Part 2 (Your Best Life Now)

PART 2: DEVELOP A HEALTHY SELF-IMAGE

 

CHAPTER 7
Who Do You Think You Are?

 

 By most standards, Carly should not have made it. Overweight, with one leg slightly shorter than the other as the result of a childhood accident, Carly was the lone woman employed in a largely male- dominated field. She had to earn her right to be heard nearly every day Some people laughed at her appearance or her halting walk; some made snide remarks behind her back, some were inconsiderate to her face, but Carly paid little attention. She knew who she was, and she knew she was good at what she did, so when other people attempted to put her down, she regarded them as having the problem. “Emotion¬ally challenged,” she often quipped about her detractors.

 

 Despite the factors working against her, Carly continued to receive one promotion after another, eventually becoming the CEO of her com¬pany and a highly-sought-after expert in her field. How did she do it?

 

 Carly’s secret is her incredibly positive self-image. A devout Christian, Carly believes that she has been made in the image of God, and that He gives her life intrinsic value. She doesn’t strive for the approval of other people or depend on compliments from her superiors or peers to feel good about herself. Bright, friendly, articulate, and extremely competent at her work, Carly goes through life with a smile. While others shake their heads in amazement at her attitude, Carly is living her best life now!

 

A Healthy Self-Image

 

 The second step to living your best life now is developing a healthy self-image. That means you must base your self-image on what God’s Word says about you, rather than on fdse, fickle standards such as  
 what neighborhood you live in, the style of car you drive, or the opin¬ions of power-lunch groups. How you see yourself and how you feel about yourself will have a tremendous impact on how far you go in life and whether or not you fulfill your destiny The truth is, you will never rise above the image you have of yourself in your own mind.

 

You will never rise above the image
you have of yourself in your own mind.

 

 What is your self-image? With the new interest in self-awareness these days, it is easy to become confused over terminology Is my self-image the same thing as my self-esteem and self-concept그 How do I measure my self-worth? Although clinical psychologists enjoy parsing the slight differentiations in actual meanings, most people use the words self¬image, self-esteem, self-concept, and self-worth interchangeably That’s fine for our purposes.
 Self-esteem then, is that deep-down feeling you have about yourself. It’s how you regard yourself, your opinion or judgment of your own value, the extent to which you think you matter in life. It's the feeling that says, “I like myself,” or “I dislike myself.” Similarly, your self-image is much like a self-portrait; it is who and what you picture yourself to be. Interestingly, your self-image may or may not be an ac¬curate reflection of who you really are, but it is how you perceive yourself to be. Who do you think you are?
 Unquestionably, a healthy self-image is one of the key factors in the success and. happiness of any individual. The reason your self-concept is so important is: You will probably speak, act, and react as the person you think you are. Psychologists have proved that you will most consistently perform in a manner that is in harmony with the image you have of yourself. Oh, sure, even with a negative self-concept, you may occasionally break out of the pattern and land a big deal, win over a new friend, or belt a softball out of the park at the company pic¬nic. Conversely, even those individuals with healthy self-images blow it from time to time. But usually, your mind will complete the picture you tell it to paint of yourself.
 If you see yourself as unqualified, insignificant, unattractive, in¬ferior, or inadequate, you will probably act in accordance with your thoughts. 

 If  your self-worth is low, you will imagine yourself as a born loser, a washout, unworthy of being loved and accepted.
“I can never do anything right.”
“Why me?”
“I’ll never amount to anything.

 

 These are just a few of the phrases that dominate the conversations of a person with poor self-esteem. On the other hand, individuals who view themselves as God sees them are usually happy about who they are. They know that they have been created in God’s image and He has crowned them with tremendous honor.They feel good about themselves, because they know that God loves them and He feels good about them! They can honestly say, Thank You, Father, for creating me the way You did. I know that You have a purpose and a plan for me, and I’d rather be me than any other person on earth. You have promised that You have good things in store for me, and I can’t wait to discover them!”

 

 Your self-image is not a physical part of your body It is more a subconscious “governor” that controls your actions and performance. It functions similar to the cruise control on an automobile. Once the cruise mechanism is set at 70 miles per hour, the car may speed up or slow down as it encounters different terrains, but the cruise control will always bring the vehicle back to the set speed. Similarly; when you exceed your expectations or go a little too far, your self-image pulls you back in line. If you fall below the setting, your self-image will pull you back up.

 

 Where did you get your self-esteem? Ironically, your current selfimage may be the result of what other people have said about you, how your parents or peers regarded you, or it may stem from your own self¬imposed images——portraits that you have painted of yourself in your own mind regarding your personality your appearance, your abilities, or your accomplishments. Every person has an image of himself or herself. The question is, does your image of who you are line up correctly with who God says you are?
 God wants us to have healthy, positive self-images, to see ourselves as priceless treasures. He wants us to feel good about ourselves. God knows we’re not perfect, that we all have faults and weaknesses; that we all make mistakes. 

 But the good news is, God loves us anyway. He created us in His image, and He is continually shaping us, conforming us to His character, helping us to become even more like the person He is. Consequently, we must learn to love ourselves, faults and all, not be¬cause we are egotists or because we want to excuse our shortcomings, but because that’s how our heavenly Father loves us. You can hold your head up high and walk with confidence knowing that God loves you unconditionally His love for you is based on what you are, not on what you do. He created you as a unique individual—there has never been, nor will there ever be, another person exactly like you, even if you are a twin—and He sees you as His special masterpiece!

 

 Moreover, God sees you as a champion. He believes in you even more than you believe in yourself! So often, we sense God telling us that He has something big for us to do. But because of a poor selfimage, we say, “God, I can’t do that. I5m just a nobody You've got to find somebody more qualified, somebody more educated. God, I don’t have what it takes.”

 

 That’s how a fellow named Gideon responded in Bible times. An angel appeared to Gideon and said, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.", (The Amplified Bible says, “You mighty man of fearless courage.”)
Believe it or not, that is how God sees you, too. He regards you as a strong, courageous, successful, overcoming person.
“Oh, Joel, He wouldn’t say that about me,” you may be saying. “I'm not any of those things. I’m not strong. I’m not successful. Courageous? Are you kidding? Me? God probably said those great things to Gideon because he was secure and confident, because he was a great leader."

 

 Not so. When the angel went on to tell Gideon how God wanted him to save the people of Israel from the Midianites, a vicious, pagan people who had overrun their land, Gideon showed his true colors. He replied, “How do you expect me to save the people of Israel? I come from the poorest family in all of Manasseh. And I am the least one in my father’s house.”
Sound familiar?
But it’s interesting to note the difference between the way Gideon saw himself and the way God regarded him. Although Gideon felt unqualified, full of fear, and lacking in confidence, God still addressed him as a mighty man of fearless courage. Gideon felt weak; God saw him as strong. 

 Gideon felt unqualified; God saw him as competent to do the job. Gideon felt insecure; God saw him with enough confidence and boldness to lead His people into battle and come out with the victory And Gideon did!

 

 Similarly God sees you as a champion. You may not see yourself that way, but that doesn't change God’s image of you one bit. God still sees you exactly as His Word describes you. You may feel unqualified, insecure, or overwhelmed by life; you may feel weak, fearful, and insignificant, but God sees you as a victor!

Change Your Self-Image

 

 Consider this: You can change the image you have of yourself. How? Start by agreeing with God. Remember, God sees you as strong and courageous, as a man or woman of great honor and valor. He sees you as being more than a conqueror. Start seeing yourself as God sees you. Quit making excuses and start stepping out in faith, doing what God has called you to do.

 

 Are you allowing your weaknesses and insecurities to keep you from being your best? Are you making excuses as to why you can’t take a new leadership position at work, get involved in some program in your church, serve in your community or help a friend in need? Notice, God didn’t disqualify Gideon, but He didn't excuse him from service either. You may be letting your feelings of inadequacy keep you from believ¬ing God for bigger things. God wants to use you in spite of your weaknesses. Don5t focus on your weaknesses; focus on your God. If God chose to use perfect people only, He’d have no one to use.

 

Don’t focus on your weaknesses; focus on your God.

 

 God loves to use ordinary people just like you and me, faults and all, to do extraordinary things. You may not feel capable in your own strength, but that’s okay The apostle Paul said, “When we are weak, He is strong.” God’s Word states that He always causes us to triumph. He expects us to live victoriously He is not pleased when we mope around with a “poor me” attitude and a “weak worm of the dust” mentality When you do that, you’re allowing your self-image to be shaped by nonbiblical concepts that are contrary to God’s opinion of you.

 Yet many people do just that. Consequently they suffer from low self- esteem; they feel insignificant and unworthy to receive God’s attention, much less His blessings. This sort of poor self-image keeps them from exercising their God-given gifts and authority, and it robs them from ex¬periencing the abundant lives their heavenly Father wants them to have. Most often, the lack of joy and meaning in their lives is a direct result of how those individuals see themselves.

 

 Beware of associating with or adopting the attitudes of people who, through their negative outlook and lack of self-esteem, will rob you of the greatness that God has for you. A classic illustration of this is recorded in the Old Testament, after God supernaturally helped Moses deliver more than two million Hebrew people out of slavery in Egypt. They traveled all the way across the wilderness and made it to the border of Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey They camped right next door to the Promised Land, God's “Dreamland” for them. God had promised His people a rich possession and a fantastic future. There was only one problem: Their Dreamland was already inhabited.

