Who Do You Think You Are?

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7 NKJV

Are you aware of how much you do every day according to who you think you are? Quite possibly you even do things according to who others think you are. Our identity is firmly rooted in our thoughts about ourselves and our thoughts are such a powerful force in our lives that they WILL lead us to actions and then to behaviors. Whether negative or positive, we will make decisions and live out our lives based on who we believe ourselves to be.

Unfortunately, a great deal of women; myself included, have at times, allowed a negative thought or two to be sown in our minds: “No one will ever love me.” “I will never be good enough.” “What’s wrong with me?” “I must deserve to have bad things happen to me because of who I am or what I’ve done.” “I better settle for these less-than-best relationships because I can’t do any better.” These are just some of the kinds of thoughts that, if left to grow roots and bloom, will produce a devastating crop in our lives.

This unwanted harvest usually manifests itself most clearly in our relationship choices. This will be true of friendships and especially true of romantic relationships. Do you find yourself picking the one(s) who treats you like you “think” you should be treated because you’ve bought into the lie that you are not worthy of anything better? Do you find yourself limiting your goals and dreams because you don’t believe in yourself to achieve them? Do you settle for less-than-God’s-best because you’ve fallen into such a pattern of negative thinking toward yourself you can’t imagine He would want to give you anything better? Do you believe you can never be forgiven and set free from your sin to live and walk in victory? Too many women buy into these negative thoughts and live their lives out of the poverty of what they have believed about themselves rather than out of the plenty God desires for them. Too many women have listened to the enemy whisper those words of self-doubt, condemnation and unworthiness in their ears.

Ladies, we must know what the Bible says about who we are! We must know who God thinks we are and who we are in Christ if we are to live a life of freedom and victory and break any chains of bondage our negative thoughts have on us. God shows us just how valuable we are through His word:

1. God loves you:
“May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you.” Psalm 33:22 NIV

“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.” Psalm 86:5 NIV

“For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead.” Psalm 86:13 NIV

“I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.” Psalm 89:2 NIV

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10 NIV

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." Jeremiah 31:3 NIV

2. God knows you:
"You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain." Psalm 139:1-6 NIV

“Yet you know me, LORD; you see me and test my thoughts about you.” Jeremiah 12:3 NIV

“If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” 1 John 3:20 NIV

3. God thinks about you and has plans for you:
"Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count." Psalm 40:5 NASB

“LORD, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them?” Psalm 144:3 NIV

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

4. God bought you with a high price and made you a co-heir with Christ:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;"
Isaiah 43:1-3 NIV

“I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Isaiah 49:15b-16a NIV

“You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a NIV

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:5-7 NIV

5. God wants you to be whole, forgiven and walking in victory:
“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” Isaiah 61:1b NIV

“Know the LORD," because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31:34 NIV

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 NIV

“The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

And these, dear ones, are just the beginning. There are hundreds of verses that proclaim the Lord’s great love for you and your unfathomable worth to Him. So, how about it? Who do you think you are? If you have believed lies about who you are, ask the Lord to show you the truth and help you change your thinking. You can renew your mind and begin to live life out of the abundance of who you really are in Christ: redeemed, forgiven, set free and dearly loved.