Breaking Through Life's Biggest Barriers - How to Overcome Inferiority and Low Self-Image, Part 1

Do you like when you look in the mirror do you like what you see, you wish you were little hall little stronger when you think about you you like yourself would you struggle with feelings of inferiority. Today I'd like to talk with you about three to develop a positive biblical self stick around. Welcome to the students their vision of living on the trip, serves as our Bible teacher on this daily international discipleship program nature continues our current series breaking through life figures. With the message of hope for anyone struggling with feelings of inferiority. Bring about the middle of the series missed any of the previous programs suggest downloading the Chip Ingram will have free access to any of these messages, chips, message notes and all the special offers. Now with today's talk. Here's our teacher, Chip Ingram, did you know that according to personal observation. It is almost impossible for a human being to walk by a mere and not look at themselves.

Did you know that when you are giving a photo to someone and their pictures in it with a group of people that the very first person that they look at is themselves know they did a study of five and six-year-olds and they found that how a child views him or herself is a higher determinant of success than even their IQ did you realize that how you view your self is pivotal in the quality of your life and the quality of your relationships is what I call mirror madness were all involved in it every day were all asking and answering questions sometimes is physically look in the mirror, but more often it's emotional and psychologically, as we looking at people's eyes, and we have these thoughts as we look into the mirrors of life and some of the questions were asking our who am I where do I belong do I fit in my okay my competent mind somebody my significant what are the people to think of me, so let me ask you when you look at the mere what would he think when you look into the mirror. What do you see you see someone that is unique, beautiful, wonderful, full of potential.

You look in the mirror and say oh I wish I was tolerable shorter will center will stronger when you walk around in your world, what one of the messages that you say to yourself, you look at other people and say boy I'm glad they're the way they are happy. I'm glad who I am but you can't unconsciously say they all look happy they got together. They had lots of friends. I don't think I fit in. I don't think I'm worth very much. I hope no one asked me anything because I'm sure I don't have much to say if I really got to know.

I know they would like me to any of those nontimber flow through your mind. They do for most of us see the problem with the mirror madness is that there's more distorted mirrors out there than there are good mirrors and distorted mirrors will destroy our lives because a distorted mirrors doesn't tell you the truth about who you are a distorted mirror. It gives you a picture of what's not true on down the boardwalk and gone through like one of those fun houses are a carnival and and and I had the section where there is a weird mirrors you with all the bends and and you stand in front of one mirror and you look like about 1 foot tall like 9 feet wide and y'all laugh and laugh and then you go to the next mayor and a do it differently and you look like you're about 3 inches.

That makes almost feel pretty good and much like 9 feet tall. Those are real funny excepting with the reality is the reality is, for most of us, all of our lives through our culture to the media through multiple relationships and family have distorted mirrors that of been telling us stuff about us that is only untrue. Can you imagine living at the only mere what there was never a real true mere and you walked around looking like you do but you thought in your mind.

I am 1 foot tall and I'm 9 feet wide. Now, the reality would change, but if you thought that way about yourself. Just imagine how you by close imagine certain places you would never go.

I mean, the beach would be out for you. Let me give you three distorted mirrors.

The first is the appearance mere we are shot through with it.

Especially in this country it says my value depends on how I look. So we find pretty people we give them millions of dollars we give them all, make up wind machines and multiple surgeries so they fit this idea and will try and be like that person how you look. Second, distorted mirrors, the performance near my value depends on what I can do yet to be good to be successful can be a great at the greatest and you gotta be great archenemy great. This got me worried that she and Bill do do do do do and so your whole life.

Your whole value revolves around your performance if you do well. Your grade if you don't do well you're a loser third distorted mirror is the status near my value depends on what other people think of.

And so we dress, talk, drive by go to certain groups don't go to certain groups eat certain things don't eat certain things. Why, because it matters what every body thinks those three distorted mirrors are tools that will destine you and destined me to feel inferior because the rules always change in it's a no-win situation. Were talking about how to overcome inferiority and low self-esteem. My thesis is until we see ourselves as God sees us. We are just not maybe we are destined to feel inferior and show you until I can see in my minds eye I can sink down into my motions.

God looks at me as the true mirror of who I really am that my value doesn't depend on how good I am. My value doesn't depend on how I look my value doesn't depend on what other people think until you get three of those things you are destined to feel inferior.

Now before I go on let me highlight some what I've said so far most of you. You haven't nodded, because it would be embarrassing, but in your hearts. Most of even going to right. I don't like me very much of the world on the but there's a there's a small percentage of you and you wouldn't say this either because of the more embarrassing is sort like I like me and I was most people were like me, like me, you look in the mirror and you say this is how people I love and when you go to work for everyone slower than you and your thinking and thinking to skin with the ballgame. In these kind of people often project ultimate confidence really got together some everyone feels inferior inferiority just wears multiple masks Paul Turney in a book that literally transform my life book and one thesis and the rest were stories is a Swiss psychologist of many years ago books out of print.