 

 Knowing they might be in for a tough fight, Moses sent twelve spies into Canaan to check out the opposition and get a feel for the land be¬fore launching the battle. After six weeks, the scouts came back with their report.
“It’s just like we heard!” they excitedly shared with the welcoming party.
And all the people said, “Amen!”
 “It is a land flowing with milk and honey,” the spies continued. “Look at these grapes. Look at these pomegranates! Why, they’re the biggest and best-tasting we’ve ever seen. And here—taste some of this honey Is that not amazing?”
And the people said, “Amen!”
Then came the bad news. “But there are giants in the land, and compared to them, we look like a bunch of grasshoppers.
And all the people said, “Oh, me, oh, my!”
 Ten of  the twelve spies said, “It is indeed a land flowing with milk and honey, but we don’t have a chance. We’ll never defeat those people. They’re too big and they’re too strong.” 

 Moreover, they went on to say, “Moses, we were in our own sights as grasshoppers.’ Notice that phrase, “in our own sights.” In other words, compared to the op¬position and the obstacles in front of them, the mental image they had of themselves was as small, weak, defeated grasshoppers, ready to be squashed, helpless before the giants opposing them.
 Those ten spies came back with a negative report because they were focused on their circumstances. They lost the battle before it even started. But the other two spies, Joshua and Caleb, had a totally dif¬ferent report. They possessed the same data as their ten colleagues, but it was almost as though they had gone to a different place.
 “Moses, we are well able to possess the land,” they said. “Yes, there are giants there, and the giants are formidable, but our God is much bigger. Yes, the people are strong, but our God is stronger. Because of Him, we are well able. Let’s go in at once and possess the land.”

 

 What a tremendous truth! You and I are “well able” people. Not be¬cause we are so powerful, but because our God is so powerful! When we face adversity and hardships in life, we can rise up with boldness and confidence, knowing that because of God, we are well able to overcome them.
Joshua and Caleb were not naive. They faced the same facts as their fellow spies. They admitted the existence of the giants, the opposition, and the obstacles, but the difference was in their attitudes. They believed God. Their self-images were such that they refused to see themselves as grasshoppers ready to be stomped on. Instead, they saw themselves as God’s men, led by God and empowered by God. Joshua and Caleb had the same data as the doubters, but they drew different conclusions.
Friend, God already has enough “grasshoppers.’ He wants you to be a “can do” person, someone who is willing, ready, and “well able” to do what He commands.

Sadly, of all the people who came out of Egypt, only two men, Joshua and Caleb, ever entered the land God intended for them. The others (except for Moses and Aaron) were a reproach to God; they dishonored Him and, as a result, spent the rest of their lives wandering around in circles throughout the wilderness, until they finally died. Their lack of faith and their lack of self-esteem robbed them of the fruitful future God had in store for them.

 Remember, God had already guaranteed the Hebrews the victory, but because of their poor self-images, they never made it into the Promised Land. They never fulfilled their destiny, all because of the way they saw themselves.
 How do you see yourself? Do you see yourself as successful? Healthy? Upbeat? Happy? Do you see yourself as being used by God? Do you see yourself as “well able” to do what God wants you to do, strong in the Lord and the power of His might? Or, have you allowed yourself to adopt a  “grasshopper mentality,”?
 The grasshopper mentality says, “I’ll never make it in life. My dreams will never come to pass. My marriage is too far gone; I’m too far in debt. Fll never get out of the hole I’m in.”
 You must learn how to cast down those negative thoughts and begin to see yourself as God sees you—as a winner, an overcomer. He sees you as being “well able.” If you want the circumstances to change for the better in your life, you must first see them changing through your “eyes of faith.” You must see yourself as happy, fulfilled, and successful, living an overcoming life.

 

See yourself as God sees you—-as a winner, an overcomer.

 

 Understand, you are not a cosmic accident, wandering randomly and aimlessly through life. God has a specific purpose for your life. He didn’t intend for you to go through life miserable, depressed, lonely, sick, and defeated. You may be so beaten down by the struggles in your life that you’ve grown accustomed to being discouraged. Perhaps you’ve been deceived into accepting a life that is far less than God’s best. Maybe at one time you had a good image of yourself, but now you see yourself as simply a survivor. The image God wants you to have of yourself has been distorted; the mirrors in which you have seen yourself—reflected in the words, actions, or opinions of your parents, your peers, or people who have hurt you—have become grossly cracked, delivering a contorted and distorted image of yourself. When you accept that warped image, you open yourself to depression, poverty, or worse. If you are not careful, before long you will begin thinking that the image you see in those cracked mirrors is a true re¬flection of the way life is supposed to be. 

 You won’t expect anything better. You won’t expect God's blessings and victories. You will drift through life haphazardly accepting whatever comes along, spinning your wheels until you die.
 But friend, that is not God’s intent for you! God is a good God, and He gives good things to His children. No matter who has denigrated you or how much pain you’ve experienced in life, no matter how many setbacks you have suffered, you cannot allow yourself to accept that as the way life is supposed to be. No, God has better things in store for you. You must reprogram your mind with God’s Word; change that negative, defeated self-image, and start seeing yourself as winning, coming out on top. Start seeing that marriage as restored. See your business as flourishing. See your children as enjoying the good things of God. You must see it through your eyes of faith, and then it will begin to happen.
 Learn to guard your mind, control your thought life, and begin to dwell on the good things of God. If you always think little, believe little, and expect little, then you will receive little. And if you’re always thinking about defeat, failure, how weak you are, and about how im¬possible your circumstances look, then just as those ten spies in biblical times, you will develop a “grasshopper mentality”
 One young man told me, “Joel, my grandparents were poor and my great-grandparents lived in poverty before them. And my parents never amounted to much either. I guess this is just my lot in life.”
That’s a grasshopper mentality
 “No, you must break out of that poverty mentality and change that negative self-image,"I encouraged him. “Don’t let your past determine your destiny or influence your self-image. See yourself the way God sees you. Picture yourself experiencing the wonderful things God has in store for you.”
 As I mentioned earlier, my dad was raised in one of the poorest of the poor cotton-picking families, who lost everything they owned when they went through the Great Depression in the late 1920s and early 1930s. But in 1939, at the age of seventeen, my dad gave his heart to God. Years later Daddy told me, “From that moment on, I made a quality decision that my children and my family would never have to experience the poverty and lack that I was raised in.” And he began to see himself differently.

 He quit seeing himself as a poor, defeated farmer’s child with no hope, no education, and no future. Instead, he started seeing himself as a child of the Most High God. He began to search the Scripture to see what God said about him.
 Daddy realized that God had bigger and greater plans for his life. Over the years, he developed a better understanding of who he was as a child of God, and what rightfully belonged to him as a result of that relationship. He began to see himself as God saw him. He discovered that God was a God of increase. With that truth in mind, Daddy rose above the status quo of his day and broke the curse of poverty in our family But it all started when he got a vision of who he was in God's sight. No wonder he held up his Bible every service and said, “This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have.”
 You might be shocked if you really understood how much God wants to bless you. God wants you to accomplish great things in life. He wants you to leave your mark on this world. He’s put incredible po¬tential, gifts, and talents within you, ready for use as you start seeing yourself as God sees you, stepping out in faith and acting on the dreams and the desires that He's placed in your heart.
 It’s exciting, isn't it? You5re beginning to see yourself as God sees you. Ydu5re getting rid of that grasshopper mentality Yes, you may have some big obstacles in your path, but your God is much, much bigger. You are a “can do” person. You are developing a “well able to” at¬titude, seeing yourself as the champion God made you to be. Keep going; keep growing. God has much more in store for you.       

 

CHAPTER 8
Understanding Xour Value

 

 My dad went to a high school football game with a dear friend of ours named Jesse. Jesse’s son, Jeff, played on the defensive squad, so he rarely touched the ball during a game. But on one particular play, the punter kicked a short punt and Jeff fielded it. He ran over, caught the ball, took a half step to his right and a half step back to his left, his eyes darting in every direction, searching for some daylight. But there was no running room to be found. Just then, about ten guys from the opposing team clobbered him. I mean, he didn’t advance the ball one inch.
 For a long, awkward moment, Daddy sat silently staring out at the field as the referee untangled the pile of players climbing off Jeff. Daddy was feeling badly for Jesse, and he was trying to think of some¬thing good to say but the play had been a disaster. Even Daddy couldn’t come up with anything positive. About that time Jesse punched Daddy in the ribs. He had a big smile on his face as he nodded toward the field where Jeff was just getting to his feet. Jesse said, “Pastor, did you see those two good moves?’, Only a loving father could see his son’s two good moves, rather than the fact that his son just got tackled by every¬body but the cheerleaders!

 

God Sees Our Two Good Moves

 

 But friend, that’s the way our heavenly Father looks at us. He’s not dwelling on the times we get knocked down. He’s not dwelling on our faults. No, God sees our two good moves. God focuses on the things you’re doing right; He sees the best in you. 
 You may not always control your temper as you know you should. Or you may slip and say things you wish you hadn’t said. Seek forgiveness from God and from anyone you may have offended, but don’t go around beating yourself up, living in condemnation. As long as you are pressing forward, you can hold your head up high, knowing that you are a “work in progress,” and God is in the process of changing you. He’s looking at your two good moves.

