Then I said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD. Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.”
Jeremiah 1:6-9
You will handicap God’s ability to bring you into your potential if you choose your self-image over the way God sees you. Successful saints set aside their emotions so they can embrace His eternal assignment, which He’s prepared before the foundation of the WORLD.
Trust what God says about you above what you feel about yourself. Consider what God provided to Jeremiah; He wants to provide for you, too, in the journey ahead.
- CORRECTION: God corrected Jeremiah’s mindset so he would see himself as God saw him and not through the limiting self-image of his youth. Jeremiah said, “I am but a youth,” and God rebuked him. It’s common for God to see more in us than we see in ourselves. Just as Jeremiah was immature and undeveloped in his mindset, so are we—until we learn to see ourselves as God sees us. When you feel corrected by God, get excited; He’s about to move a mountain and use you to be the mountain mover.
- COURAGE: God gave Jeremiah courage by putting “His words” in his mouth. When we say what God said to us, we feel the way God feels toward us. What has God said to you before? What is God saying to you today? If you are unsure, open His Word and see which verses He may highlight as you read. When you sense the weight of a verse hitting you in the heart, that’s God. Stop reading and wait on God. As you meditate on what gripped your heart, write what you hear, and courage will come.
- COMMAND: God gave Jeremiah a command. When you come to God, sometimes He will give you options; other times He will give you advice, and yet other times, He will tell you what to do. If God has given you an instruction, follow it. If God has not given you a new idea or instruction for a while, it’s possible He is waiting for you to act on the last command He gave you. What was the last thing God told you to do? If you’ve been away for a while, grab a blank tablet and a pen, write down your questions for God (not your shopping list or today’s to-do list), and then listen.
- CONFIDENCE: Confidence to carry out a call comes from the One who called you. God’s assignments in your life cannot be accomplished through mental assent, meaning you can’t THINK your way to reaching your potential apart from hearing God’s voice. God’s confidence comes from inward revelation. His voice is always inward because that is where He lives—in your heart.
REFLECT TO CONNECT
- What misperceptions of your self-image do you imagine God wants to change in you?
- Have you ever written out your questions for God and then waited for Him to answer?
- How does the Bible say that God sees you?
When you see yourself as God sees you, you will feel about yourself as God feels toward you.