But the book is called the strong in the week thesis of the book. Every person is desperately in an insecure and all of us as human beings will either express that with strong reactions or weak responses. So were all insecure will have this feeling that something's wrong or inferior, and so some people will be shy, withdrawn, low self-esteem, I'm not worth much. No one wants to hear me I probably wouldn't do very well. I want to try because I probably fail.

I know they won't like me to cover their insecurity. But there's another group of people are just as desperately insecure, present, and I got together to be on top of this there powerful their aggressive state. Get out of my way and you with the strong things are doing covering the same insecurity. I know I was that person pronoun, Eric Lau, pushy because I was so afraid if anyone saw who I was really like inside I knew they project. Here's what I want to do today. I wanted to tell you that you do not have to be in bondage any longer to the distorted mirrors of our world, but you can do three things three keys got to give us today to be a lifetime of working it out, but you get the data today. There's three keys to getting what I call a healthy biblical identity or a healthy self-concept. The first one has to do with knowledge. You must get God's view of you. You gotta see yourself in God's perspective is knowledge memo in Jesus and you will know the truth and the truth will set you good job if you don't know the truth about you. You believe lies but knowing the truth doesn't change your life. The second key is you must believe God's view is true to you can know that they go excellent for everybody else, not me, and then third you must discover the user that's true, you've got experience.

You gotta get involved in some risky out of your comfort zone relationships. Were you actually experience through people being deeply loved and deeply affirmed only talk about how to do that. So now I like what I'm giving you today. You can do a Bible study for the next week or two. I'm just highlight is what I want to do is get big picture I'm getting to be five reasons why you are very significant regardless what the world may or may not say your significant first because you are unique. Got that down. Genesis 127 says you made in the image of God. Psalm 139, 13 and 14 say for you. God created my inmost being you net me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I'm fearfully and wonderfully made, works are wonderful. I know that full well. Your unique you are not one in €1 million DNA is different than any other person on the face of the earth. God created you uniquely makes you significant is like an original piece of artwork. You know there's an original piece and there's Prince God doesn't have any prints your original, so your significant second your significant because you are loved.

Jeremiah 31 three says the Lord appeared to us in the past saying I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with loving kind because of some things in my background. I have a hard time. The performance trap is mine. I feel loved when I do well and I feel not loved when I don't do well that's a lie. I've been working at letting it soak into my mind seep into my heart and realize God loves me unconditionally, not because of anything I ever have done or ever will do, but because he is creator. I am creation and I'm the object I am the object of his love and compassion see God doesn't love somebody somewhere out there. He loves you.

He's totally committed to you. He knows your situation, your struggle, your hurts, your depression, your relational chaos your dysfunctional background and he looks at all. He says I love and I want to be close to third your significant because you are valuable. First Corinthians 619 and 20 says, do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God. You are not your own. You have been bought at a price.

Therefore honor God with your body. See, we always evaluate things by what they call a strike, I would never want to be a slave of any kind in any situation. But if I were a slave and they were selling us. I like someone to walk up and say I give you $5 million for Ingram because of him to be a slave owner to be a valuable one was a little AND 8595 for him out of the way, you fact the matter is the were all slaves before you trust in Christ.

The Bible pictures you pictures me as being in the slave market sin bound by desires and lust that we can't break out of. And the Lord walked in as he saw you on the block in the slave market of sin, and he says I'll take this one this one this one that you know what, I'll take them all price tag the death of my son. The blood of Jesus paid on the cross as your substitute. That's how valuable you are to God and you we get a pilot hole. God doesn't care about me and only show me about what can happen in the future and what to do about this, he that spared not his own's on how will he not with him freely give you all things are problem is not the God doesn't love us. Our problem is we don't believe he loves us forth. You are significant not only because your unique love and valuable you are secure things that last have a lot of value paper plates are worth much in my home even a month are done.

It's priceless heirlooms. There gonna last.

That's what's valuable you want to know how long every believer in Jesus Christ is the last house secure Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13 it says and you also were included in Christ. Speaking of believers. People come to Christ.

When did this happen when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation having believe that appointing time in our life. We need to come to where we believe in Christ that he died in our place and we receive him as our Savior.

Having believes notice this, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, your secure word picture here meant a lot to people when this was written because in Roman days they would put a seal on a document you know the wax and then the Emperor would put his ring on it, no one can break that document except the power and authority of the Emperor God says when you trust in Jesus Christ and accept the free gift of salvation. You are sealed, but not with wax and not with arrangements with the authority of God himself piece in March you all for the Holy Spirit.

In fact the Scripture says that the Holy Spirit is a down payment or literally its earnest money to remind you of how valuable you are and every promise God ever made to you in Scripture is to be true. People put I've heard of people are putting your house on the market and the two or three bids getting more than their asking and as they do that water. Yes, people do to put down earnest money even $50,000 down on a house you're pretty interested. You will not is none. He's put down earnest money.

