I recently watched the movie Ever After (the Cinderella story) with some of my daughters and was struck, especially by the scene where Cinderella has to reply to the prince about who she was. It reminded me of how important it is that we know who we are.
The movie depicts the fairy tale of Danielle (Cinderella), who, on losing her father at an early age, finds herself in the care of her step-mother. Danielle is treated as a servant for the next ten years even though she is a nobleman's daughter by birth.
On meeting the prince, Danielle chooses to take her mother's name, dress in her clothes, and pretend she is Nicole, her mother, rather than Danielle, because she incorrectly sees herself as merely a servant.
After finding herself sold as a slave, Danielle finally fights back, choosing to rise above her circumstances and the lies she had believed about who she was and her position in society.
She sees her worth and chooses to reclaim her birthright, marries the prince and puts her stepfamily in their place once and for all. Instead of living her life as a slave, she becomes royalty.
The story of Cinderella reveals what we believe about ourselves is vitally important to the trajectory of our life and future.
It's why God's word encourages us to renew our thinking with what He says about us. He knows that if we continue to see ourselves as a sinner, broken, flawed and not good enough, then that, much like "Cinderella" Danielle, will be what we accept and settle for.
However, if we renew our thoughts with the truth that we are sons and daughters of God, new creations, forgiven, strong, healthy, whole and provided for, that is what we will begin to rise up and live out. "As a man thinks so shall he be." (Proverbs 23:7)
A biblical example of the importance of how we see ourselves is the account of the Israelites as they stood on the edge of the land God had promised them. They hesitated, became afraid and then ultimately stopped in their journey. Why? Because when faced with how they saw themselves, they were confronted with the reality of their poor self-image.
Before them was a land "flowing with milk and honey". A good land as far as the eye could see.
God had spoken and had promised He was with them, but all of that didn't matter because apart from a few men, they felt incapable of taking the next step to possess the future before them. The lands inhabitants terrified them and were paralysed with self-doubt and fear.
They said," we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in theirs" (Numbers 13:33)
The Israelites were too terrified to step into their future because they saw themselves as small and powerless. It was what they were in their own sight that defeated them long before any enemy army.
The same can be true for each one of us. If we keep seeing ourselves for less than what Jesus says we are in Him, we will never step into all we can and are called to be.
Today if you recognise you have a "servant, grasshopper mentality" when God calls you an heir and his son or daughter, I encourage you to begin to change that by:
Choosing to give your life into God's hands. Spend time every day getting to know Him and reading what He has to say about who you truly are. Challenge the facts and negative thought patterns and actions before you with the truth of what God says. "The truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32)
Ask God what His plan and purpose for your life is. He created you so check out His original plan for your life, "The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations." (Pslam 33:11)
Reject anything that doesn't agree with what God says about you in His word. Start visualising, thinking and speaking success, being loved, and loving others, accepted, having great relationships, being healthy and whole, and a person who has their prayers continually answered.
Consistently thinking and speaking Gods truth about who you are in Him will cause your beliefs and identity to align with what He says about your life rather than your self-doubts, fear, past life and mess-ups and any lies.
You will start to see yourself and act in line with who you are in Jesus; loved, joyful, free, victorious, healed and a whole person with all the love and power of heaven behind you.
The most accurate thing about you is what God says!
Today, isn't it time YOU started believing and living like what God says about you is true too?
"Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect" (Romans 12:2)
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". (Philippians 4:13)
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10)
Prayer: Lord, help me to see myself as you see me. Thank you that I am forgiven, healed, and whole with an amazing future ahead of me. I refuse to see myself as a"grasshopper" or slave any longer, and today I'm taking the steps necessary to become all you made me be. In Jesus name Amen.