 

 That’s not to condone wrongdoing, but the truth is, we all have areas in which we need to improve. We can’t become so focused on our faults that we cease to enjoy who God made us to be. You’ve got to be happy with who you are right now and accept yourself, faults and all.
 An important factor in seeing yourself God’s way is to understand your intrinsic sense of value, whether you make the right moves or the wrong moves, loo often we focus on our faults, weaknesses, past mistakes, and failures. Rejection and other painful experiences steal our self-esteem and make us feel unwanted and insecure.
 Your sense of value cannot be based on your achievements, how well you perform, how somebody else treats you, or how popular or successful you are. Your sense of value should be based solely on the fact that you are a child of the Most High God. As His unique cre¬ation, you have something to offer this world that nobody else has, that nobody else can be.
 It’s vital that you accept yourself and learn to be happy with who God made you to be. If you want to truly enjoy your life, you must be at peace with yourself. Many people constantly feel badly about themselves. They are overly critical of themselves, living with all sorts o£ self-imposed guilt and condemnation. No wonder they’re not happy; they have a war going on inside. They're not at peace with themselves. And if you can’t get along with yourself, you will never get along with other people. The place to start is by being happy with who God made you to be.

 

Learn to be happy with who God made you to be.

 

 You may not be perfect一nobody is! Sure, you’ve got some flaws— we all do! But to be truly free, you must have a healthy respect for yourself in spite of those “imperfections.”
Some people are always putting themselves down. “I’m so slow.” 

 “I’ll never break these bad habits.” “I’m unattractive. Look at my nose; what am I ever going to do with my hair?”
 Don't be so hard on yourself! Certainly, there may be some things in your life that you aren5t happy about; you may have some habits you need to break. But remember, God is not finished with you. He’s in the process of changing you.
 The Scripture says we are God’s workmanship. The word work- manship implies that you are not yet a finished product; you are a “work in process.” Throughout our lives, God is continually shaping and mold¬ing us into the people He wants us to be. The key to future success is to not be discouraged about your past or present while you are in the process of being “completed”.The Bible indicates that we go from glory to glory as we are being transformed into God’s image. Whether you re¬alize it or not, right now God is moving you onward toward greater things. The path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter.
 

When you are tempted to get discouraged, remind yourself that according to God’s Word, your future is getting brighter; you are on your way to a new level of glory You may think you've got a long way to go, but you need to look back at how far you've already come. You may not be everything you want to be, but at least you can thank God that you’re not what you used to be.
 Our value is intrinsic. It is not something you or I have earned; indeed, we cannot earn it. God built value into us when He created us. To God, we are His ultimate creations. That means you can stop obsessing about all your faults and give yourself a break. Every person has weaknesses. Even the great men and women of the Bible made mistakes. They all had shortcomings, but that didn’t stop God from loving them, blessing them, and using them to accomplish great deeds. Besides, we need to learn how to keep our flaws in perspective. You may think there is a lot wrong with you, but there is also a lot right with you.
 The great news is that God knows everything about you, both good and bad, and He still loves you and values you unconditionally God does not always approve of our behavior. He is not pleased when we go against His will, and when we do, we always suffer the consequences and have to work with Him to correct our thoughts, words, actions, or attitudes. And while you should work to improve 
in the areas where you fall short, nothing you do will ever cause God to love you less . . . or more. His love is a constant you can de¬pend on.
 Understand, your value in God's eyes never changes. Some people want us to think that the moment we do something wrong or get off course, God gets His big marker out, crosses our name off His list, and says, “I knew they couldn’t do it. I knew they didn’t have what it takes.” No, God is a forgiving God. He is a God of second chances. No matter how many times you fail Him or how many mistakes you make, your value in God's eyes remains exactly the same.
 

Imagine that I am handing you a new, crisp one-hundred-dollar bill. Would you want it? Probably so! Suppose I crumpled it up so it wasn't quite as good-looking as it was the day it came from the mint. Would you still want it? Sure! But wait, what if I took it out in the parking lot, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it until the picture on the bill was barely perceptible? It’s now dirty stained, and soiled. Would you still want it?
 Of course. Why? Because it is still valuable despite the rough treat¬ment it has experienced. A hundred dollars is a hundred dollars (forgetting about exchange rates, inflation, and other factors, for the moment). It doesn’t lose its value simply because it has aged, is not as pretty as it once was, or has taken some bumps and bruises in life.
 That’s the way God sees each one of us. We all go through chal¬lenges and struggles. Sometimes we feel like that hundred-dollar bill, all crumpled and soiled. But just as that hundred-dollar bill still has value, we do, too! In fact, we will never, ever lose our value. Our value has been placed in us by the Creator of the universe, and nobody can take it away from us.
 Don’t let other people, systems, or circumstances influence your estimation of your value. You may have gone through some traumatic, painful experiences in which somebody mistreated you, used you, or rejected you. Maybe your husband or wife walked out on you and you went through a bitter divorce. Maybe a good friend turned on you for no reason, and you now feel alone and worthless. Or, maybe you felt rejected as a child, and you are living with feelings of guilt and shame. Perhaps you’ve even convinced yourself that the negative things that 
Understanding "Your Value
happened in your past are all your fault, that you deserve nothing but heartache, pain, guilt, and condemnation.
Friend, nothing could be farther from the truth.

 

God Knows Your Value

 

 I recall talking to Steve, a young man who had suffered severe rejection as a child. Steve’s parents continually beat him down verbal, telling him that he was never going to make it in life, that he’d never amount to any¬thing. Day after day, those destructive words pounded into his thoughts and his subconscious mind, destroying his self-image and his sense of value. Steve told me later how he discovered the root cause of the problem was the fact that his parents had hoped for a baby girl. They had been sorely disappointed when he was born. Seventeen years later, he was still living with tremendous guilt and shame. And for what? Being born! Sadly, Steve was convinced that he was to blame for all the heartache in his family that he was the reason his parents were so unhappy, that he’d done something wrong, that his life was one horrible mistake.
 I told him, "Steve, you cannot allow your self-esteem and your sense of value to be determined by how other people treat you. The Bible tells us that God accepts us even if everybody else in this world rejects us.”
 I could see a glimmer of hope reflected in Steve’s eyes, so I continued to encourage him. “I love what the psalmist said in Psalm 27:10: 'Although my mother and my father have rejected me, the Lord will take me in and adopt me as His very own child.’ God will never reject you, Steve. He always accepts you. Don’t allow the rejection of other people to cause you to reject yourself.” It took a while for Steve to ac¬cept the truth of what I was telling him, but today he is well on his way to living a happy, productive life.

 

 Maybe you live or work with somebody who is emotionally abusive, always putting you down and criticizing you, telling you what a terrible person you are. Let that misinformation go in one ear and out the other. Constantly remind yourself that you are made in the image of Almighty God. Remind yourself that He has crowned you with glory and honor, that you are God’s own masterpiece. Don’t let other peo¬ple play games with your mind, deceiving you into thinking that your value has diminished. 

 

 You may feel that your great aspirations have been dashed by the choices you have made or the choices imposed on you by others. You may feel that you are trapped in a rut, but there's hope! God wants to restore your sense of value. David wrote, “God has lifted me out of the horrible pit and He set my feet upon a rock and He put a new song in my mouth.”, God wants to put a new song in your heart; He wants to fill you with hope. He wants you to know that He loves you more than you can imagine and He can turn your dashed dreams into something beautiful.

 

 I recently read a retelling of the timeless story The Tale of Three Trees. This fictitious children’s book relates the lofty aspirations of an olive tree, an oak tree, and a pine tree. Each of these trees had a great dream to become something special in life. The olive tree dreamed of becoming a finely crafted treasure chest. It wanted to hold gold, silver, and precious jewels. One day a woodsman chose the one olive tree, out of all the trees in the forest, and cut it down. The olive tree was so thrilled. But as the craftsmen began working on him, the tree realized they weren't making him into a beautiful treasure chest; they were making him into a manger to hold food for dirty, smelly animals. Heartbroken, his dreams were shattered. He felt worthless and demeaned.

 

 Similarly the oak tree dreamed of becoming part of a huge ship that would carry important kings across the ocean. When the woods¬man cut down the oak, he was so excited. But as time went on, he re¬alized the craftsmen weren’t making him into a huge ship. They were making him into a tiny fishing boat. He was so discouraged, so dis¬appointed.

 

 The pine tree lived on top of a high mountain. Its only dream was to always stand tall and remind people of God’s great creation. But in a split second, a bolt of lightning sent it tumbling to the ground, destroying its dreams. The woodsman came and picked it up and carried it off to the scrap pile.

 

 All three of these trees felt they had lost their value and their worth; they were so discouraged, so disappointed. Not one of their dreams had come to pass. But God had other plans for these trees. Many years later, Mary and Joseph couldn’t find any place to give birth to their little baby boy They finally found a stable, and when Jesus was born they placed Him in a manger made from—you guessed it一the olive tree. The olive tree had wanted to hold precious jewels, but God had better plans, and it now held the greatest treasure of all time, the Son of God.

 

  A few years went by and Jesus grew up. One day He needed a boat to cross to the other side of the lake. He didn’t choose a large, fancy ship; He chose a small, simple fishing boat made from—you guessed it—the oak tree. The oak tree wanted to carry important kings across the ocean, but God had better plans. The oak now carried the King of kings.
 

 A few more years went by, and one day some Roman soldiers were rummaging around in the pile of scrap wood where the discarded pine tree lay That pine tree just knew they were coming to cut him up for firewood. But much to its surprise, they cut only two small pieces out of it and formed them into a cross. And it was on this pine tree that Jesus was crucified. That tree is still pointing people to God’s love and God’s compassion to this day

 

 The point of the classic story is clear: All three trees thought they had lost their value, that their stories were over, yet they became inte¬gral parts of the greatest story ever told.

