Do you like it when life happens the way you anticipate it will?
Most folks would say, ‘Yes,’ to that.
Why? Well, we like predictability.
We like it when life and people behave consistently with our expectations.
Life is more comfortable, and there is less anxiety.
This model of consistency also applies to our self-perception as well.
Dr. Neil Anderson wrote, “No one can consistently behave in a way that is inconsistent with their self-perception.”
Now, what does He mean by that? It’s simple.
If I see myself as a failure, I will sabotage my efforts to ensure failure.
Why? Success creates internal conflict; it’s inconsistent with how I see me.
So, in order to maintain internal balance, I will make choices that perpetuate failure, even if success is attainable for me.
Solomon declared, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
Beloved, if God has one opinion of you and it differs from your opinion of you, where is truth?
Right, truth is in God’s opinion of you.
Why then is it so difficult for us to see ourselves as God sees us? There are several reasons.
First, our self-perception is formed based on the feedback we get from our parents and other key people in our lives.
We all have the tendency to really lock in on this feedback and own it.
Second, even after we come to faith in Jesus as Savior, it is easy to think that His acceptance of us is based on our ability to keep a system of rules and regulations.
If we have a negative self-image, we can easily see God as chronically disappointed in us.
On the other hand, if our parents didn’t discipline us or teach us to take responsibility for our actions, we can develop a self-perception that borders on sociopathic… nothing is ever our fault.
So, either way the solution is the same.
We need to understand how God sees us, and then, choose by faith to perceive ourselves as he does.
Peter is a great example.
How do you think he saw himself after he denied Jesus? As a total failure.
But, Jesus restored him to the vision He declared over him… “You are Peter, the rock on which I will build my church.”
It was the Spirit of the Lord that made the change possible for Peter.
In his flesh, he could have succumbed to the enemy’s accusations of failure, but instead, he choose to see himself as Jesus did and to go on to lead many to saving faith.
Beloved, let me encourage you to visit our website resources page and download The Way of the Cross.
In it you will find the Who Am I? lists.
Because we are in Christ, our identities are united with His, so meditate on these Identity truths and claim them by faith.
Freedom will come as you choose by faith to see yourself as Jesus sees you!
Blessings!
Robyn Henning