He placed the Holy Spirit in you as a believer as a deposit to let you know he's committed in your secure now.

I say do you really think this way about yourself do you believe that your love that your secure that your valuable that your unique. Let me give you one more, according to God when he looks at you, not the person next to you or talk about you. You are indispensable, indispensable Ephesians chapter 4, the apostle Paul talking about the church and how God put together in the church is in the building.

It's just a place where any time. Believers are gathered. That's the church. I encourage you to take this passage is dual Bible study and let it sink down through your mind into your heart that would the one who created everything by the power of his word he considers valuable. That feels a little overwhelming for you.

Why not listen to this message again.

You can listen to it online at your own pace and think through the issues that your breeze today to do that.

Just go to LivingontheEdge.org and click listen now ship will be right back. But if you're just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram this message is part of trip series called breaking through life's biggest barriers in the series trip tackle some of the most common obstacles to personal growth.

You learn how to overcome the feelings of loneliness and isolation will discover how to conquer personal stagnation and you'll find out how to defeat the thoughts of inferiority and a low self-image is a series little bring hope and give you the tools you need to build a better future. Based on the truth of God's unfailing love. This series is available for a limited time at a special on-air discount price to order trip series breaking through life's biggest barriers. Just dial 1-888-333-6003 or visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org will chip you want to comment on the year-end match that we talked about so much through the month of December before we come back and talk about just breaking through some of these barriers that we all face in our life. I want to pause and tell you from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you thank you thank you you know every time a person gives a financial gift a spiritual transaction occurred.

Something happened in your heart. God led you. You responded. And as you've invested in Living on the Edge we are going to take that to invest in the lives of people here and around the world and I just want to remind you, it really matters and we are so grateful.

Thank you for doing exactly what God led you to do and I'll have all the results here in a couple weeks as we do all the tally, but let's thank and praise God together and hear from us. We really appreciate you well. As Chip mentioned, as we process everything but still coming in will have all the information about the match on our website, so keep an eye out for their LivingontheEdge.org again, please know were celebrating over every gift and the impact it will have on what were doing in 2019. So were most grateful and very excited. Well here's trip with some final thoughts from today's talk. Jesus was standing before a group of people. They had just believed him and receive eternal life and he said to that group who had just believed on him. If you abide in my words you will know the truth and the truth will you can finish it for me. Can't you the truth will set you free. What were really talking about today is the power of the truth to set you free, and rarely is there an area that's more sensitive not just in the Christian community. But in the world at large of people seeing themselves through faulty mirrors, you know there are beautiful beautiful people, wonderful people and they look in the mirror and they don't see a beautiful or wonderful or caring or loving person there looking at their lives through work, mirrors, and they don't like themselves and there's a lot of people that are taking drugs and abusing alcohol and are in codependent relationships and who are workaholics and hard, desperately, desperately trying to be free and trying to be as someone but the distorted mirrors of their past have worked there thinking Jesus says that when we know the truth. The truth can set us free and in our next broadcast working to talk about getting the kind of knowledge from Scripture.

So that happens when you talk about how you grow in your faith. So it actually occurs, how your mind is renewed and then specific steps of experience, where God can make true in you.

What is already true of you but today I want to close out our broadcast by talking very honestly and personally with some of you that have worked mirrors, you know, the work mirrors are one.

My value depends on how I look. The appearance work mere you know we are so flooded with information in the magazine racks and TV and commercials that unify gals, not 5 foot six and hundred and 5 pounds and you know what, that's pretty skinny but you know on this magazine racks they make those people look so pretty and so beautiful. Get a whole generation of young women who look in the mirror and who are beautiful, but think their fat we get this whole eating disorder thing. This occurred because of faulty mirror have a very close friend. She is just a great friend of our family and friend of her church, and I as Treece was doing some teaching the life of her church got to know this gal and I think she's dropdead gorgeous I'm you know any damage she ought to be on a magazine somewhere and you know what biggest struggle is in her heart she think she's ugly. I mean it's just like so far from reality. But her appearance and her value is dependent on faulty mirrors. How about you, are you preoccupied with how you look. You one of those guys it has to lift so many weights and drink all the protein drinks not because you really want to be healthy and strong, but you desperately want to be approved Re: are you a woman that is just died indicting dieting in your Christian and you love God, but down deep you don't like you. Can I tell you, there's a Better Way, God made you uniquely your loved your valued your significant but you must get the snapshot of his word in your heart and life, not the snapshot of the world you know something I encourage you this is an area are few minutes here today is not to bring about the long-term transformation. If you really struggle here. I encourage you to find a Christian counselor, a pastor friend get in Psalm 139 and read it over and say Lord you help me see me the way you see me begin a journey of seeing the truth about you so you can be free. As we close today's broadcast. I just want to remind you about the trip and remap the free trip and remap delivers daily broadcasts like our program today.

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