Are you living with a case of mistaken identity? Many, if not most, of us go through life with a misconception of who they really are. Satan loves nothing better than to plant seeds of doubt and disillusion within our minds. He works to create images of ourselves in our mind that are inconsistent with whom we are in Christ. He seeks to convince us that we are not strong enough, not attractive enough or not talented enough to accomplish the things in life we are created to do. We become accustomed to seeing ourselves as the person Satan paints us to be, to the point that we forget who we are in Christ.
In Christ, we have the strength to overcome any obstacle that is placed in our path. Christ tells us that through Him we have overcome everything in this world. We simply must have the faith to believe it. But Satan plants images in our mind that cause us to see ourselves as too weak to handle certain situations; he deceives us to be afraid. Fear has no place in the Kingdom of God. There is no force that does not tremble at the name of Jesus. If we are devoted to following and serving Him, that same Spirit of courage and confidence resides within each of us. We have nothing to fear when we walk with Christ. We have been conditioned to fear for so long, that we are now paralyzed and unable to move at all. As the hands and feet of Jesus, to not be able to move is the worst situation in which we can find ourselves. Take courage, realize that Christ is with you and His power is available to you. We need simply to ask and to believe.
One of the great tragedies of modern society is the way that advertising projects those who are purported to be the ideal men and women. Many teens, as well as those younger and older, see themselves as falling short of that ideal and become both obsessed and depressed concerning their appearance. We live in an age where nearly any body feature can be altered if one is not satisfied with the way God created them. God loves us exactly as we are; nothing we change about our appearance will make Him love us any more than He already does. Who are we trying to impress anyway? For whom are we living? Besides, who are we to presume that we can improve on what God designed? Outside of a legitimate birth defect or an accident, both results of our fallen world, it seems a bit arrogant and dangerous to proclaim that we can create something more beautiful than God. This is simply one of Satan’s oldest ploys. If he can get you focused on your appearance, he knows he can neutralize any effectiveness you might have for Christ. That’s his whole goal; if he can get your focus off of God, he considers it a victory. Don’t let him convince you of this lie. See yourself as Jesus sees you: a beautiful and absolutely stunning representation of His creation.
God has given each of us talents with which to serve Him. Satan does what he can to discourage us in hopes of getting us to avoid using our gifts. If he can convince us we are not good enough or talented enough to make use of our gifts, he knows far fewer people will be reached with the good news of Jesus Christ. Don’t believe the lies that he feeds you. God gave the gifts you have within you for the purpose of telling others about Him. It’s through the use of our gifts that we are able to serve others. Regardless of what your gifts may be, use them to their fullest. If God gave you the gift, and He did, then He also made you more than able to adequately make use of that gift. The next time you doubt your ability to use your talent, remember that those thoughts come from Satan. You scare him to death, so he will do whatever he can to render your gifts useless. Recognize the doubt for what it is: a clever ruse of the devil. Don’t bite; rather, be encouraged that he is terrified of what you will accomplish with your God-given talents.
Don’t believe the lies Satan has placed in your mind. Study the Bible to remind yourself who you are in Christ. We are fearless conquerors designed to bring justice to the poor, the widows and the orphans. We are a beautiful creation, our lives a fragrant sacrifice to God. We have been given talents that will invade the very depths of Hell and win back those who have turned away from Jesus. Don’t buy the deception that Satan tries to sell you. Be strong, take courage, and reject the lies; you are beautiful and talented beyond words.