 

 God knows your value; He sees your potential. You may not understand everything you are going through right now. But hold your head up high, knowing that God is in control and He has a great plan and purpose for your life. Your dreams may not have turned out exactly as you’d hoped, but the Bible says that God’s ways are better and higher than our ways. Even when everybody else rejects you, remember, God stands before you with His arms open wide. He always accepts you. He always confirms your value. God sees your two good moves! You are His prized possession. No matter what you go through in life, no matter how many disappointments you suffer, your value in God’s eyes always remains the same. You will always be the apple of His eye. He will never give up on you, so don5t give up on yourself.

CHAPTER 9
Become What You Believe

 

 Our thoughts and expectations wield tremendous power and influence in our lives. We don’t always get what we deserve in life, but we usually get no more than we expect; we receive what we believe. Unfortunately, this principle works as strongly in the negative as it does in the positive.

 

We receive what we believe.

 

 Nick was a big, strong, tough man who worked in the railroad yards for many years. He was one of his company’s best employees— always there on time, a reliable, hard worker who got along well with the other employees. But Nick had one major problem. His attitude was chronically negative. He was known around the railroad yards as the most pessimistic man on the job. He perpetually feared the worst and constantly worried, fretting that something bad might happen.
 One summer day, the crews were told that they could go home an hour early in order to celebrate the birthday of one of the foremen. All the workers left, but somehow Nick accidentally locked himself in a refrigerated boxcar that had been brought into the yard for maintenance. The boxcar was empty and not connected to any of the trains.
When Nick realized that he was locked inside the refrigerated box¬car, he panicked. Nick began beating on the doors so hard that his arms and fists became bloody He screamed and screamed, but his coworkers had already gone home to get ready for the party.


 Nobody  could hear Nick’s desperate calls for help. Again and again he called out, until finally his voice was a raspy whisper.

 

 Aware that he was in a refrigerated boxcar, Nick guessed that the temperature in the unit was well below freezing, maybe as low as five or ten degrees Fahrenheit. Nick feared the worst. He thought, What am I going to do? If I don’t get out of here, I’m going to freeze to death. Theres no way 1 can stay in here all night. The more he thought about his circumstances, the colder he became. With the door shut tightly, and no apparent way of escape, he sat down to await his in¬evitable death by freezing or suffocation, whichever came first.

 

 To pass the time, he decided to chronicle his demise. He found a pen in his shirt pocket and noticed an old piece of cardboard in the corner o£ the car. Shivering almost uncontrollably, he scribbled a message to his family In it Nick noted his dire prospects: “Getting so cold. Body numb. I£ I don’t get out soon, these will probably be my last words,”

 

And they were.

 

The next morning, when the crews came to work, they opened the boxcar and found Nick’s body crumpled over in the corner. When the autopsy was completed, it revealed that Nick had indeed frozen to death.

 

 Now, here’s a fascinating enigma: The investigators discovered that the refrigeration unit for the car in which Nick had been trapped was not even on! In fact, it had been out of order for some time and was not functioning at the time of the man’s death. The temperature in the car that night—the night Nick froze to death——was sixty-one degrees. Nick froze to death in slightly less than normal room temperatures be¬cause he believed that he was in a freezing boxcar. He expected to die! He was convinced that he didn’t have a chance. He expected the worst. He saw himself as doomed with no way out. He lost the battle in his own mind.

 

 For Nick, the thing he feared and expected to happen came to pass. The old adage “Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy, held true for him. It will usually be true in your life as well. Many people today are similar to Nick. They're always expecting the worst. They expect defeat. They expect failure. They expect mediocrity And they usually get what they expect; they become what they believe.

Believe for Good Things

 

 But you can believe for good things. Drawing on the improvements you are making in your self-image, it is possible to believe for more, to see yourself performing at increasingly higher levels in every area of life. When you encounter tough times, don5t expect to stay there. Expect to come out of that trouble. Expect God to supernaturally turn it around. When business gets a bit slow, don’t expect to go bankrupt; don’t make plans for failure. Pray and expect God to bring you customers.
 If  you go through difficulties in your marriage, don’t simply give up in frustration and say. “I should have known that this marriage was doomed from the start"
 No, if you do that, you’re responding as Nick did. Your low expectations will destroy your marriage; your own wrong thinking will bring you down. You’ve got to change your thinking. Change what you expect. Quit expecting to fail. Start believing that you are going to succeed.
 Even if the bottom falls out of your life, your attitude should be: “God, I know that You are going to turn this around and use it for my good. God, I believe that Ydu’re going to bring me out stronger than ever before.”,
 As we have already established, here is where self-image really comes into play It is crucial that we see ourselves as God sees us, since we will never rise above the image we have of ourselves. I£ we see ourselves as barely making it, always having problems, never happy, we will subconsciously move toward that sort of life. To move forward in life, we must change our focus. We must believe.
 Understand this: God will help you, but you cast the deciding vote. If you choose to stay focused on negative elements in your life, if you focus on what you can’t do and what you don5t have, then by your own choice you are agreeing to be defeated. You are conspiring with the enemy by opening the door and allowing destructive thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes to dominate your life.
 On the other hand, if you'll get into agreement with God, if you’ll focus on your possibilities, your faith can cause God to show up and work supernaturally in your life. Your faith will help you overcome your obstacles and allow you to reach new levels of victory But it’s up to you. It depends on your outlook. Are you focused on your problems, or are you focused on your God?

 In the New Testament, there's a fascinating account of two blind men who heard that Jesus was passing by, and faith began to rise in their hearts. They must have thought, We don’t have to stay like this. God can turn this situation around. There's hope for a better future. So they began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us and heal us.”
 

When Jesus heard their cries, He stopped in His tracks. He walked over to them and posed a most intriguing question. “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

 

 He asked. Jesus knew what they wanted; He wanted to know what they believed, whether they had genuine faith. The blind men answered back with great confidence. They said, “Yes, Lord; we believe. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that You can heal us. We know You are able. We have trust and confidence in You.”

 

 The Bible says, “When Jesus heard their faith, He touched their eyes and said unto them, 'According to your faith be it done unto you.’ And their eyes were immediately opened.” Those men believed God could do something spectacular in their lives . . . and they received their sight!

 

 Notice, it was their faith that turned the situation around. It was their believing that brought them the healing. Nobody can have faith for you. Certainly, other people can pray for you, they can believe for you, they can quote the Scripture to you, but you must exercise faith for yourself. If you are always depending on somebody else to keep you happy, somebody else to encourage you or to get you out of trouble, you will live in perpetual weakness and disappointment. You must make a decision that you are going to be a believer. Take charge of your life and decide, “No matter what comes against me, I believe in God. I’m going to have a positive outlook for my life.55 Other people's faith can indeed bolster yours. But your own faith will bring you a miracle much faster than anybody else’s. What you believe has a much greater impact on your life than what anybody else believes.

 

What you believe has a much greater impact on your life
than what anybody else believes.

 The modern-day biblical paraphrase The Message relates the story about the blind men with an interesting twist: “[Jesus] touched their eyes and said, 'Become what you believe. ’’
 What a powerful statement! Become what you believe! What are you believing? Are you believing to go higher in life, to rise above your obstacles, to live in health, abundance, healing, and victory? You will become what you believe. The truth is, I am what I am today because of what I believed about myself yesterday And I will be tomorrow what I believe about myself right now.
 Be careful what you believe. I£ you go around with a poor-old-me mentality, thinking that you don’t deserve God’s blessings, focused on your faults, always feeling badly about yourself, you will live a dismal life at best. But if you change your believing and start seeing yourself as God sees you—as more than a conqueror, well able to succeed, strong in the Lord, the head not the tail, the victor not the victim—you will rise to a new level of fulfillment. It's up to you. According to your faith, let it be done to you.

 

Dare to Believe for Greater Things

 

 Will you dare to start believing God for greater things? God doesn’t want you to drag through life, barely making it. He doesn’t want you to have to scrimp and scrape, trying to come up with enough money to pay for food, shelter, transportation, to pay your bills, or to worry about how you are going to send your children to college. He doesn't want you to be unhappy in your marriage. It is not His preference for you to live in perpetual pain.
 God wants you to have a good life, a life filled with love, joy peace, and fulfillment. That doesn’t mean it will always be easy; but it does mean that it will always be good. God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him. You can dare to start believing Him for a better marriage. Start believing Him for better health. Believe for joy and peace and happiness. Start believing for increase and abundance. Become a true believer, knowing that you will become what you believe.
 God said to Abraham, “I’m going to bless you so that you can be a  blessing.”God is saying that same thing to you. He wants to bless you with abundance, so you can turn around and be a blessing to other people.

 

 Maybe you have endured terrible disappointments. Unspeakable negative things may have happened to you, to the point that you have ceased believing for anything good to occur in your life. You’ve lost your dreams. You are drifting through life, taking whatever comes your way You may be tempted to tell yourself, “I’ve been living this way too long. I'm never going to get any better. I’ve prayed, I’ve believed, I’ve done everything I know how to do. Nothing’s changed. Nothing’s worked. I might as well give up.”
 I’ve had people tell me, “Joel, I don’t want to get my hopes up. I’ve been through so many hurts in the past. If  I don’t get my hopes up and nothing good happens to me, at least I won’t be disappointed.
 Friend, that attitude is contrary to God’s desires for you. No matter how many setbacks you’ve suffered, God still has a great plan for your life. You must get your hopes up. If you don’t have hope, you won’t have faith. And if you don’t have faith, you can’t please God, and you won’t see His power revealed in your life. Keep hope alive in your heart. Don’t ever give up on your dreams. Don’t allow discour¬agement or other setbacks to keep you from believing what God says about you.

