MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHO AM I AND WHAT'S MY CALL

What you think about you matters and what you say about you matters (verbally and internally). Your thoughts should not control you, you should control them. Anything that threatens to re-identify God will re-identify you? Take a moment and think about that. One of the challenges we have when we weather a storm is, does it affect God’s identity in us. In other words, do I see God differently after a difficult time or situation? Can you see how when we re-identify God, we’re really re-identifying ourselves because we mirror the image of God? What I see when I look in the mirror when no one else is defining me for me is crucial. I believe that the cry for identity is really rooted in so much pain and dysfunction and when we reduce God, we end up reducing ourselves.

How many of you know that you can’t change your life on your own? But, Romans 12:2 tells us that when you change your mind and focus on God, then He can easily change your life. Are you controlling your thoughts or are they controlling you? Some of you are prisoners to your thoughts instead of the reverse. 

2 Corinthians 10 tells us to take every thought captive. However, instead of being transformed many are being conformed to this world because we don’t train ourselves to shape our thoughts. You have more conversations with yourself than anyone else. What you say to yourself matters. What you repeat to yourself matters. How you feel is not how you are and how you feel are not who you are. Feelings are great servants but terrible masters. 

Did you know that the word ‘meditate’ in Joshua 1:8 is actually the same word as the word ‘growl’ in Isaiah 31:4? It’s not from the same root, it’s actually the same word. This signifies to me that biblical meditation is proactive and aggressive. It is bulldozing new neural pathways like a lion growing over his prey. You don’t become what you want to become passively, you become what you see in the reflection of your imagination. So, it begs the questions, are you a manifestation of His imagination or yours? You become like what you worship. 

God is generous, He is powerful, He is kind, etc. You get to look in the mirror and remind yourself that you are generous because He is generous, you are powerful because He is powerful, and you are kind because He is kind. By reminding yourself who He is, you gradually become more like Him.

Did you realize that James 1:21 tells us that there is actually an ecosystem of feeling good about yourself through thinking and doing? I do it because I think it, then I think it because I did it, and it becomes more natural because I eventually have a history of thinking and doing.

I will say it again, what you think about you matters, what you say about you matters. Your thoughts should not control you, you should control them. How do you get control them?

1. Meditate - I think about what God says. 

2. Walk out the mediation through works - this is the piece that solidifies my identity. 

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Corinthians 5, Romans 12, 2 Corinthians 10, Joshua 1:8, Isaiah 31:4, Genesis 30, Proverbs 23:7, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 5:1, Exodus 8:38, James 1:21, Genesis 39, Ephesians 2:8-9, Genesis 4:7