How We See Ourselves

This is the Truth Network of every man his life doesn't usually feel that way. Jesus speaks of narrow gauge life with a masculine journey is filled with many twists and turns.

So how do we keep from losing heart while trying to find a way life feels more like a losing battle and something worth dying for, grab your gear, request band of brothers will serve as the guides we call masculine journey masculine journey starts here now welcome the last God to have you with us today and maybe I could see a smile on your face are excited to be here and so we got we got a great show for your today were were excited about it. Were excited were God's gonna take us today because we kinda don't really know for sure. To be quite honest. We talked about a lot of things around this topic and the cool thing that if you're not part of the show you're sitting on it. We we we discussed to show recent clips throughout the week with each other. We we talk about it sometimes is bullet points going back and forth and then we talk before the show before coming the studio and then got going to take some retakes it an ounce as part of the adventure that we get a walk with Eamon Tennessee where we we land the ship today but were to continue the topics from last couple weeks. Now you can tell me the topics from last two weeks. While one level was how God sees us. That's one of them and how we see God how we see God. So what would be the follow-up to that and around. If this is your topic today.

Good morning Karen through the set here's what's a follow-up to those those two things, how do we see ourselves right. So how do we see ourselves as part of the question we talked about before he came in and was is there a difference in how we see ourselves pre-Christ repost Christ. The answer could be yes and no. Yes, absolutely. So there's a wide range of things that were in the old nature that we have never really shaken off and things that have developed in our new nature that we were there before but we have developed into a greater level. Hopefully Paul writes about the old man you know that you have to kill off self range to accept Christ in our lives and we do become new creations in Christ were new creations of old habits were were new creations with old ways of handling things world create were new creations with maybe the same anger control issues. Some of us to feel like old creation creations were still new relative to get out God had entered an eternity set pre-Christ. You know what some of things that maybe you struggled with releasing other people struggle with in from the outside, looking in so I guess probably my thing was just low self-esteem back in the day I can remember my dad getting so aggravated that me it was like back in pop Warner football and I come across the field at this homecoming thing and I'm escorting this girl my hips down. He's like why do you always walk with your head down. He stayed on me that lived a big part of my life had friends and I mean I would consider myself fairly popular. Whatever with in the school warming and was an athlete, but there was still lit and insufficiently there discussed in this wasn't confident and I can tell you that you know I guess probably the biggest changes when I started going to the boot camps. Hardly I didn't message on identity. The new name and really friendship it changed everything for me so inner just that it's like and I see myself differently. I see myself much more the child of God walk with God, but I hadn't really seen myself as a child of God to the degree that I had, so that's probably mine yeah arrived diversely in struggled with self-esteem issues. I've had friends that if they were here they would be okay with me sharing the story that struggled on the other side, yeah, that wasn't me know they they they were full of steam or whatever you would say it is very much did not need God. You know, why do why do I need God I can do everything on my own kind of thing and so you have that in the equation as well short of the end of the equation.

I was on that idea and I think of it more as age than being before Christ always believed in God that early on my life that was that.

I actually would say something is cocky is God just go directly to God and cut out the middleman in Jesus that made that would so I know I was, not saved. At that point now. I did man-be asked you. Have you been born again or are you lost that clout that I have never been lost. Not always been his butt in that I was cocky and I had far more damage.

Well, like most 18-year-olds. I knew it all. I was ready to take on the world and I had all the equipment I needed God was my backup plan and I live that well play until I fell on my face enough in my 30s early 40s to figure out.

Well, maybe I don't have an altogether good thing about God that we gardeners in right we still battle the same things. We battled it out and he knows that Beatty doesn't leave us there and so we got our first clip, which is one that you think that if you and talk a bit about this clip and set it up that that's over to visit piglet at his party, so this one particularly is there trying to lift piglet up piglet. You know, of course, is himself is pretty low, so they have a party and there's a bunch of pictures – that they all have all over the piglet's place in a Eagles in he sees all these pictures and they now he sees himself how others see him and that's their way of showing piglet that he is much more than what he realizes hundred eight Christopher and his friends have had many wonderful adventures now show you one day. The office decided to show.

It was an exceptionally good friend. He will set the present with a special surprise when you realize you are a hero.

Great. Of course you have that you know you wouldn't be friends with a good is not a bad place to live calls for a celebration because you said that even though he was quite small to his friends he had made a big impression. That was pretty was a long party like you want to jump up and run around and hug everybody in the room got your will be further with you makes it it illustrates a point were talking about that you know that that the power of community is really part of what God uses right to help us see ourselves more clearly.

We talk about it to you from time to time, but we do that with each other all the time that we spend enough time with each other. We get to learn more and more about the baggage that we carry.

