Know Yourself
How well do you know yourself? Before you answer, let me ask you a few questions:
1. Do you ever tell yourself you will never do something and then do it against your better judgment?
2. Do you tell someone you are going to do something and then not do it?
3. Do you make decisions to do something positive and then make excuses as to why you did not do it?
4. Do you feel good about yourself?
5. Do you feel good about other people?
6. Do you see yourself as stressed, or too blessed to be stressed?
7. Do you have habits that you know you need to quit but don’t?
8. Do you live in faith or fear?
Hmmmm….now I know there are questions you are already forming and exceptions to the questions posed. LOL. I know YOU pretty well. That is OK. It is normal. The point I am making is that if you really know yourself you should be capable of doing the right thing for yourself and others without living in fear.
I know that some people have real struggles in this area and can’t figure it out on their own. That is left to the professionals to help them. I am not a Psychiatrist or Psychologist, so please forgive my simple observations, but here are a few things I think we need to do in order to know ourselves better:
1. Know your strengths, and admit your weaknesses. Too often we get paralyzed with the weaknesses we have and forget to capitalize on our strengths. If you don’t know your strengths, take a Strength Finder test (or one like it).
2. Quit telling yourself and believing lies! If you tell yourself or others, for that matter, a lie long enough you will take it as the truth. Be discerning with what you read, what you listen to, who you associate with, and what you accept as truth. “Trust but verify.”
3. Being educated is a wonderful thing, but sometimes it becomes a stumbling block if we think we “know” because we have been taught, how we have been raised, or because we have so many degrees. Being educated does not equate to having common sense. Never leave common sense out of the equation when evaluating something or someone.
As a Christian, I know who I am because of what God has said of me. Here are just a few of the promises of God:
1. I am a crown of beauty and a royal diadem in the hand of the Lord. Isaiah 62:3-4.
2. I am filled with joy because Christ is my strength. Nehemiah 8:10
3. I am adopted and a child of God. 1 John 3:1
4. I am His beloved. Zephaniah 3:17
5. I am seen by God. Genesis 16:13
6. I am holy and blameless in Christ. Colossians 1:22
7. I have the Holy Spirit of God in me, with me, and for me. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
8. I am treasured by God. Deuteronomy 14:2
9. I am alive in Christ and saved! Ephesians 2:5
10. I am God’s masterpiece. Ephesians 2:10
11. I am chosen and appointed by God. John 15:16
12. I am healed. 1 Peter 2:24
13. I am not forsaken. I am accepted by Christ. Psalm 94:14
14. I am secure in Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:22
15. I am no longer a slave to fear! Isaiah 46:10
16. I am a friend of God. John 15:15
17. I am an heir to the kingdom of God. Romans 8:16-17
18. I am made in God’s image. Genesis 1:27
19. I am free! Romans 6:14-18.
20. I am redeemed. Ephesians 1:6
21. I am victorious. 2 Corinthians 2:14
22. I am gifted. James 1:17
23. I am seated in heavenly places with Christ. Ephesians 2:6
24. I am a citizen of heaven. Philippians 3:20
25. I am one spirit with the Lord. 1 Corinthians 6:17
26. I am a branch of the one and true vine. John 15:1, 5
27. I am the salt and light of the world. I am a city on a hill and cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:13-16
28. I am an ambassador for God. 2 Corinthians 5:20
29. I am His and have no reason to fear. Isaiah 43:1
30. I am the head and not the tail. Deuteronomy 28:13
So, that is just a partial list of all the things that God says about us as Christ followers. That, hopefully, will help you know who you are in Christ Jesus. Have a blessed day.
Shalom!
Daniel Skognes
Tags: #knowyourself