What is the image you have of yourself? How do you see yourself? That is a very important question to answer. What people believe about themselves at times is very astonishing. I have found that mostly, this self-image has its roots in past experiences, words that others may have spoken over a person, trauma or just in the circumstances of life. For some reason, this self-image then stays with that person, even into adulthood. Some are never able to shake free from this influence and thus have created their own prison, a mental barrier where they keep themselves locked up. In my personal life for example, I was truly afraid of public speaking. I could never trace back in my life, where exactly it started, but I remember, even in school, when the teacher asked a question to the class, I would hide and hope that someone would answer and my name would not be called. Once I was to answer, stuttering, nervousness, dry mouth, cold hands and a mind that went blank was the reaction. Well, you can imagine what that was like. (Today things are very different, I will get back to this later on in this blog.)
The question really is, how do we overcome something that life has brought to us, that greatly impacts us, mostly negatively, how do we free ourselves from this mental prison.
When we look at an example in the Bible, we can find some interesting revelations about this very important topic. In the book of Judges, chapter 6, we find the story of Gideon. The Bible does not paint a very good picture of the life that Gideon had lived up to this point, as the people of Israel, and his family, had lived under the oppression of enemy invaders that had made their lives impossible. It was so bad that when they had sown something, the enemy would come, destroy and steal everything, including their livestock and leave them without food. As a result all were impoverished to the point that they had left their homes to live, to hide in the mountains and caves.
This surely left a big mark on Gideon. In the story we learn that he was preparing wheat in a winepress, with the intent of course, to hide it from the enemies. He had learned that survival was to lead a life in secret and in hiding. Living like this, he would at least have some food, and he would not have to face his own fears nor the situation everyone was facing. Do you know that more often than not, once we are in this prison of our mind, our lifestyle adapts to that prison and we then avoid at all cost anything that would challenge that which we fear. Over time this fear in our mind becomes our perceived protection.
We also find out what he thought about himself. His self image was impacted by this very difficult circumstance. He declared that his father/family was poor and that he really was the “least” in his fathers house.
We can see here and understand that his life experience, his circumstances greatly contributed to his self-image, the way he saw life all around him and how he felt about himself and what he could or could not do. This very self-image limited him, it was his own prison. He never gave one second of thought to think about how he could change all of this, he was truly a prisoner of his own self-image.
I wonder how many reading this blog also have a self-image that has caused them many problems, has held them back and made them unsure of their own abilities and worth as a person.
What is the revelation here in this story that we must truly take to heart? What is very obvious is that when the angel of the Lord spoke to Gideon he addressed him as: valiant man! Now Gideon did not see this in himself at all, and for that reason he brought out the list of all the bad things that had happened and also, that he was just a poor guy, the least, most insignificant in his fathers family. Again, the words spoken by the angel challenged the very prison, the very self-image that he had built about himself living through these circumstances.
But then, shortly after this conversation, Gideon changed completely and became the very person that God used to free an entire nation. Against all logic and human military strategy, Gideon lead a band of three hundred to go up against a multitude of 120,000. Armed only with lamps and trumpets, God delivered the enemy into his hands for a great victory. How could a person that recently hid in a winepress to prepare food now lead three hundred against a multitude. Gideon had broken out of his prison! Now the question you surely ask is: how did he do that? The Bible reveals to us a very important truth:
At first Gideon did not see himself the way his creator saw him, as valiant, he saw himself through the lens of his own prison, the poor and insignificant man he proclaimed he was.
Think about that for a moment. Do you see yourself through the lens of the self-image that you have created yourself over time, the image that formed through all the human interactions, trials, failures, and experiences? Is that why often times you say: Well, I cannot do that….that’s just not me!
The words spoken by the angel of the Lord must have seemed strange to Gideon, but they hit directly at his heart and these words where the key that opened the prison door for him to be set free.
This is what happened in my life. Once I saw the calling, the plan and purpose that God had put on my life, I saw something that I could not square with the opinion I had about myself. How could I go out and preach the Gospel in front of many people if I was afraid to speak in public and my body would react in such a bad way. Either, I was wrong or God must have made a mistake. Well, I chose to believe that I was in the wrong and that the God who had given life to me was the one who knew best what I can and cannot do. Now I speak in public weekly. I had a live radio show for many years. I did live television and even got to pray for a presidential candidate here in Panama in front of all kinds of political figures in a huge gathering.
To break free from the prison, the self-image that you yourself have created, the one that limits you and keeps you locked up, missing out on so many opportunities, please give yourself to prayer and the reading of the word of God. You can start with the story of Gideon, and you will see that sooner rather than later, you will learn about your true self, your true calling and purpose in this life, and when that door springs open, you will never look back, you will be free and start new things, things that you never dreamed would be possible. For the first time you will see your true self, the way your heavenly father sees you.
See yourself through the eyes of your creator and the door of that prison will spring wide open…..
( If you want to learn more about the calling of God, please check out my newly releaser book “The Illusion of Choice”. In it you will find two chapters that teach about the calling of God and bring you deep revelation about this important biblical truth, available on amazon print and ebook)