How do you see yourself?

Do we allow our past sins or baggage to determine who we are today?  Do we dwell on our past or live for the future?  Over the years I have met with a number of Christians and find that many really struggle with the feeling of being unworthy and lack confidence.  To some degree I think most of us have at times felt rather unworthy.  But why did we fear failure or being unworthy?  Was it when we sensed we were not living up to our expectations?  Was it a belief of not fitting in with the in-crowd?  Were you raised in a dysfunctional home and continue to believe you are dysfunctional? Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”  Were you raised in a non-Christian, negative environment and can’t break its hold?

Over fifth-five years ago my life changed.  I accepted Christ as my Savior and received the Holy Spirit into my life.  It made a tremendous difference.  Scripture that has always encouraged me was Acts 9:15 & 16 – “But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man (Paul) is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.  I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’”

The Apostle Paul had Christians murdered, thrown in jail and persecuted because of their beliefs and their rejection of Jewish teaching.  On the road to Damascus He was struck by a light and Jesus told him to go and wait for further communications.  Blinded for three days, Ananias came and healed his sight and told Paul he had been chosen as an instrument of God and to proclaim the gospel.  From that point on Paul sees himself as God’s chosen instrument.  Think about the baggage that Paul could have carried with him as he evangelized the Gentles.  Did his past keep him from living up to his potential and fulfilling his God given mission?

I believe Paul was an example of how a person’s past can be overcome when the Holy Spirit enters the life of a person and we become born again.  Does it sound like Paul dwelt on the past or lived for the future?  God’s power to forgive sins and start us with a clean slate should make us think like a new person eliminating our old self.  But does it?  It depends on our knowledge of the Bible, our faith and the ability to trust God’s promises.  Do you struggle with: “How could God possibly forget my past sins?”  That might be like asking how God created the universe.  Do you think He is unable to erase your past sins and forget about your need to be punished?

Ephesians 1:3 – 6 – “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.” NLT

So, how do we repent and surrender our will? Repent means to be remorseful for our past sins and seek the Lord’s forgiveness. Surrender requires that we give up control of our lives to our spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to change who we are inside. I believe this frustrates many Christians. If we have been addicted and have lived a negative lifestyle as many have, it is because we have allowed our bodies and our minds to control who we are, and if we continue in this manner, we may never get ourselves under control.

Most are uncomfortable giving the Lord complete control. Repentance at salvation is a singular event while true surrender is an ongoing process. Many have never willingly surrendered to the Holy Spirit, and so they find this to be very challenging. As a result, there is little change in their lives and behavior. If there is little change, is it hard to believe God has adopted you and truly loves you?  So if you do not see yourself as God says He sees you, whose fault is it?

In order to grasp the idea of a surrendered life, we must first realize as Christians that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Second, we must accept that God has always loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. (Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could love ourselves as God loves us or see ourselves as God sees us?) Third, God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. How does it feel to be one of God’s children?

I went to a Christian college.  In our chapel was this Scripture: Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”  I believe the biggest mistake Christians make is their lack of continually, meaning daily, that we seek God.  We are called to make a difference in this world.  Most of us are concerned about making a difference in our lives.  If we seek God and His righteousness first, before everything else, He promises that we shall receive His blessings.  One of those blessings will be to see ourselves as God sees us. Accept Scripture that says: “God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”  Wouldn’t you like to see yourself as God’s chosen instrument for a particular task?  When we do and we see ourselves as God sees us there comes a peace, a joy and a sense of achievement that never leaves.