The question I am asking today is, how do you see yourself, who are you really? Are you limiting your walk with God because of self-limiting thoughts or beliefs about yourself? Are you how YOU see yourself or are you how GOD sees you?

Craig Ballantyne wrote an article a few years ago where he talked about a physician, Dr. Maltz (author of Psycho-Cybernetics). He had patients that told him if he could correct some deformity that they had, it would change their life. However, he found that even though the surgery was successful, the patient did not benefit from it because of the self-limiting beliefs they had about themselves. Dr. Maltz then set out to help them change how they saw themselves.

I saw an interview with a Hollywood star that struggled with a poor self-image. Outside of that interview, you would have never known how they thought about themselves. They said it took a lot of work years later for them to change how they perceived themselves. They made the money, but they saw themselves poorly. Some people in entertainment make the money but, in the end, kill themselves.

We call ourselves Christians and quote the verse that says, “It’s Christ in you the hope of glory.” We say we are born from above of the spirit of God, we call ourselves His children – His offspring, we call God our Father. Yet many times, we act or see ourselves as much less than what the new birth would indicate. We have the head knowledge of the scriptures, but it does not live in our hearts to the end that the Word of God affects our decisions in our everyday lives.

One of the major keys to The Prosperous Life is to see ourselves as God made us to be in Christ and walk that way. We should hold our heads up and expect that our Father’s hand is with us in every situation and in everything that we do.

We say or confess that we are the children of God, and yet we make decisions based on fear. We do not ask for the salary we deserve or bid that job at what it is worth out of fear we won’t get the job. Or we may not ask the young lady out for fear of rejection. Teaching or writing may be inhibited out of fear of rejection or people laughing at us, and thus we live far below what God desires for us.

How we see ourselves can manifest itself in how we dress for our jobs or when we go out for the evening, how we carry ourselves or what we talk about.

We may see ourselves as always struggling with finances or struggling with sickness when our Father has clearly said He wishes above all things that we prosper and be in health even as our soul prospers.

There are probably other areas in our walk with God that we do not struggle at all. Perhaps we are never late for an appointment, or perhaps to not give (tithe) is unimaginable to us. We can simply take the attitude we have in these areas and use it in the areas we need to change.

You can make part of your inner thinking of your mind and what you confess out loud to be, “I always dress the best I can for the job at hand.” Or, “I always price myself at the market or higher because of the confidence I have of God being with me and causing me to prosper. God is always at work with me in my finances to help me prosper. By his stripes I was healed, and I know God helps me to stay healthy – He keeps the bugs away from me – He keeps me from stumbling and getting hurt.

As you change the internal script you have in your mind about yourself, it is not enough to just say the words. You must believe these things are true for you. Change may take a while, but be patient. As you come to believe who you really are as a child of God, you will see more of the promises of God come to pass in your life. As you change, your life will change.

It is a great thing to have the confidence and wisdom that comes from God and His Word. One of the benefits that comes as you believe more of who you really are as a child of God is to not be offended by the words of others. To realize that when you are attacked verbally, it is really the other person that has the problem. They are trying to make you feel bad, so you won’t look at them and see their shortcomings or faults or their messed-up life.

Sometimes, they are jealous of some area of your life or envious of what you have. So, they try to cut you down. But if we know whose we are and who we serve, then we can pray for them instead of being offended. That kind of wisdom and confidence comes from believing what God says in His Word about who you really are.

As you become more confident in your position as a son or daughter of God, you must protect your sense of self-worth, your new self-image, and the self-confidence that brings.

This is very important. It does not matter what people say to you or situations do to you, you are always God’s great possession — His child. He loves you more than you love yourself. You know how you might sacrifice your life to save your child or children? God did something similar; he sacrificed his ONLY begotten son so that He could have you in His family.

So, carry and conduct yourself that way. Take an inventory and see what needs to change to be according to what God has said in His Word.

Remember, there is a great difference between arrogance and confidence. We are quietly confident but not arrogant.

Others will see you the way you see yourself. Others will treat you the way you treat yourself.

A famous verse in part says: “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” It is easier to see yourself as reigning in life as a king if you are constantly thinking about your rights, privileges and abilities as a child of God.

One of the great keys to changing your life is to take time to sit and think. Find a quiet place at the end of the day, week or month to sit and think about God and your life. What do you want to change? Ask His help to be able to see. He loves you and is more than willing to help than we are to ask. Write your thoughts in a journal.

As you go through this process of change, it may become a way of life, a part of The Prosperous Life.