We know that the perceptions that we had the self-perceptions of it had been on end and sometimes it does take that Fred is stepping in introspection is great but many things we won't say until somebody points them out to us in community of friends is even more powerful than the single friend write you skeet building on that community. And you can share more more the more you can share with others. That's what the church is all about is there to be a fellowship in Christ with each other and be able to point out okay. You have low self-esteem, you're more than that, hey, you're all proud, prideful, okay you're not quite that much worse was meant to yell, make sure that we are all levelheaded and we are going good right direction with our lives and not too high not to low and I'm sure there are a lot of churches that are able to do that in times able to do that with small groups and things of that nature. You know that really is the design of what the church it was meant to be was to be that support factor to be that that ambassador to help you through those times you absolutely mean the New Testament. How many times as one another mentioned, you know you one another enough people with the right people are going to help you. Like Rodney said to help you keep you honest tonight and not like that word accountable but you know walking in the and that in the way in the way of the way the word but also to encourage you in and point out things talks about Barnabas but is the encourager he was there to really build up people in that had been beaten down or didn't see themselves where that who they were. The proper they can see yourselves a Proper Way in Christ. The thing that and and this is a soapbox that I get on the number and just throw it out there that the Suboxone I get on as far as we have to move past the whole philosophy of being a sinner saved by grace but that's not Jim, you say well I do well.

We are sinners saved by grace but were so much more than that. That's just the starting place and I don't know what I said earlier, is not just say I saved by grace, which is exactly what the point is this, that is a true statement right. We are sinners saved by the grace of God that he died for so much more to give his heart to fulfill the purpose for us, which is to be in his kingdom and be rulers. This kingdom and into rule well over here right right you know primarily of ourselves that they have some plaster others are put in our kingdom.

Absolutely, you know, I mean to to love one another well noted to really learn from him how to love the heart of a woman to learn from them how to best love your kids. The problem they learn how to love, to love the jerk that cut you off in traffic right visiting Jerry is one One from a get the jerk to see the mayor's hard to really love that is for the journey to God helping you see as piglet had to find out there's much more to all of us in what we've been told since it was Rickenbacker and listen to Shrek him or listen to Maximus are some great tips coming up with a blue kick coming up and it's coming up the river seventh through 10th to the masculine journey radio.org to register now. Would love to see them same. My son Eli talked about ways you can help support Lily smiled at.

It was on the information that Facebook.com where you can click the button tweaking it to PO Box 550 what God does journey radio closed off each person is kind of chipped away at this feeling I was having to wait this mask.

I was hiding behind never heard all the key pad of all unity that your story is you picked that did, I did not was connected like we do carry that that that just that bad feeling, or we been bad or whatever, but really that's not contact that in the song is obviously bad in a good contact absolutely really cool, but we did. We sometimes feel like we are back to the bow to follow the guy in the highway. That sounds judgmental, but I'm pretty sure what Lefty talked about it a little bit. As we mentioned on the way out. Sometimes artist when love is the one in the rear as ourselves absolutely use that word. I'm trying not to much bad. One of the things in my life is been that most people think of me as a great guy and present company excluded, as you know me better. I know how despicable I can be and how hateful I can feel, and then often bubble out but and that's is a good thing but there's their thoughts that I need to take captive still every day and so I see my failures in math and think less of myself and my father knows for sure when it's all human enemy it. It's the same old story. He tries to get us to isolate right you know whether it's what you're sharing my I battle the same feelings along the way is you and there's times I felt so much like a hypocrite because I think people sometimes see me differently than what I know who I am right but you know some of that the others truth guy needs to do some work there is also a whole lot of the enemy and their whispering along the way and his whole goal is to isolate and to get us out of that community tour. We can live with people that will speak truth truthful to us that will share their love with this good and bad in Tellson's want to hear and things we don't want to hear the party is not just the other day. Pastor said to me that you really hold things together here and that Allie that was tremendous and making me feel like I was doing something worthwhile and I like sometimes others see us more accurately leasing ourselves and agree that as well. It will, as we we know the thoughts that we have.

We know the we get them either in a whisper in here now. I want to go to a clip is a hero here that actually is battling the opposite side of that right that he's he's also feeling the need to isolate it in the end when he met mentioned isolation. I thought it if you shrink, do we just want anyway. How are swamped. No rescuing the princes and all the steps we don't keep this know we there's no ally there's just me and my swamp. The first thing on go to do is build a 10 foot wall around my land, he cut me deep streak. You could be read deep just now think I think this whole wall thing is just way to keep the money out.

Do you think something.

Nevermind donkey is another Windows anything you didn't know this is one of those drop it and leave the things you want to talk about take not blocking you okay now we get somewhere with your problem trip is over anyway, I'm not the one with the problem okay is a world that seems to have a problem with me. People take one look at me and go stupid ugly Olga. They judge me before the even know me.

