Love Yourself, Celebrate GOD!

Hug yourself right now and declare: “I love the person I’m becoming.”

Our pastor had the congregation do that exercise, not once but twice in church! Did you do it?

The more important question is, can you do it?

I felt led to write this because I suspect that some of you won’t even allow yourself to do this because of a poor self-image.

You’ve defined yourself based on what somebody else said about you, past mistakes, or even current failures.

Our pastor also said something very powerful: “The image you create is the image you live.”

Some people will never be healed because, instead of focusing on the image of themselves already healed, they maintain the identity of a sick person.

A lady emailed me not too long ago because she was wondering if she should go back to participating in a 12-step program for overeaters. Now, perhaps those programs have value for some people, but I disagree strongly with one approach.

Many years ago, I participated in Overeaters Anonymous for a while – before I became a believer in Christ. Each meeting I had to get up and say, “I’m Kim and I am an Overeater.” It was fine at first, but I started to become depressed. Then I also noticed something:

There were women who had been attending the meetings for 12, 9, 7 years – and they didn’t appear to have any healthier relationship with food than I did. Instead, they seemed to be obsessed with food in the opposite direction.

I asked myself, “Where is the victory, the success, the praise?” I could not see myself still attending meetings for 10 years, but not getting anywhere. So I quit going.

Now I realize what the problem was and it was one of self-image. Instead of confessing “I’m Kim and I am an overeater,” the Biblical way to do it was to say, “I’m Kim and I’m a RECOVERED overeater.”

You see, the Bible says that our God is one who calls those things that do not exist as though they did (see Romans 4:17) . He declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).

Because God exists in Eternity, He is not limited by time as we are. He can see all of our days before one of them comes to be (Psalm 139:16).

The Bible says that God foreknew us (see Romans 8:29); that means that he knew us before we were even conceived! That is truly mind-boggling.

God knew about all of the problems that you would have to deal with. He knows all about your pain and your sorrows. He knows all about your past.

And here’s the good news:  He knows all about your future too. And it’s a good one!

Do you have an image inside of you as to the person that you can become? I don’t believe that that image is an accident. I believe that it is possible for you to attain it.

However it doesn’t matter what I believe. It only matters what you believe.

My pastor said that how you see yourself determines four things:

1. It determines what you pursue.2. It determines who you pursue.3. It determines how you act.4. It determines what you allow into your life.

Because of poor self image, many people do not even believe that they are deserving of a better life. They allow abusive, unhealthy relationships to continue in their lives.

Their poor self image even keeps them from pursuing God fully!

They ask others to intercede with God for them rather than going to God directly themselves, which they have the right to do if they are in Jesus Christ.

Today, think about the person that you dream of being. Take some time today to write down that vision. Then take some time every day to meditate on that vision.

Start declaring yourself as healed and whole. Think about your actions; if that new person was controlling your actions then what would be different?

Take courage from the following Scriptures:

• 2 Corinthians 5:17“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (NKJV).”

• Romans 6:4“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (NKJV).”

• Isaiah 43:19“Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert (NKJV).”

Let’s go forth celebrating the person that we are becoming! Let’s praise God for the victory, the success, and the healing that is springing forth!

I am praying for God’s abundant healing and life to consume us like a fire. I am praying that all of us renew our minds daily to conform to the glorious image that God has placed inside of each of us. I am believing for more victory, success, and praise stories  as a source of encouragement and strength for those around you.

Please join me in this prayer.

Be blessed in health, healing, and wholeness,

Kimberly TaylorCreator of the ‘Take Back Your Temple’ programhttps://takebackyourtemple.com/program

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