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230 August 17th
What Do You Need?
It is sad that so many Christians continue to struggle with feelings of low self-esteem, unworthiness, excessive shame and guilt, lack of confidence, and fear/anxiety. When I examine such a list, some questions come to mind like:
· Why do these linger?
· What are we to do about them?
· What would recovery look like?
Let’s take them one at a time...
Why do these negative thoughts/feelings haunt us? I'll give my standard one-two punch answer:
Satan is the accuser of the brethren who accuses us day and night before our Father in heaven (Revelation 12:10b), which means that Satan does not want us to get out of the darkness of thought we habitually lived in before we came to Jesus. Satan wants us to continually stay in our “pre-Jesus” condition, which was a 20-foot hole of despondency, depression, and despair; while possessing a single tool: a shovel.
Secondly, the world’s economy and philosophy are built on comparisons and performance based blessings. Comparing will always end in one of two ways: we see ourselves as either “better-than” or “less-than” the other person. In both cases, comparisons produce “no-win” outcomes. If we see ourselves as better-than in a negatively prideful way, we lose. If we see ourselves as less-than in a low self-esteem, under-confident way, we also lose.
Thirdly, thinking like this is an old habit. We’re used to it. It is familiar and we’ve done it so long that it has a death grip on us.
What can we do about them? When the Holy Spirit indwells a person, He will always do whatever it takes to change that person and make him/her more like Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the essence of Jesus and He indwells every believer. He is our divine power source. He is a perpetual companion, guide, teacher and convictor of sin. He illuminates everything enabling us to see Godly truth.
The Bible teaches us that we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16); we can take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-6); and that we can renew our minds (Romans 12:1-2).
What do we need to overcome these things? We need God to show us the truth. Our part is to believe Him and receive what He tells us (i.e. allow it to sink in, change our perspective, and ultimately change us). This kind of belief is not merely intellectual assent. It is believing something so completely that it causes a change in your behavior. This kind of receiving is not just thinking about a truth. This type of receiving means you completely possess and own something. It seeps into the deepest part of who you are. It is YOURS!
What would recovery look like? This recovery does not take place in a "light-switch" fashion (i.e., something you can simply turn on or off). This deep healing takes time; sometimes it can take a long, long time. If you have been a Christian for a while and you still struggle with some of these things, don't freak out. This kind of regeneration is like a good gumbo or stew. It takes a while before the "flavor" is thoroughly released in the dish. So, don't expect instant change. If you get delivered from something, praise the Lord; but don't get discouraged if it takes longer.
The changes will most like take place in stages. There will be an initial “big-time, huge illumination” type of change. Then, it will be come in various sized steps. So, don’t get discouraged or impatient. Remember, who can thwart the sovereign will of God? Most of it will happen on Earth, the rest will take place in an instant when you appear before the Father in heaven. Hang in there.
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