“Don’t let what’s wrong with you define you.”

A thought by Mark Batterson (2014-09-02) from his book, The Grave Robber: How Jesus Can Make Your Impossible Possible (p. 119). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

And that is so easy to do.

I have been overweight a big part of my life but I have striven to not make that define me. Now it may define what some people think of me but that is their problem not mine. As I see myself today I see myself as a healthy person who is striving to be healthier.

Now there was a time a few years back that I saw the potential if I didn’t start doing something with my weight problem of living my later years as an invalid. And I knew that I had the potential to do something about it so I changed my eating and exercise habits.

So how do you see yourself?

Mark has some very good thoughts on this. He says, “When my children lie to me, I don’t call them liars. I remind them that that’s not who they are. I certainly call it what it is— a lie. But I don’t let what they’ve done wrong define their identity or destiny. Our culture has a tendency to reduce people to labels. Not only is that unhealthy and unholy, it’s also dehumanizing. Don’t let anyone label you besides the One who made you. Take your cues from Scripture. You are more than a conqueror (Romans 8: 37). You are the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2: 8). You are sought after (Isaiah 62: 12). You are a joint heir with Christ (Romans 8: 17). You are a child of God (John 1: 12).

Then he says, “For better or for worse, our words double as self-fulfilling prophecies. Negative prophecies are validated by fear. Positive prophecies are validated by faith.”

So what have you let define you? Some negative occurrence or a physical problem or what God says about you. I want to build my life on my faith in what God says.

What about you?

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