“When our perception of who we are is distorted, our entire emotional equilibrium is off.”

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2016-03-01) from his book, (UN)Qualified: How God Uses Broken People to Do Big Things (pp. 18-19). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

That really makes sense to me.

Steven says, “That’s why it hurts so much when we fail, when we fall short. Our shortcomings seem to prove that we are fundamentally flawed, and that makes us question our value and our identity.”

But he goes on, “God doesn’t see things the way we do. His scales, his standards, and his measuring devices aren’t calibrated the way ours are. But until we understand his way of thinking, we will look at our failures and successes as the sole indicators of our value. Inevitably that leads to exaggerated, constantly shifting conclusions about whether we are qualified or not. An identity that is informed by feelings of inadequacy is a dangerous thing.”

I read a Psalm every day. It is one place that I go to catch a glimpse of God’s view of me and also for me to catch a view of what God is like. And those two views go a long way in keeping me headed in the right direction. I don’t want a distorted view of how God sees me and my potential and my worth.

David is one of the main writers of the Psalms and Steven says, “David said this about God’s knowledge of us: ‘You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar’ (Psalm 139: 1– 2). God knows you better than you know yourself. He looks inside the deepest crevices of your heart. He sees the secrets you’ve hidden from everyone, maybe even yourself. And here’s the best part. God knows everything about you— including the ugly parts, the broken parts, and the dysfunctional parts— yet he still believes in you. He still has a future and a hope for you.”

I need to know that and I believe you do too.

So how is your perception of who you are affecting your day today?

Comments

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