The Voice Of Truth Tells A Different Story!

“And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:23-24 AMP

There was a day when I used to listen to the inner voice that reminded me of my past failings, my inabilities, inadequacies, fears, and limitations. It seemed no matter how hard I tried to quiet the voice it would grow louder as the day went on. By the end of the day I would doubt my ability to be a wife, mother, friend, minister of the Gospel, etc. and I would go to bed overwhelmed by feelings of hopelessness. Then one day an inner voice spoke that sounded different than the voice I heard in the past. It was a still, quiet voice that said, “Holly do you know how precious you are to me and how proud I am of you?” I thought to myself, “Precious? Are you kidding me? And what in the world is there to be proud of?”

I tried to ignore the voice because the words were so contrary to the truth I knew about myself. But as the day went on it got louder and louder! Finally the voice said, “Holly, What you think is truth, is a counterfeit lie because there is only one truth and I AM that truth and to me you are precious and I am very proud of you!” It was at that moment when I realized the still, quiet voice was the voice of the Holy Spirit and I decided to listen to what He had to say. By the end of my time in His presence something changed inside of me. I walked away from that interaction with the Lord, a changed person!

Now whenever my own inner voice of doubt comes or when accusations come from an outside source I make a conscious decision to renounce the lie and I ask God to help me to embrace His truth about me. I must admit it is very difficult at times but as I am obedient to take those thoughts captive, He is faithful to replace them with a beautiful picture of who I am in Him. On days when I blow it and revert back to thinking and speaking negative words about myself, He is right there to catch me when I fall into that temptation.

As I meditate on His Word and spend time with Him, in times of prayer and praise, He reveals more and more of my true inner image that is fashioned and formed in the true righteousness and holiness of my regenerated self as a new creation in Him. It is so important for us to remember that God sees the perfected image of us when He looks at us.

When we see a failure, He sees an opportunity to turn it into a testimony of His faithfulness! When we see an inability, He sees an opportunity to show the world His ability to do the impossible through us! When we see an inadequacy, He sees the opportunity for the fullness of Himself to work in and through us to produce an unimaginable work of greatness! When are afraid, He sees an opportunity for His Spirit to enable us to walk in power, love, and a sound mind! And when we see limitations, He sees an opportunity to show the world the limitless power of His Spirit working in us to perform His purpose!

It is also important for us to remember that no matter how much we have failed, fallen short, back slid, or operated in the flesh, greater is He that is in us! The creator of the universe lives and moves and has His being in us and He has created us in His image! When you begin to wrap your mind around that truth you begin to understand that with Him all things are possible! The feelings of doubt and fear begin to dissipate, and you begin to realize that you are so much more than what that inner voice of doubt says! You begin to be empowered to renounce the voices of condemnation and accusation, and you begin to embrace the truth about who you are as a new creation. You also begin to deal gracefully with yourself when you slip back into old patterns of thinking and you don’t beat yourself up when you make a mistake. You see failure as a time when God is faithful and you are quick to turn your thoughts back to the truth about who you are as a new creation and you don’t dwell in the negative mindset very long.

Do you struggle with an inner image of yourself that is contrary to the truth about who God says you are in Him? Do you battle with thoughts of doubt and fear because you are focused on your past failures, inadequacies, inabilities, and limitations? I want to encourage you to spend time with the Lord and ask Him to show you His image of who you are. I want to encourage you to write those truths down so you have them to reflect on in times when you are overwhelmed by those thoughts. You may even want to get a voice recorder and speak the truths out loud so when you are down you can play them back as a reminder. I have done this and I can tell you it is a very powerful tool to help you renew your mind because your brain believes your voice. Also I want to encourage you to choose a couple of trusted people who you can call on in those times who will help you through it. I have two women who do this for me and they remind me of my worth when I can’t see it.

Prayer: Spend time with God and ask Him to speak to you and to remind you of your value and worth. Ask Him to give you His eyes to see the truth about who you are as a new creation in Him. Ask Him to reveal who the people are who you can call on in your times of weakness. He is faithful and He will answer you. Begin a daily routine of telling yourself the truth and when a doubtful thought comes, take a time out and renew your mind to the truth of who God says you are in Him!