A thought by Craig Groeschel from his book, Altar Ego: Becoming Who God Says You Are (p. 19). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
I know, there are things about each one of us that we each one have problems with. Now I’m not asking you to write me and tell me what yours is, no I’m not. I can’t change it for you but God can and he wants to do it.
Craig says, “There is no sin too great for God’s grace. There is no habit too big for his healing. There is no label too strong for his love. Let me say it again because I want you to believe this: God’s power is bigger than your past.
“And his power is rooted in his love for you. He knows who you really are no matter what others label you — or what you label yourself. What’s true about you now doesn’t have to be true about you later. The goal is not to reinvent yourself by striving to be some perfect person but to allow God to do an extreme makeover by uncovering your true self in his image, redeemed through Christ. What once was, no longer has to be. God can and will break the labels that have held you hostage.”
Craig then says, “You were made for more than you’ve settled for. You know your life does not reflect who you really are deep down inside. You know there’s more, and you’re tired of settling for less, but you’re just not sure how to move forward. It’s time for you to learn who you really are and what you’re capable of doing across eternity.”
Craig says, “When I became a Christian, I carried more labels than just Craig the Tightwad. Some people knew me as the frat boy who was the center of the party. Those on the outside of our party world often called me an arrogant jerk. The bottom line is, I felt like I had committed most of the sins a person could commit… My self-image was lower than the belly of a worm crawling in the dirt. Not only did I dislike who I’d become; I outright hated myself.” Maybe that is also true of you.
Craig goes on, “That’s why God’s truth about who I am transformed my life and hope. Paul writes, ‘Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!’ (2 Cor. 5:17 NLT). No matter what others have said or what you’ve believed about yourself, even if the negative labels are true, God can give you a new view of you.”
Yes, he can. It is just up to you to ask him into your life and to ask him to and believe that he will change you.
Will you do that?
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