The sermon teaches us with confidence that no one has more self potential and dignity than those who learn to view themselves from Christ’s point of view. No one can have a healthy and realistic view of themselves than those who are able to look at life through the Spiritual mirror of God’s word- which is the truest reflection.
May this sermon minister to you and enrich your walk of faith in Jesus Christ. We welcome you to make use of the free sermons, Christian books, and daily devotionals available on this website.
May this sermon minister to you and enrich your walk of faith in Jesus Christ. We welcome you to make use of the free sermons, Christian books, and daily devotionals available on this website.
Reflections - We use things in our lives to obtain a reflection of ourselves. Just like we use physical mirrors to see our physical reflection, we use an internal mirror to see a reflection of what we feel about ourselves inside our hearts.
We begin to believe these reflections over time which influences the way we behave and act. (Prov 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he)
One of the common reflections we have of ourselves is on the issue of self worth. Many people inclusive of Christians feel they are worthless and of little or no value.
Language of Self worth
It is defined as having a quality of being worthy of esteem or respect/ the value you place on yourself as a person. It is holding yourself – your body, mind, soul, spirit, everything you are – in high appreciation or regard.
Sometimes to compensate for the deep rooted negativity inside, people wear masks to cover it up.
Why is self worth important?
The root of poor self worth
- Our self perceptions
- What others see
- The deception of the enemy (Rev 12:10- accuser of our brethren )
- Unresolved guilt
- Past or traumatic experiences
The Spiritual mirror
The truth is that self worth can be pursued with pride or with humility. It can be cultivated within the boundaries of biblical wisdom or without it.
The lesson today teaches us with confidence that no one has more self potential and dignity than those who learn to view themselves from Christ's point of view. No one can have a healthy and realistic view of themselves than those who are able to look at life through the Spiritual mirror of God's word- which is the truest reflection.
The original design: were we good or bad?
Viewed from the world's standards: Educators and scientists say that humans aren't born bad- they are only damaged by the influences of the environment.
Viewed from the Bible: We are shaped by two opposites of divine worth and moral wickedness.
Divine worth- we carry an inherent sense of worth and were made for Him and by Him. We have the designer's label on us
Genesis 1:26 "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness"
Psalm 139:13-16 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;[b] Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them
Moral Wickedness: Every part of us has been damaged by our spiritual separation from God. We are fallen broken beings and we are inclined to live for ourselves in stubborn self centered ways. Our wickedness is what deceives us and often our low self worth is just our bruised pride
Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.
Romans 3:23 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.
How should we feel about ourselves?
Viewed from the world's standards: The world encourages people to believe in the 'self'
Viewed from the Bible; The bible teaches us to value our lives by adding God's perspective to it. True self worth is when we love ourselves, hate ourselves and die to ourselves
Loving ourselves: Our natural inclination is to love ourselves as seen in the scriptures below
Matthew 22:39- You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Ephesians 5:29a For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it.
Hating ourselves: God wants us to despise our stubborn self centeredness of our fallen human nature
Romans 7:21-23 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Dying to ourselves- we need to bury our confidence in ourselves and all other hopes and find our self worth through our complete reliance on God.
John 12:24-26 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
The yardstick for true self worth
Viewed from the world's standards: The yardstick to feel good are superficial things like appearance, beauty, brains, money, aptitude, affluence, pleasure, prominence, power, status.
Viewed from the Bible; God looks at our heart and our desire to have a heart like His by imbibing His character. The character that is developed within us by God is what gives us our true self worth
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
2 Peter 1: 5-7 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
The kind of self worth God is looking for in us as according to Romans 12: 1-3
- Giving up our own rights trusting God for whatever He wants to do with us Rom (12:1)
- Resist the desire to conform to materialistic values (Rom12: 2a)
- Renew our minds with the Word of God (Rom 12:2b)
What should reshape the way we think about ourselves? The world's decree or God's word?
Viewed from the world's standards: The world's decree says that the only way out of the trap of low self worth is to see yourself as the most important person. The measure of the world says "the answer is within you."
Viewed from the Bible: The most important person in our life is not us but God. We are filled with all the fullness of God (Eph 3:19) which points to the completion of God's work in us as He forms in us His very image and we become like Him in all His moral perfection and beauty. God's word, our true spiritual mirror says that in Christ we have a position that is secure through what He accomplished on the Cross.
A new future (Rom 8:18-32) - our past is behind us
- A new creation (2Cor 5:17) - the old ways and thoughts are gone
- A new family (I John 3:1) we are called the sons of God- where we get unconditional love
- Are not condemned- (Rom 8:1) we no longer have to criticize ourselves and find fault with ourselves
- Our bodies are the temple of God (I Cor 5:19) – we are made wonderful and beautiful in His image
- Our every need will be supplied by God- (Phil 4:19) - be it need for love, security, belonging A sound mind (2Tim 1:17) - no fear, co confusion
- Set apart for His use (2 Tim2:21) - no more useless but used by God to do good works for Him
The challenge
To think of ourselves as the people God says we are unfortunately does not happen automatically- it happens only as we continually renew our minds with the thoughts of God. (Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.)
Process of renewing the mind:
- Guard the gates to your mind: guard what you look at (Matt 6:22) , guard what you hear (Romans 10:17) and guard the reaction to your feelings (Phil 4:8)
- Taking every thought captive (2 Cor 10:5)
- Use the rule of sorting out thoughts
- The thought filter- filter our thoughts according to God's word and to the Spirit's prompting within you
- Recognize the source of the thought
- Refuse to dwell on it if it is unwholesome
- Replace the thought with God's word
- Gird up the loins of your mind (1 Pet 1:13,15)- prepare to face the battlefield of your mind anddiscipline your thought life
Conclusion:
The person who has a relationship with Christ has an enormous basis for good self worth. Walking with Christ and surrendering to Him, we can by His spirit be everything He wants us to be, do anything he wants us to do.
The person who has a relationship with Christ has an enormous basis for good self worth. Walking with Christ and surrendering to Him, we can by His spirit be everything He wants us to be, do anything he wants us to do.
The only need is for self worth with humility- the kind of right-mindedness that can give us the confidence that will enable us to do anything God wants us to do. Let your weakness push you to dependence on God for He alone can give you every good and every lasting reason to feel good about yourself. Daily look into the spiritual mirror- God's word which is the truest reflection of your self - worth.
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