 

DOUBLE FOR YOUR TROUBLE

 

 If you will keep the right attitude, God will take all your disap¬pointments, broken dreams, the hurts and pains, and He’ll add up all the trouble and sorrow that’s been inflicted on you, and He will pay you back with twice as much peace, joy, happiness, and success. The Bible says, “God will give us a twofold recompense for our former shame.”6 If you’ll just believe, if you’ll put your trust and confidence in God, He will give you double for your trouble.

 

 God wants the latter part of your life to be better than the first part of your life. You are never too far gone with God. Some people say, “Yes, but you can't unscramble eggs,” and that is true. But God can take scrambled eggs and make an amazing omelet Nothing is too hard for our God.
 The Bible says about God: “Be confident of this: He that began a good work in you will continue to perform it until it’s perfectly complete.”

 This means that God wants to finish the course with you. God will not get tired and quit halfway through the process; nor will He re¬nege on His promises. He will continue until you get to where He is taking you. God doesn't want you to be “a little" happy. He doesn’t want you to be slightly blessed. He doesn’t want you to be partially healed. God wants your life to be characterized by joy and He wants your joy to be full. He wants you to live in abundance. He wants to give you the desires of your heart. He wants you to be complete and content.
 

When times get tough or things don't go your way, keep your confidence up. When discouragements come or when people tell you that your dreams are never going to come to pass, you're never going to be happy, and you can never change, boldly remind yourself who is at work in your life. God is turning things around in your favor. God is opening doors of  opportunity for you. He is restoring relationships; He is softening people’s hearts toward you. God is completing what He started. You may not see anything happening with your natural eyes, but you must believe that in the unseen world, God is at work on your behalf.
 Remember, no weapon formed against you is going to prosper. That doesn’t mean that there will not be opposition in your life; there will be weapons formed against you, and they may be formidable and frightening. But they cannot ultimately hurt you. Your future is intact with God. You will not go under, you will go through. The Scripture says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.’’
 The Bible says when you’ve done all you know how to do, just keep on standing strong.9 You’ve got to show your enemy you are more determined than he is. Keep praying, keep believing, keep singing songs of praise. Keep fighting the good fight of faith. If you do that, God promises to bring you out with the victory
 I like the way The Message translates Philippians 1:6: “There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started the great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing fin¬ish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." The best is yet to come. YDU can get up each morning expecting things to turn in your favor. Start expecting the goodness of God. Start expecting His blessings. If you believe, Jesus said, “all things are possible.” Let me challenge you to be a believer. Let faith rise in your heart. Get into agreement with God, and He’ll do more than you can ask or think.

 You’ve got to believe good things are on their way You must believe that God is at work in your life, that He is restoring you to your rightful place. In other words, you’ve got to see those things coming to pass. You’ve got to see your marriage being restored. You have to see that wayward child coming home. You need to see that business turning around. It has to be conceived in your heart. Look at life through your eyes of faith into that invisible world and see your dreams coming to pass.

 

 Remember, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”10 Notice, faith has to do with the unseen world. You may not be able to perceive anything positive happening in your life with your natural eyes today In fact, everything may be falling apart—your finances, your health, your business, your children. You may have all kinds of problems, and in the natural order, it doesn’t look as though anything is turning around. But don’t be discouraged. Look into that invisible world, into the supernatural world, and through your eyes of faith, see that situation turning around. See your joy and peace being restored.

 

 The world tells you, “You need to see it to believe it.” But God says just the opposite. Only as you believe it will you ever seek. You’ve got to look out through your eyes of faith and see it. Once you see it by faith, it can come into existence in the physical world.

 

 What do you believe about yourself ?  Do you see things getting bet¬ter in your life? Or are you just drifting along, accepting whatever comes your way? “I knew I wasn’t going to get that promotion. Noth¬ing good ever happens to me. This is just my lot in life. I knew I’d never get married. I knew I'd never be blessed.”

 

 Friend, God wants to do a new thing in your life. Don5t limit Him with your small thinking. Have a big vision for your life. Dream bigger dreams. Live with faith and expectancy Y ouwill become what you believe.

 

 I love the Old Testament account of when God told Abraham that he and his wife, Sarah, were going to have a child—even though they were close to one hundred years old. When Sarah heard the news, she laughed. She probably said, “Abraham, you've got to be kidding. I’m not going to have a baby I’m too old. That’s never going to happen to me. And besides, look at you. You’re no spring chicken either!

 Sarah didn’t have the correct vision. The condition of her heart wasn’t right. She couldn’t see herself having that child; she couldn’t conceive it in her heart.

 

 And you probably recall the story: Year after year went by, and Abraham and Sarah had no children. After a while, they decided to “help” God fulfill His promise. Sarah told Abraham to sleep with her maid, Hagar. The two of them conceived and gave birth to a child named Ishmael. But that wasn’t God’s best. God wanted to give Sarah a baby, one that she gave birth to herself.

 

 Still more years went by, and no child. Finally, Sarah became preg¬nant. What changed? God’s promise was the same all along. I’m con¬vinced that the key to the promise coming to pass was that Sarah had to conceive it in her heart before she was able to conceive it in her phys¬ical body She had to believe she could become pregnant before she ac¬tually became with child.

 

 Nearly twenty years after God spoke the promise, little Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah. And I believe the main reason he wasn’t born sooner, one of the major delays in the fulfillment of the promise for year after year, was simply the fact that Sarah couldn’t conceive it in her heart. She couldn’t see it through her eyes of faith. I wonder how many great things God is trying to do in your life. We're just like Sarah. We can't conceive it. We’re not in agreement with God, so we're missing out on His blessings. Jesus said, “I want you to live life to the full, till it overflows.” Many times, when we read passages of Scripture such as that, the first thing we think of is why it can’t happen to us. “God, I could never be healthy I’ve got too many things wrong with me. I just received a bad report from the doctor” “God, I could never be prosperous. I just don’t have what it takes. I’ve never been to college.M On and on, we tell God all the reasons why good things can’t happen to us. “I’m too old. I’m too young. I’m the wrong gender. My skin is the wrong color. I'm not educated enough.” All that time, God is trying to plant the new seed of victory inside us. He’s trying to get us to conceive. He knows if we don’t conceive in our hearts through faith, it will never come to pass.

 Too many times, like Sarah, we delay God5s promise. We delay His favor because of our limited thinking. The condition of our hearts is not right. We’re filled with doubt and unbelief. The tragedy is, if we don’t change our believing, we could go through our entire lifetimes missing out on the great things God has in store for us.
 Friend, please stop limiting God with your narrow-minded thinking. Learn how to conceive. Keep the image of what you want to be¬come in front of you. You're going to become what you believe. Maybe God has told you something, and in the natural, it seems totally impossible. When you look at your situation, just as Sarah looked at her physical body, you’re tempted to think, God, I don’t see how You’re going to bring this to pass. I don’t see how You’ll ever get my child off drugs. I don’t see how I’ll ever get healed. I don’t see how You can bless my career.
 

Stop focusing on what you can’t do, and start focusing on what God can do. The Bible says, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.’’ Let that seed take root inside you. You don’t have to figure out how God is going to solve your problems. You don’t have to see how He’s going to bring it to pass. That’s His responsibility; that’s not your job. Your job is to be a believer. Your job is to live with faith and expectancy Just turn that situation over to God and trust Him to take care of it. God is a supernatural God. The Bible says, “God’s ways are not our ways. They are higher and better than our ways." God can do what human beings cannot or will not do. He is not limited to the laws of nature. And if you’ll let that seed take root so it can grow, put your trust and confidence in the Lord, God will surely bring it to pass. If you can see the invisible, God will do the impossible.
 

 Don’t restrict your vision; instead, begin seeing yourself as God’s child. See yourself as receiving good things from your heavenly Father. Friend, if you’ll do your part by believing, having a big vision for your life, living with faith and expectancy, and seeing yourself as God sees you, God will take you places that other people said were impossible to experience this side of heaven. You will become what you believe! 

 

CHAPTER 10
Developing a Prosperous Mind-Set

 

 One of the most important aspects of seeing ourselves God’s way involves developing a prosperous mind-set. As we’ve already established, how we see ourselves will make or break us.
 Understand, God has already equipped you with everything you need to live a prosperous life. He planted “seeds” inside you filled with possibilities, incredible potential, creative ideas, and dreams. But just because those things are within you doesn’t mean they will do you any good. You have to start tapping into them. In other words, you’ve got to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have what it takes. You must keep in mind that you are a child of the Most High God and you were created for great things. God didn’t make you to be average. God created you to excel, and He’s given you ability, insight, talent, wis¬dom, and His supernatural power to do so. You have everything you need right now to fulfill your God-given destiny.

 

God didn’t make you to be average.

 

 The Bible says that “God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing." Notice, that description is in the past tense. God has, already done it. He’s already deposited within us everything we need to suc¬ceed. Now it's up to us to start acting on what we already possess.
 Remember, that is what Abraham had to do. Twenty years before he ever had a child, God spoke to him and said, “Abraham, I have made you the father of many nations."
 Abraham could have said, “Who, me? I'm not a father. I don’t have  
any children.” Instead, Abraham chose to believe what God said about him. 

