanced impression of our true identity, which is
centered in and focused on Christ.
You
help us to set boundaries for our life that block the negative comments of
others from debilitating us. Help us to reject the expectations that drive us
to respond to life with humanistic goals and side-track us from Your perfect
plans for us (Romans 8:1). We want to spend our days worshipping You with our
life.
Thought
for the Day:
God's
plan for us is to unite with Christ in salvation, to find comfort from His
love, to fellowship with His Spirit and to be led by the Spirit, and to act
with tenderness and compassion toward others.
-
Philippians 2:1-2
