Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 4:16-20
Remember that the Lord rescued you. .. to become his own people and special possession; that is what you are today. Deuteronomy 4:20
NO SOONER had Samantha jumped into the beautician’s chair than she started to rattle off the major wonders she wanted worked upon her appearance-eyebrows raised, ears shrunk, teeth whitened, slouch straightened. As Sam inhaled before launching into the second half of all the imperfections she wanted fixed, Sam’s beautician jumped in to set the record straight. “Look, girl,” she said, “there’s three things you gotta know. Betty only works from the neck up. Betty only does hair and makeup. And Betty is a beautician-not a magician.”
You don’t have to pluck your eyebrows or lop off the point at the top of your ears to accomplish an important change. The biggest alteration you could ever do to yourself is to realize your true identity as God’s wildly loved, highly valued child. Here are a few simple steps to transform your inner portrait of yourself:
- Pinpoint your specific need. Start by figuring out which fact you find hardest to accept: (a) God loves you just as you are and wants you for his child-you are lovable; (b) God would have sent Jesus to die for you even if you were the only person on earth-you are valuable; or (c) God trusts you to reach out and minister to others you are useful. Do you have a big problem buying anyone of those truths? That might tell you your first area to work on. It’s also a great idea to ask God to show you which part of your inner portrait he wants to redo to match how he sees you.
- Find help in Scripture. Start to study the Bible with your self-portrait in mind. Whenever you sit down to read, ask God to help you see yourself as he does. As you study, you will discover verses and phrases that seem just right for your situation.
- Find help from other believers. Let members of Christ’s body be part of the transformation the Holy Spirit is working in you. Scripture says we are to help each other get a dearer picture of who we really are (see Galatians 6:2). But if you want others to help, you have to be willing to let them into your life. It takes transparency to talk about your struggles, but you need to allow others to love and care for you just like you love and care for them.
Important note: If you have bad memories from the past that make even a short glance at your self-image painful, that’s when you especially want to ask a parent, a trusted Christian friend, a youth leader, or a pastor to pray with you and ask God to transform your inner view of you.
REFLECT: What are you doing to allow God to change your inner portrait of yourself?
PRAY: Tell God where you need his help.