 His attitude was, “God, it doesn’t seem possible in any natural sense, but I’m not going to doubt Your word. I’m not going to try to figure it out rationally; I’m just going to agree with You. If You say that Sarah and I can have a baby at our age, as outlandish as it may seem, Fm going to believe You.”
 Interestingly, God’s promise came to Abraham in the past tense, and although it carried a present-tense reality as well as a future fulfillment, God regarded it as if it had already happened. “I have made you a father of many nations.” Obviously God planned to give Abraham a son, but as far as He was concerned, it was already a done deal. Nevertheless, Abraham had a responsibility to trust God and to believe. Sure enough, some twenty years later, Abraham and Sarah had a son, whom they named Isaac.
 

Similarly, throughout the Bible, God has said great things about you. But those blessings will not happen automatically You have to do your part, believing that you are blessed, seeing yourself as blessed, acting as though you are blessed. When you do, the promise will be¬come a reality in your life.
 For instance, the Bible says, “We are more than conquerors.” It doesn’t say that we will be more than conquerors when we grow stronger, get older, or achieve some superspiritual level. Scripture says we are more than conquerors right now.
“Well, Joel, that couldn’t be true in my I hear you saying. “I’ve got so many problems, so many things coming against me. Maybe when I get out of this mess, then Fll be more than a conqueror.”

 

 No, God declares you are more than a conqueror right now. If you will start acting like it, talking like it, seeing yourself as more than a conqueror, you will live a prosperous and victorious life. You must understand that the price has already been paid for you to have joy, peace, and happiness. That’s part of the package that God has made available to you.

 

Don’t Miss Out on God’s Best

 

 Years ago, before transatlantic flight was common, a man wanted to travel to the United States from Europe. The man worked hard, saved every extra penny he could, and finally had just enough money to purchase a ticket aboard a cruise ship. The trip at that time required about two or three weeks to cross the ocean. He went out and bought a suit¬case and filled it full of cheese and crackers. That's all he could afford.

 Once on board, all the other passengers went to the large, ornate dining room to eat their gourmet meals. Meanwhile, the poor man would go over in the corner and eat his cheese and crackers. This went on day after day He could smell the delicious food being served in the dining room. He heard the other passengers speak of it in glowing terms as they rubbed their bellies and complained about how full they were, and how they would have to go on a diet after this trip. The poor traveler wanted to join the other guests in the dining room, but he had no extra money. Sometimes he’d lie awake at night, dreaming of the sumptuous meals the other guests described.

 

 Toward the end. o£ the trip, another man came up to him and said, “Sir, I can’t help but notice that you are always over there eating those cheese and crackers at mealtimes. Why don't you come into the banquet hall and eat with us?”

 

 The traveler’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Well, to tell you the truth, I had only enough money to buy the ticket. I don’t have any extra money to purchase fancy meals.”

 

 The other passenger raised his eyebrows in surprise. He shook his head and said, “Sir, don’t you realize the meals are included in the price of the ticket? Your meals have already been paid for!”

 

 When I first heard that story I couldn’t help but think of how many people are similar to that naive traveler. They are missing out on God’s best because they don’t realize that the good things in life have already been paid for. They may be on their way to heaven, but they don’t know what has been included in the price of their ticket.

 

 Every moment that we go around with that weak worm-of-the-dust mentality, we’re eating more cheese and crackers. Every time we shrink back and say, “Well, I can't do it; I don’t have what it takes," we’re eating more cheese and crackers. Every time we go around full of fear, worry, anxiety, or we are uptight about something, we’re over there eating more cheese and crackers. Friend, I don’t know about you, but I5m tired of those cheese and crackers! It’s time to step up to God’s din¬ing table. God has prepared a fabulous banquet for you, complete with every good thing imaginable. 

 

And it has already been paid for. God has everything you need there一joy forgiveness, restoration, peace, healing—whatever you need, it’s waiting for you at God’s banquet table if you’ll pull up your chair and take the place He has prepared for you.
 You may have gone through some great disappointments in life or faced some serious setbacks. Welcome to the real world! But you must remember, you are a child of the Most High God. Just because some¬thing didn’t work out your way or somebody disappointed you, that does not change who you are. If one dream dies, dream another dream. If you get knocked down, get back up and go again. When one door closes, God will always open up a bigger and better door. Hold your head high, and be on the lookout for the new thing that God wants to do in your life. But don’t go off in the corner of life and start eating cheese and crackers.
If one dream dies, dream another dream.

If one dream dies, dream another dream

 

 You may have gotten off to a rough start in life. Perhaps you experienced horrible poverty, despair, abuse, or other negative things during your childhood. You may be tempted to let those negative ex¬periences set the course for the rest of your life. But just because you started life that way doesn’t mean you have to finish that way You need to get a fresh vision of what God can do in your life and develop a prosperous mind-set.
 My dad had to do something similar. As I mentioned earlier, Daddy grew up with a “poverty mentality”  That’s all he had ever known. When he first started pastoring, the church could pay him only $115 a week. Daddy and Mother could hardly survive on that little amount of money, especially once my siblings and I came along. The most dan¬gerous aspect of their life, however, was that Daddy had come to ex-pect poverty For a number of years, he wasn’t even able to accept a blessing when it came.
 During a time of special services at the church, although our fam¬ily barely had enough food to get along, my parents hosted the guest minister in their home that entire week. .The following Sunday, a businessman in the church said, “Pastor, I know you cared for our guest speaker in your home all week. Things are tight, and I realize you can’t afford those extra expenses. I want you to have this money to use personally, just to help you out.” He handed my dad a check for a thousand dollars, tantamount to ten thousand dollars today!

 Daddy was overwhelmed by the man’s generosity, but he was so lim¬ited in his thinking at that time, he held that check by the edge of the corner, as though it might contaminate him if he clutched it any tighter, and he said, “Oh, no, brother, I could never receive this money We must put it in the church offering.”
 Daddy later admitted that deep down inside, he really preferred to keep the money He knew that he and Mother needed that money; but he had a false sense of humility He couldn’t receive the blessing. He thought he was doing God a favor by staying poor.
 

Daddy later said, “With every step I took as I walked to the front of the church to put that check in the offering, something inside was say¬ing, Don’t do it. Receive Gods blessings. Receive God’s goodness.n
But he didn’t listen. He reluctantly dropped the check into the of¬fering. He later said, “When I did, I felt sick to my stomach.”
 God was trying to increase my dad. He was trying to prosper him, but because of Daddy’s deeply imbedded poverty mentality, he couldn’t receive it. What was Daddy doing? He was eating more cheese and crackers. God was trying to get him to step up to the banquet table, but because of Daddy’s limited mind-set, he couldn’t see himself having an extra thousand dollars.
I'm so glad that Daddy later learned that as God’s children, we are able to live an abundant life, that it is okay to prosper; that we should even expect to be blessed. Indeed, it is as important to learn how to re¬ceive a blessing as it is to be willing to give one.

 

 Maybe you have come from a poor environment, or maybe you don’t have a lot of material possessions right now. That’s okay; God has good things ahead for you. But let me caution you; don’t allow that poverty image to become ingrained inside you. Don’t grow accustomed to living with less, doing less, and being less to the point that you eventually sit back and accept it. “We’ve always been poor. This is the way it’s got to be.”
 No, start looking through eyes of faith, seeing yourself rising to new levels. See yourself prospering, and keep that image in your heart and mind. You may be living in poverty at the moment, but don’t ever let poverty live in you.

 

 The Bible says, “God takes pleasure in prospering His children.,” As His children prosper spiritually, physically and materially, their increase brings God pleasure.

 

 What would you think if I introduced our two children to you and they had holes in their clothes, uncombed hair, no shoes, and dirt under their fingernails? You’d probably say, “That man is not a good father. He doesn't take good care of his children.” Indeed, my chil¬dren^ poverty would be a direct reflection on me as their dad.

 

 Similarly, when we go through life with a poverty mentality, it is not glorifying to God. It does not honor His great name. God is not pleased when we drag through life, defeated, depressed, perpetually discouraged by our circumstances. No, God is pleased when we develop a prosperous mind-set.

 

 Too often we become satisfied and complacent, accepting whatever comes our way "I’ve gone as far as I can go. I’ll never get any more promotions. This is just my lot in life.”

 

 That’s not true! Your “lot in life” is to continually increase. Your lot in life is to be an overcomer, to live prosperously in every area. Quit eating the cheese and crackers and step into the banquet hall. God created you for great things.

 

 What a tragedy it would be to go through life as a child of the King in God’s eyes, yet as a lowly pauper in our own eyes. That is precisely what happened to a young man in the Old Testament by the name of Mephibosheth. (I don’t know why they couldn’t have named him Bob!)

