It's funny though - they didn't see themselves this way until Susie and I recognized them for these traits. Chase didn't try to be funny until we encouraged & recognized him for telling good jokes. Owen didn't make up his "hip shake" dance until we recognized him for being a good dancer. I love watching him do the hip shaker!
Words have a prophetic nature to them - they become self-fulfilling -
especially when they come from people we respect. If someone we respect
recognizes our generosity, we will literally morph into a more generous
person. On the other hand, if someone we respect says we are selfish, we
will either attack their character to make them into someone we no
longer respect, or we will believe them and start to "own" our
selfishness.
Our enemy knows this, which is why he is known as the "accuser of the brethren". After we start following Jesus as Lord, our enemy knows that if he can get us to believe we are still sinners instead of the saints God says we are, then our actions will naturally flow out of seeing ourselves as sinners. The enemy wants us to believe that we are what we do. The fruit of believing this accuser is obvious - feelings of condemnation, defeat, depression, anxiety, etc. This line of thinking often ends with the person saying, "I'm just a sinner saved by grace" - after which Satan does a victory dance. It sounds wise, but it's only a half truth. Yes, we are saved by grace but NO we are no longer sinners. If he can't get us to doubt the identity of Jesus he will make us doubt our own. But the truth is that our Father calls us righteous. Blameless. Forgiven. Loved. Son. Daughter. Holy. Saint. Divine. Nothing can separate us from His love.
Nothing.
May we have the faith to believe what our Father says about us - regardless of how we measure up. May we have the boldness to stand up against the accuser, armed with the truth that sets us free. May we look up at our Daddy, shake our hips and do a little dance, knowing that He delights in seeing the joy that comes when we believe what our Father says about us.
Our enemy knows this, which is why he is known as the "accuser of the brethren". After we start following Jesus as Lord, our enemy knows that if he can get us to believe we are still sinners instead of the saints God says we are, then our actions will naturally flow out of seeing ourselves as sinners. The enemy wants us to believe that we are what we do. The fruit of believing this accuser is obvious - feelings of condemnation, defeat, depression, anxiety, etc. This line of thinking often ends with the person saying, "I'm just a sinner saved by grace" - after which Satan does a victory dance. It sounds wise, but it's only a half truth. Yes, we are saved by grace but NO we are no longer sinners. If he can't get us to doubt the identity of Jesus he will make us doubt our own. But the truth is that our Father calls us righteous. Blameless. Forgiven. Loved. Son. Daughter. Holy. Saint. Divine. Nothing can separate us from His love.
Nothing.
May we have the faith to believe what our Father says about us - regardless of how we measure up. May we have the boldness to stand up against the accuser, armed with the truth that sets us free. May we look up at our Daddy, shake our hips and do a little dance, knowing that He delights in seeing the joy that comes when we believe what our Father says about us.
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