I have been reading a book titled Living Fearless by Jamie Winship. It is one of those books I will need to read a second time because it has good content that is contemplative in nature and has deep meaning. He talks about living our true self and how this can’t be done until we dispose of the false self. Cleverly, he uses an analogy of a pile of trash that keeps attracting rats. We keep trying to get rid of the rats, one by one, but they keep coming back. Instead, our action needs to be getting rid of the source; the trash.
He gives some questions to ponder and ideas that admittedly, I need to revisit and write down so I can remind myself to reflect on them more regularly. One idea that I do remember, is writing down our false ideas about ourselves. Names we have been called or have called ourselves. Thoughts we have had that simply aren’t true. False beliefs about ourselves that are holding us back from a deeper relationship with God, ourselves and others because we aren’t in alignment with the self that God believes about us. After we write them down, we close our eyes and envision what Jesus would say or do when we present Him with this list. This can be a powerful exercise in furthering our understanding of our own identity.
“Lord, help me to speak Truth over my life. You know who I am and who I am not. Help me to believe Your words about me and stand firm in that belief. Help me to turn away from the negative voices. The enemy wants me to believe I should be afraid, guilty, sad, and angry. I want to listen to the Good Shepherd. I want His voice to be louder than the accuser of the brethren. Would you help me listen to You?”
Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.” (John 14:6) By listening to Jesus’ truth about us, we come to know Him and the Father and draw closer to Him. His truth about you is far greater than any negative thought you have about yourself. Let us speak truth over our lives by repeating back to ourselves the words He says about us. Whenever there is a negative thought or something said about you, say the opposite, out loud. Know that God is for you.
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