 

Don’t Settle for Mediocrity

 

 Mephibosheth was the grandson of King Saul and the son of Jonathan. You may recall that Saul’s son, Jonathan, and David were best friends. They actually entered into a covenant relationship, similar to the ancient covenant of being “blood brothers. That means whatever one had, it belonged to the other. If Jonathan needed food, clothing, or mone he could go over to David’s house and get whatever he needed. Moreover, in the covenant relationship, if something were to happen to one of these two men, the remaining “brother” would be obligated to take care of the other's family
King Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle on the same day, and when word got back to the palace, a servant grabbed Mephibosheth,

 Jonathan’s little son, picked him up, and took off running. Going out of Jerusalem in such haste, the servant tripped and fell while carrying the child. Mephibosheth became crippled as a result of the fall. The servant transported Jonathan’s son all the way to a city called Lodebar, one of the most poverty-stricken, desolate cities in that entire region. That is where Mephibosheth, grandson of the king, lived almost his entire life. Think about that. He was the grandson of the king, yet he was living in those terrible conditions.
 David succeeded Saul as king, and years later, long after Saul and Jonathan were mere memories in the minds of most people, David asked his staff the question, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul that I could show kindness to for Jonathan’s sake?” Remember, that was part of the covenant Jonathan and David had entered: If something happens to me, you will take care of my family. But by now, most of Saul’s family was dead, and thus David's question.
 One of David’s staff members replied, “Yes, David. Jonathan has a son that’s still alive, but he’s crippled. He lives in Lodebar.’’
David said, “Go get him and bring him to the palace.”
 

When Mephibosheth arrived, he was no doubt fearful. After all, his grandfather had chased David throughout the country trying to kill him. Now that Saul's family had been decimated and was no longer a threat to David, Mephibosheth may have felt that David planned to execute him as well.
 But David said to him, “Don’t be afraid. Fm going to show kindness to you because of your father, Jonathan. I'm going to give you back all the land that once belonged to your grandfather Saul. And from this day forward, you will eat at my table as though you are one of my sons." David treated Mephibosheth as royalty After all, he was the grandson of the king. And David was in a covenant relationship with his father.
 Mephibosheth’s life was transformed instantly—that’s the good news—but think of all the years that he lived in that dirty city of Lodebar. All the while, he knew he was royalty; beyond that, it was commonly known that David and Jonathan were in a covenant relationship; based on that alone, Mephibosheth knew he had rights. Why didn’t he just go into the palace and say, “King David, I’m Jonathan's son. Fm living in poverty down in Lodebar, and I know that I’m made for more than that. I5m here to claim what belongs to me through my father’s covenant relationship with you."

 Why did Mephibosheth settle for mediocrity? We catch a clue from his initial response to David. When David told him that he was going to take care of him, the Bible says, “Mephibosheth bowed his head low and he said, 'Who am I that you should notice such a dead dog like me?’” Do you see his self-image? He saw himself as defeated, as a loser, as a dead dog. He saw himself as an outcast. Yes, he was the grandson of the king, but his image of himself kept him from receiv¬ing the privileges that rightfully belonged to him.

 

 How many times do we do the same thing? Our self-image is so contrary to the way God sees us that we miss out on God’s best. God sees us as champions. We see ourselves as dead dogs.

 

 But just as Mephibosheth had to cast off that “dead dog mentality", replacing it with a prosperous mind-set, you and I must do something similar. You may have made some mistakes in life, but if you have honestly repented and done your best to do right since then, you no longer have to live with guilt and shame. You may not be everything you want to be. You may be crippled physically, spiritually, or emotionally That does not change God’s covenant with you. You are still a child of the Most High God. He still has great things in store for you. You need to be bold and claim what belongs to you. It brings God no pleasure for you to live in your own personal “Lodebar,” in poverty, with low self- esteem, with that dead-dog mentality

 

 How would you feel if your children had that kind of attitude to¬ward you? Imagine it’s dinnertime and you have worked diligently to prepare a delicious dinner. The food is spread out on the table; you are ready to eat. But one of your children comes in with his head down, and he refuses to sit at the table with the family He crawls around on the ground, waiting for some scraps or crumbs to fall. YouM say, “Son, daughter, what in the world are you doing? Get up here and take your place. I've prepared all this for you. You are a part of the family You insult me when you act like a dog, begging for scraps.”
God is saying something similar: “You are part of the family Put down the cheese and crackers. Rise up and receive what rightfully belongs to you.”
In Victoria’s and my home, we have two big La-Z-Boy chairs in our bedroom. 

 The chairs are delightfully comfortable and, every once in a while when I want to watch a ball game, read, or simply be alone to think or pray, I’ll go in the bedroom, shut the door, and sink into one of those chairs. It’s a great place to just relax.
 I came home one day and couldn’t find my little boy, Jonathan, anywhere. He was about four years old at the time, so I was concerned. I looked in all the usual places——he wasn’t in his bedroom, the playroom, or the kitchen. I even went outside and looked around the garage, but I couldn’t find him. I finally went to my bedroom, and I saw the door was closed. When I opened it, there was little Jonathan in my favorite chair. He had his legs propped up, and he was lying back comfortably He had a bowl of popcorn in one hand and the television remote control in the other. I looked at him and smiled, relieved that I had found him.
 Jonathan looked at me and said, “Daddy, this is the life.”
 I tried not to laugh, but Jonathan’s remark made me feel good as a father. I was glad that he felt confident enough to go right into my room and sit in my favorite chair. I was glad he knew he was part of the family and everything I had was his.
 Friend, do you want to make your heavenly Father happy? Then start stepping up to the dinner table. Start enjoying His blessings. Put down the cheese and crackers and come into the banquet hall. You don’t have to live in guilt and condemnation any longer; you don't have to go through life worried and full of fear. The price has been paid. Your freedom is included in your ticket if you'll just rise up and take your place. Crawl up in your “Daddy’s chair” and develop a prosperous mind-set, seeing yourself as the royalty God made you to be. 

 

CHAPTER 11
Be Happy with Who You Are

 

 You can dare to be happy with who you are right now and accept yourself, faults and all. A lot of us don5t realize it, but the root cause of many social, physical, and emotional problems is simply the fact that people don’t like themselves. They are uncomfortable with how they look, how they talk, or how they act. They don’t like their personality They are always comparing themselves with other people, wishing they were something different. “If I just had his personality . .“If I looked like she looks . . “If my thighs just weren't so big ...” “If I had less here and more somewhere else, then I’d be happy”
 No, you can be happy with who God made you to be, and quit wishing you were something different. If God had wanted you to look like a fashion model, a movie star, a famous athlete, or anyone else, He would have made you look like them. If God had wanted you to have a different personality, He would have given you that personality. Don’t compare yourself to other people; learn to be happy with who God made you to be.

 

 Many people are insecure about who they are, so they constantly try to gain the approval of everybody around them so they can feel bet¬ter about themselves. They end up living to please other people, trying to fit into their molds so they can be accepted. They act one way for their boss, another way for their spouse, and another way for their friends. They live a life of pretense, wearing various masks, and hop¬ing to please everybody In essence, they are not being true to anyone, especially themselves. 
 But if you are going to enjoy your life to the full, you must learn to be confident as the individual God made you to be. Understand this: You were not created to mimic somebody else. You were created to be you. When you go around copying and trying to be like somebody else, not only does it demean you, it steals your diversity, your creativity, and your uniqueness.
 God doesn’t want a bunch of clones. He likes variety and you should not let people pressure you or make you feel badly about yourself because you don5t fit their image of who you should be. Some peo¬ple spend three-fourths of their time trying to be somebody else. How foolish!
 

 Be an original, not a copycat. Dare to be different; be secure in who God made you to be and then go out and be the best you that you can be. You don't have to look or act like anyone else. God has given us all different gifts, talents, and personalities on purpose. You don’t really need anybody else’s approval to do what you know God wants you to do.
 Certainly, you should always be open to wise counsel. I'm not sug¬gesting that you be foolish or rebellious. Nor am I suggesting that you move from liberty to license in your spiritual life. We never have permission to live an ungodly life. But we do have God's blessing to be confident, not letting outside pressures mold us into something or someone we’re not. If you want to wear your hair a certain way, that’s your prerogative. You don’t have to check with all your friends to make sure it’s okay Be secure in who you are. If you want to join the choir at church or start a new business or buy a new car or home, you don’t need anyone’s approval before you can do what you know God wants you to do. Your attitude should be: I am confident in who I am. I’m not going to go around -pretending, wishing I was something else, trying to fit into everybody's mold. I am free to run my own race.

 

 It’s okay to be you! God made you the way you are on purpose. He went to great lengths to make sure that each of us is an original. We should not feel badly because our personality, tastes, hobbies, or even spiritual tendencies are not the same as another person's. Some people are outgoing and energetic. Other people are more timid and laid back. Some people like to wear suits and ties. Other people are more comfortable wearing blue jeans. Some people close their eyes and lift their hands when they worship God. Others worship God in a more subdued manner. And guess what? God likes it all! God loves variety

 

 Don't think that you have to fit into somebody else’s mold and, similarly, don’t be upset when other people don’t fit into your molds. Just be the person God made you to be.
 Interestingly, Victoria and I are totally opposite in many respects. I'm a very routine person, extremely structured and organized. I get up at the same time every day. I do the same things, maintain the same schedule from week to week. I go to the same restaurants and eat the same food. In most cases, I don’t even have to look at the menu, because I know I’m going to order the same things I always order. Victoria, on the other hand, does not like routine. She likes variety She's outgoing, energetic, fun, adventurous, and daring. There’s no telling what she5s going to do next! My prayer is always, “Please, God, just don’t let her get arrested!"

 

 And here is the wonderful part: God made her that way! One of the reasons why we have a good relationship is because I don’t spend my time trying to change her, and she doesn't make me feel badly about being myself, or nag me because I’m not just like her. We’ve learned to appreciate our differences. We’ve learned to enjoy the person God made each of us to be.

