Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.
by Brennan Manning
From: Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging
I started reading this book last night, and wow….great read! It made me think of all the labels I have given myself in the past. Hi, my name is Diana and I am a _____________. I have put many things on that line, how about you? A lot of times I filled in that blank space with what others have said about me. And it wasn’t even true.
I have found, if I associate and call myself something, that is what I become. Words are very powerful, especially the words that I speak over myself. Words have the power of life and death. We can build someone up, or tear them to shreads, – all with our words. And, I can do this to myself, all by myself. I never really used to pay attention to how I talk about myself until a friend pointed out that I was always cutting myself down. How about you? Now I’m not going to extremes either. I don’t sit in front of the mirror for hours like the Queen of Snow White either
Back to the with the premise above. I am beloved by God…whether I feel it or not. If God said it – it is true. I looked up what “beloved” meant:
1. cherished, precious; sweet, darling.
And that’s how God sees you too – beloved.
And here’s a great video called WORDS, by Hawk Nelson…
GODS PROMISE TO YOU:
My beloved spoke and said to me, Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me. (Song of Solomon 2:10 NIV)
And the Lord answered, Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands; [O Zion] your walls are continually before Me. (Isaiah 49:15-16 AMP)
A man’s [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil]. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. (Proverbs 18:20-21 AMP)
MY PRAYER FOR YOU:
Dear Lord,
Renew our minds. Help us shake off the labels that we have put upon ourselves that keep us in bondage. We want to be free of anything that has not come from You. And Lord, we give you permission, to pull out the lies that we have believed about ourselves. And pull out the lies that others have spoken over us too, k? And the lies hat have been planted there by the enemy too… Pull out the weeds Lord, so your Word can grow more freely, in Jesus’ Name.
OTHER HELPFUL POSTS:
Burning Fire Shut in My Bones – I am Fearfully and Wonderfully made
[…] Define Yourself (dianarasmussen.com) […]
Love it. I’ve read some of Brennan Manning’s work before. It can be so difficult to remember these things, but we need to!
Good post, Diana! Thanks for the encouragement. 🙂