Identity Theft

Robbed, again. It happened unexpectedly, right in the middle of a casual conversation. As my friend glowing described her stellar parenting, her enviable marriage, and her invaluable contributions to society, I was robbed. Satan snuck in and stole the joy that comes from my identity in Christ. The devil is the ultimate identity thief and he comes “… only to steal and kill and destroy” John 10:10.

Who am I, really?

• I am God’s child – John 1:12


• I am Christ’s friend – John 15:15


• I am complete in Him – Colossians 2:10


• I am God’s masterpiece – Ephesians 2:10


• I am free from condemnation – Romans 8:1
  

I know my true identity and nothing can ever change who I am in Christ. But time and time again, I let Satan rob me of that precious awareness. The good news is this: we can fight identity theft with the three tools that God has given us: Recognizing the Lie, Renewing Our Minds, and Rehearsing the Truth.

Recognize the Lie – Satan joins the world’s chorus and says,

• You are what you do.


• You must meet certain standards to feel good about yourself.


• Those who fail are unworthy of love.


• You will never change.

His identity theft quickly leads to feelings of shame, hopelessness, and inferiority. Uncertain of who we are, we become paralyzed in what we do.

Renew Our Minds - God reminds us of the truth in II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” I am not who I was. I am not what I do. I am God’s and I am loved.

Rehearse the Truth – When all the evidence seems to scream, “You are worthless. Your life serves no purpose. God has given up on you.” I need to recite the truth of my true identity again and again.

Rejoice. He has made you new. Be who you are.

Renew Your Mind

God's truth that, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he," can haunt you or help you. You can choose to live tormented by life's past scripting, controlled by thoughts you never even chose or with God's help you can consciously begin to write a future entirely different from the past. You can change. And that transformation begins with your mind and your thoughts.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:2

Have you ever noticed that where your mind goes your body goes also? Even as I dream about the leftover cheesecake, my body begins to move towards the refrigerator. When I listen to the mental tape of my childhood telling me I must please all people all the time, I add that one more thing to my already overloaded schedule. As I think, I act. As I act, I become. Scary, isn’t it?

What if you and I took that same process: thinking = becoming, and used it to our advantage? What if with every negative thought I consciously chose to replace it and renew my mind with the truth, God’s truth?

When I think:
…pleasing others is all important, I can renew my mind with this:

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?
Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men,
I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10

…this will never work out. I meditate on:

And we know that God causes all things to
work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

...anxiety is normal because life is stressful.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
I Peter 5:7

Every negative thought, every lie of Satan leads to despair. But God’s truth WILL set you free. Begin writing a new future for your life today.

Recognize the Lie

We are at war! No, I’m not talking about the war on terror, but the spiritual war being fought moment by moment, the war for our hearts and souls. And in this war, the battlefield is the mind.

“As a man thinks within himself, so is he” Proverbs 23:9

Our enemy is subtle, seductive and all too often effective because the chief weapon in his arsenal is the lie. Jesus describes our enemy this way:

… he is a liar, and the father of lies. John 8:44

Unfortunately, many of us have heard his lies so loud and for so long – that they have begun to sound like truth. Lies such as these:

-‘you will never succeed’
-‘you’re worthless’
-‘you are what you do’
-‘things will never change’
-‘this is as good as it gets’

The question is this: “If I have heard Satan’s lies for so long that I genuinely believe them – how can I ever hope to even recognize them much less renew my mind?”

Jesus tells us how:

If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:31-32

Counterfeit money can only be detected by comparing it with the genuine article. And the way to recognize Satan’s lies is to continually expose our hearts and minds to God’s genuine truth. His truth is found in the Bible.

Jesus makes us a clear promise here in John 8 – when we abide, remain, hold fast, and continue long in His Word we really CAN follow Him and His ways. And as we follow Him, the truth will increasingly and starkly be set apart from the lies and we WILL live free lives.

Pray this prayer now asking God to do what only He can do:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
Psalm 139:23-24

Thoughts Determine Destiny

"As a man thinks in his heart, so is he," God boldly declares. We are what we think. Our beliefs actually affect our desiny. What lies ahead for you?

Do thoughts like these haunt you every day?

• I need to please everyone all the time
• I must be completely competent and almost perfect in everything I do
• My past determines my present
• I'll never change
• I'm not attractive enough, young enough, good enough...

If so, you have contributed to your feelings of discouragement and defeat. While lies as powerful as these do shape our daily mood and behavior, the opposite is also true. Scripture assures us that when our thoughts are God’s thoughts - everything changes.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32

The good news is this; we can change our thoughts by using the 3 R’s:

• Recognize
• Renew
• Rehearse

Continue on this journey and learn more about how these three simple steps can change your thinking and change your life.

Change Your Thinking. Change Your Life.

Change Your Thinking. Change Your Life.

Life for women is hard. Statistics show that we work harder and longer than men yet still earn less. Our friendships are suffering, divorce is devastating, and depression is rising. Life is hard!

The sobering truth is we can’t always choose what happens to us, but there is good news as well. Scripture assures us that with God’s power we can always choose who we want to be in that circumstance.

The bottom line is this: who we are is a product of what we think. Scripture is clear, “As a man thinks within himself, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) Thus, becoming the extraordinary woman that God designed for you to be all begins with what you think.

Do you desire to be a woman of peace in anxious situations, hope in times of despair, joy even in suffering, and vision in dark times?

Do you dream of being physically fit, secure and confident, selfless, purposeful, and fulfilled? Do you yearn to be Christ-saturated and irresistibly attractive?

You can be! On the authority of God’s Word you can be different. The process, God’s process, is intensely practical and 100% successful.

Join us next week to discover the three step process to changing your thinking and changing your life.