 

 In the process, we balance each other. I’m structured and routine; she’s fun and adventurous. Without her, my life would be boring; without me, she would be in prison! (Just kidding.)

 

Learn to Appreciate the Differences

 

 The truth is, we all must learn to appreciate our differences. Don't try to squeeze everybody into your little box. And don’t allow anyone else to cramp your style. Certainly, we can always learn from other people, and sometimes we need to be open to change. But you need not feel insecure because you don’t have the same physical, emotional, or intel¬lectual traits that someone else has. Be happy with who God made you to be.
 The reason many people are discontented today is because they compare themselves with other people. You know how it goes. You start out in a perfectly good mood, happy as can be, but then you see one of your coworkers drive up in a brand-new car. You start thinking,

 I wish I had a new car. Here I am, driving this old clunker. Before long, your good mood is gone, and you are discouraged and discontented. Or maybe you see a friend walk into the room and she is being escorted by her handsome husband who looks as though he just stepped out of GQ magazine. Then you look over at your husband . . . and . . . well, you get my point.

 

 But it’s as silly to compare your spouse to somebody else’s spouse as it is to compare your talent, abilities, or education to somebody else’s. Such comparisons are almost always counterproductive, causing you to lose your joy. Just run your race. Don't worry about anyone else.
 Not long ago, I heard a minister on television tell how he got out of bed every day at four o'clock in the morning and prayed for two hours. My first thought was, Oh, my. I don’t pray for two hours a day, and I surely don't get up that early. The more I thought about it, the worse I felt!
 

 

 Finally, I had to get a hold of myself, and say, “That’s great for him, but thank God, it’s not great for me! Fm going to run my race, and Fm not going to feel guilty or badly about myself just because I’m not doing what he’s doing.”
 God has an individual plan for each of our lives. Just because some¬thing works for somebody else doesn’t necessarily mean it's going to work for you. God gives each of us special grace to do what He’s called us to do. If we make the mistake of trying to copy other people, we’re going to be frequently frustrated, and we’re going to waste a lot of time and energy Worse yet, we may miss the good things God has for us to do!
 

 I’ve seen mothers who are always running their children here and there, investing a lot of time in their kids. Their children are involved in every club and sport, and usually that’s great. But some moms simply try to copy another person, or they enroll their children in all sorts of activities out of a sense of guilt and condemnation. Some frantic, frazzled parents are so desperately trying to keep up with their peers (their peers, not their children's!), they are missing the entire point of the horizon-expanding programs in the first place. Not only that, but all that running around is wearing out Mom and Dad!
 Here’s some good news: You don’t have to keep up with anyone else. You can run your own race and be an individual. God has given you the grace to do what He's called you to do. He has not given you the grace to do what everybody else is doing. You don’t have to be the best mother in the world, just be the best mother that you can be.

 I may not ever be the world’s greatest pastor. I may not be the best husband or the best father, but i;m determined to be the best I can be. And I’m not going to feel bad about myself. If somebody can do what I do better, fine. I’m not in a contest; I’m not comparing myself with anyone else. As far as I’m concerned, I’m number one! I know I’m doing the best I can do.
 That is what the Scripture teaches. It says, “Let each one examine his own work.” In other words, quit looking at what everybody else is doing and run your own race. You can take pride in yourself without comparing yourself to anybody else. If you run your race and be the best that you can be, then you can feel good about yourself.

 

Be the best that you can be, then you can feel good
about yourself.

 

 Granted, you will face enormous pressure to do what everybody else is doing, to try to please everybody and meet all their expectations. If you’re not careful, though, your life can become a blur, a pale imitation rather than an original. But you don’t have to please every¬one eke; you need to please only God. The truth is, if you’re going to run your own race, you may not be able to meet other people’s expec¬tations. You can’t be everything to everybody You5ll have to accept the fact that some people may not like you. Everybody5s not going to agree with every decision you make. You probably will not be able to keep every person in your life happy But you can’t let the demands, pres¬sures, and expectations from others stop you from doing what you know God wants you to do.
 

Melanie is a bright young woman who does a marvelous job of bal¬ancing her responsibilities as wife and mother with her desires for a career outside the home. But she felt pressured to keep moving up the ladder in her company When a new position opened, her boss urged her to accept a promotion. Her husband approved, and Melanie knew it was a great opportunity.  But something inside caused her to take pause. She didn’t feel good about accepting the new position. She didn’t want to work in that stressful an environment, and besides, she was fulfilled and contented in her current position. She was highly competent at her job, enjoyed her career, and was able to work flexible hours, which allowed her to spend plenty of time with her family

 “I’m honored that my employer wants to promote me,” Melanie said, “but Fm happy with the way things are. I'm afraid, though, that I will let everybody down if I don’t take the new job. I feel that I won’t be living up to their expectations if I turn down the new opportunity What do you think I should do?”

 

 “Melanie, you can’t live to please everybody else,” I told her. "And although those people may mean well and may want the best for you, only you know deep down inside what is right for you. You have to learn to follow your heart. You can't let other people pressure you into being something that you’re not. If you want God’s favor in your life, you must be the person He made you to be, not the person your boss wants you to be, not the person your friends want you to be, not even the person your parents or your husband wants you to be. You can’t let outside expectations keep you from following your own heart.”

 

 Melanie declined the offer for the new position, and she and her family are thriving. In her case, a promotion would have been a step backward.

 

Seek Good Counsel

 

 When you face difficult decisions or uncertain choices, it helps to seek counsel from someone you respect. Certainly, as the Bible says, “there’s safety in a multitude of counselors/5 and we should never be hard¬headed and stubborn. We should always stay open and be willing to take advice. But after you’ve prayed about something and looked at all the options, if you still don’t feel good about it, be bold enough to make a decision that is right for you. If you5re trying to please every¬body else by doing things you don't really want to do, so you won’t hurt somebody’s feelings, or you are trying to keep everybody happy, you will be cheating yourself. You can run yourself in circles trying to be something that you’re not, and you'll run the risk of missing out on God5s best for your own life.

 

 Sometimes you can even get too much advice. If you're not careful, conflicting opinions will simply cause confusion. Sometimes the friends who are giving you advice can’t even run their own lives. 

 

 But they sure are good at telling you how to run yours! Be careful about whom you allow to influence your decision-making process. Make sure the people who are giving you advice know what they5re talking about and are people who have earned your respect as a source of wisdom. Besides, secure people rely on their inner direction 75 percent of the time and on their outer direction only 25 percent of the time. That means for most of the decisions you make, you should not have to seek everybody else5s opinions and approval. You need to follow your own heart in light of God's Word and do what you feel is right and good for you.

 

 Similarly, parents, you should not put pressure on your children to fulfill your dreams. You should allow them to fulfill the dreams God has placed in their own hearts. Of course it’s good to give our children direction and guidance, but don’t be a controller or a manipulator. Don’t put unrealistic expectations on your children.

 

 One of the things I appreciated about my mom and dad’s parenting style was that they never planned my siblings' lives or my life. Certainly, they pointed us in the right direction, offering advice and wise counsel. They helped us see where our gifts and talents were, even those that were buried. But they always let us fulfill our own dreams. From the time I was a little boy, I knew my dad wanted me to preach, but I never had that desire. Despite his disappointment, Daddy never once tried to cram preaching down my throat. He never tried to make me feel guilty or that I was less o£ a person because I wasn’t doing exactly what he wanted me to do. In fact, he often told me, “Joel, I want you to fulfill your dreams for your life, not my dreams for your life.” Today, I can preach with the freedom of knowing I'm not doing just what pleases my dad or other family members; I’m doing what pleases God.

 

Are you being the person God made you to be?

 

 Are you being the person God made you to be? Or are you just going around pretending, trying to be what everybody else wants you to be, living up to their expectations and following their dreams for your life? When my dad went to be with the Lord and I first started pastoring at Lakewood Church, one of my biggest concerns was “How is everybody going to accept me?” After all, Daddy had been there for forty years, and everyone was accustomed to him. His style and personality were much different from mine. My dad was a fireball of a preacher, always energetic and exciting. I’m a bit more laid back.

 One night I was praying, asking God what I should do. “Should I try to be more like my dad? Should I copy his style? Should I preach his messages?” On and on I went. I was just so concerned about it. But the Lord spoke to me, not out loud, but deep down in my heart, saying, Joel, don’t copy anybody. Just be yourself. Be who I created you to be. I don’t want a duplicate of your dad. I want an original.
That truth set me free!
 

I love the reminder in the book of Joshua. Moses had just died, and God wanted Joshua to take over as leader of His people. God said to Joshua, "As I was with Moses, I will be with you.” Notice He didn’t say, “Joshua, you need to try to be just like Moses, then you'll be okay" No, God said to Joshua, “Be an original. Be who I made you to be, and then you’ll be successful.”
 

One of the secrets of any success I’ve had at Lakewoodand I know it all comes from God—would be that I have walked in my own shoes. I haven't tried to fill Daddy’s shoes or anyone else’s. I have not tried to be something that I'm not or tried to copy somebody else. I don’t step up on the platform and act one way, then go home and act another way No, with me, what you see is who I am. That’s all God re¬quires me to be.
 And that’s all He expects of you, as well. If you will learn to be the original God made you to be, God will take you places you’ve never even dreamed of. You may have some faults, some areas you and God are refining. But remember, God is in the process of changing you. And if you’ll just be happy with who God made you to be and make a decision that you’re going to be the best you can be, God will pour out His favor in your life, and you'll live that life of victory He has in store for you.