That's why I'm better off you and that's what ends up happening is the enemy tries to get that whole isolation. You know what I really love about the story about Shrek as much as he tries isolate the more people get involved in the story, particularly donkey. He will not let you get the clue. Very good make in flapjacks the Andy well yeah it was in that it is where we go, we it does take a community to help us see whether it's a single friend or a group of friends to see us really who we are and that were beyond my he wanted to go to that isolation. That point of like nobody you know wants to deal with an ogre or whatever, but the donkey saw in a more intimate things like he was offended that he was gonna you know isolate from them. So I think we've all been there, done that. I've had some dark times where that's kind of where I wanted to be is just isolated the man on an island yeah just push and push in the world out in the family on my own build up those wells rent units with the differences I think that when we accept Christ as our Savior, we become a new creation as he won't let us stay there you won't let us you won't let us stay wherever that is. Whatever there is you won't let us isolate for Shrek. You keep sending. I guess I will give us about talking exactly that his own version of donkey or know if it's the opposite you, he may take some things away and humble us along the way because he loves us so much he wants to get us to that place where we are exactly how he's always seen us and that's what I was battling something a couple weeks ago where I might now that I've been in the national journey and understand things little bit better and like yeah I know it's an agreement I noticed agreement. I don't care. I agree with us on this agreement and mine. I don't care. I was just being obstinate as I could be about two days later, it just kind of slowly start to work his way back out of Michael cannot there anymore.

Thank you Lord for getting me out of that Madison now that situation.

I break that agreement was it was hard but he had to suit think you and that brings me to the question I'd ask of the earlier before the show run is gives an example of timer God with leaving their right knee Working on in Helping see truth and then he was able to break that agreement yet for you guys. What sometimes it may come to mind when God refused to let you stay in a place you just want to stay and I am a pig and I know it's mad that it's my mud stay at it right. Probably mine was when I started coming to the big dance. First couple years I would come and absorb everything I could still have no community still is very isolated.

Still kind of caught up in addictions and and just really wasn't fully sold out. My heart was drawn to that. But I was in the place where I didn't really want to be in.

It took continued. Many jobs all my heart he knew I wanted to be there. I just did know how to get there and it continued to be traced truth upon truth that finally got me out of that. He continued to come after me, and through his grace accepted his invitation to me think yeah actually is when you asked the question I have, will immediately come to mind. And that was when I was doing chaplaincy training and we were pretty intense map and I was talking about how mean I was beating up on myself.

I said well you and I need to study the Bible more and I need to pray more poor pitiful me and one of the guys that was and he was there as a leader, but he just came and we have not in care much for he said you know what your arrogant malady by nose may that's gotta be a button because that's one thing I don't want to be seen as so I went immediately from this humble, whiny poser to ready to rip the skies had often and I did avoid that. But my response wasn't what you mean by lap and it was a challenge he said well you know you're sitting there talking about all these things, God is forgiving you think you're not doing right and left.

Yeah, you can't forgive yourself.

You know better than God, and that was a life changer man thank you Fallon.

Remember your name. If you're out there listening but that was over 20 years ago right at 20 years ago Matt was the significant moment and I was accused of being the one thing would hate to be accused of being mouth cemented myself multiple times since the thank you from either one of these candycane miners were sent here was one of the first boot camps now is a doing the wound talk in on in with my particular wing said it was something that happened to me as a child that I had said would never know never know about my station issues and things and you know God. Over time, help me through the healing help me through some of that and so I was going and it is either my first or second boot camp, it was that Baptist Caraway airway and can't Carraway and I member halfway through the talk all of a sudden getting this feeling like I'm blowing it in really bad we had some technical issues and some other things and it was all I could do to get through the talking. I remember the second half of it in a heartbeat on the time and as soon as the talk was over, I made it out the door and just took off out the words and we lost it and completely lost it was just crying and just knowing that I'm sorry.

Letting down you know all these things and not when finally was out things kinda cried out. I came walking back out there and I don't know how many people stop me along the way I yeah it was that this guy stop me a friend Andy you stop me and shared how much the story meant to.

Amen this next person stop me in this next person stop me in my time I got back up to the cabin where all the team was in. I was in a lot Better Pl. in Anaheim in by then that night it happened so frequently, you know, and I member to setting their kind of laughing a little bit and say okay God, thank you you love me you won't let me stay there.

You will let me believe that lie you won't let me live and it in it in the first couple times it happened I just can't discounted it in and then it was just it happened so much like a gotta get it. Even me. I think I thick enough that I'm going to get it. I'm not sure if we have enough time to get our next clip and we don't.

It's it was from gladiator gladiator thank you hacking.

Remember that the notes were maximus you know goes off at the end and says who he is and what that is and that's a whole lifetime of things going good things going bad.

Walking along the way learning happens, God takes us through these times his ups and down times in our lives as we walk with him will walk with him.

He will help us find the truth of who we really are to see ourselves more clearly make its way others could deftly help show us the way that he sees this in a day. That's really what matters is that we are. It's much better than what we tell ourselves as we take some time to spend with him him love on you, but also asking God. How do you see… And what he has to say. I promise you something good talking to