Getting to know your inner-self, examining your self-image

There is just one you!

In all the world over and in all of history, Jesus Christ made only one you. There is none other exactly like you. You have special physical attributes, personality, strengths, limitations, preferences, talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts. There is only one you. You are unique, designed and created especially by Jesus Christ for His good pleasure. Revelation 4:¹¹ Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Jesus Christ never makes junk.

Everyone can see your behavior the result of choices you make.

Your inner-self is completely hidden from others and to some degree from you as well.

In this study we will examine the components of your inner-self and how those components control your choices, decision making and behavior. Examining the components of the inner-self helps to identify the influence the inner-self has over choices, decisions and behavior. Understanding the influence of the inner-self on choices, decisions and behavior gives you the choice of whether or not to overrule that influence. Reflection helps you to understand your inner-self and what is going on beneath the surface.

The purpose of this study is:

1) to enable you to understand yourself;

2) to enable you to take control of your inner-self;

3) to enable you to make the choices that will lead to your success;

4) to enable you to make wise choices that exhibit the behavior Jesus Christ desires from you.

Because learning changes who we are and our aspirations, learning is an experience of identity. As you grow and develop, you learn about the identity others assign to you.

Society’s definition of you can be wrong

Society’s definition of you can be learned mistakenly

Some people do not learn well and adopt dysfunctional beliefs about themselves

Personal filters are formed by experiences. Together, experiences and personal filters derived from those experiences influence how you make sense of new experiences.

Meaningful Experiences Shape Your Inner-Self

Everyone can see your behavior and the choices you make.

Your inner-self is hidden from others and to some degree from you as well.

Many people know what they do but they may not know why they do it and could not correctly answer the question: ‘Why do I behave this way’. That is a question to consider.

In this study we will examine the components of your inner-self and how those components control your choices, decision making and behavior. Examining the components of the inner-self helps to identify the influence the inner-self has over decisions and behavior. Understanding the influence of the inner-self on decisions and behavior gives you the choice of whether or not to overrule that influence. Reflection helps you to understand your inner-self and what is going on beneath the surface.

Self-image

The image you have of yourself is developed over time and based on your perceptions and interpretations of circumstances and experiences encountered throughout your lifetime. Your self-image can vary by life role and situation. For example, you may see yourself as excelling in one life role but not so proficient in another life role.

What is the self-image?

• the idea that you have about the kind of person you are
• everything you think and feel about yourself
• your self-image has subjective (results from understanding your own uniqueness) and objective elements (results of comparing yourself to others)

Your assumptions about yourself may not be true!

Role of the self-image

• automatically influences your choices
• your satisfaction in life is in proportion to the degree your self-image is implemented

How do you see yourself?

What five characteristics would you use to describe yourself?

1

2

3

4

5

How does the way you describe yourself match with the way Jesus Christ describes you?

Who You Are in Jesus Christ

1) Alive – Colossians 2: ¹³ And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

John 5: ²⁴ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

1 John 3: ¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

2) Accepted –Ephesians 1:⁶To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

3) Beloved with an everlasting love – Jeremiah 31:³The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Ephesians 2:⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

4) Caused to triumph in Christ Jesus – 2 Corinthians 2:¹⁴ Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

5) Chosen before the foundation of the world-Ephesians 1:⁴According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

6) Complete-Colossians 2:⁶ As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

⁷ Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

⁸ Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

⁹ For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

¹⁰ And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Colossians 4:¹² Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

7) Created for Him – Colossians 1: ¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

8) Delivered from the power of darkness –Colossians 1:³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

9) Forgiven of all trespasses and sin– Colossians. 2:¹³ And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Colossians. 1:¹⁴ In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Ephesians.1:⁷ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

10) Free –John 8:³¹ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

³² And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

11) Healed with His stripes – Isaiah 53:⁵But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

12) Heir-Galatians 4:⁴ But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

⁵ To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

⁶ And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

⁷ Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Romans 8:⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

¹⁵ For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

¹⁶ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

¹⁷ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

13) His workmanship Ephesians 2:¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

14) Indwelled by Christ – Colossians 1:²⁷ To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

15) Indwelled by the Father-Ephesians 4:⁶ One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

16) Indwelled by the Holy Spirit – John 15: ²⁶ But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 16:¹³ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

17) Justified – Titus 3: ⁷That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal

18) Laborer together with God-1 Corinthians 3:⁹ For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

19)  New – Ephesians 2: ¹⁵ Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Ephesians 4:²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Colossians 3: ¹⁰ And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

20) Reconciled to God – Colossians 1:²¹ And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

²² In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

21) Redeemed from the penalty of death and slavery to sin –

Galatians 3: ¹³ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

¹⁴ That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Titus 2:¹¹ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

¹² Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and   godly, in this present world;

¹³ Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

¹⁴ Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

22) Regenerated – Titus 3:⁴But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

⁵ Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

⁶ Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour

23) Risen with Jesus Christ – Colossians 3:¹If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

24) Sufficient in all things through His grace-2 Corinthians 9:⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

25) Translated into the kingdom of Jesus–Colossians 1: ¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Circle the three that matter most to you right now

Your identity for His Service

1. A) Entrusted with the gospel-1 Thessalonians 2:⁴ But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

1. B) The Light of the world -Matthew 5:¹⁴ Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

1. C) The salt of the earth -Matthew 5: ¹³ Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

1. D) Called to follow -1 Peter2:²¹ For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

1. E) Chosen and ordained -John 15:¹⁶ Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you

Circle the three that matter most to you right now

Questions for Reflection

1) What factors determine how you see yourself?

2) What about circumstances determine how you see yourself?

3) Does the way people treat you determine how you see yourself?

4) Do the things people say about you determine how you see yourself?

5) Are you believing something someone else said about you that doesn’t match what Jesus says about you?

Our focus – Hebrews 12:¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Our challenge – Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love; has uniquely designed and created only one you; has a good plan for your life; runs with you; and will         accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run being yoked to Emmanuel!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with your focus on His mission: to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run to obtain an incorruptible crown!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when together you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti