Here’s a truth you need to embrace if you’re ever going to change: You do what you do because of what you think of you. One more time: You do what you do because of what you think of you.
God says in Proverbs 23:7 (NASB), “For as he thinks within himself, so he is.”
Who you think you are drives your behavior. So it’s critically important for you to know who you are.
Who are you?
We tend to define ourselves by what we believe influential people in our lives think about us. Psychologists call it the “looking-glass self.” We see ourselves through the eyes of others. We let those people define us, but this is not who we are.
You are not what your parent, your coach, your teacher, your grandparent, or the bully at school said you were or made you feel.
We can also define ourselves by our worst sins or habits. So you might think, I’m overweight, or I’m too skinny, or I’m an addict, I’m lazy, or I’m a loser. No. That’s not who you are, but we’re all tempted to define ourselves by the worst in us.
The Apostle Paul shares the key to transformation - real, lasting, eternal change. In Romans 12:2 NLT, he says:
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. ... Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Paul says you’ll experience transformation not by changing what you do but “by changing the way you think.”
God knew you before you were born. He made you. God knows your worst and your best. In fact, the One who knows your worst loves you best. God defines your true you. So who does God say you are? If you’re in Christ, you are forgiven. You’re loved. You’re accepted. You’re chosen. You’re an ambassador of the Most High God.
That is who you are. God said so. You may fear you’ve screwed everything up, but the depth of your sin is not greater than God’s power to forgive.
If you’ve believed a lie about yourself for a long time, embracing God’s truth about you won’t be easy. When you discover what’s true about you, I encourage you to pray about it and repeat it. Ask God every day to help you believe the truth about you.
True and lasting change doesn’t come from self-driven, do-your-best behavior modification. You change by God-empowered spiritual transformation, which happens when you embrace your true God-given identity.
- Pastor Craig Groeschel
[An excerpt from reading plan entitled "The Power of Change"]
