Self-view affects behavior

In studying ‘self-esteem’ I learned that the views I have affect the way that I behave. For instance, when I thought I knew more than my parents, at times I was rude to them. When I decided they were wise, my behavior changed. When I thought I was not as smart as everyone else, I worked hard in school to prove otherwise. When I thought I was not lovable, I acted like an unloved person.

In those growing up years and the years of studying self-esteem and related issues, it became important to understand what is true. I didn’t want to believe lies and act as if they were true. After putting my faith in Christ, He showed me that I needed to believe what He said about me, not what I thought, or what I thought other people thought. I believe that His view is the correct view — which also is a behavior-changer!

“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:6–11)

A dead person cannot respond to external circumstances. Temptation has no effect. Sin holds no interest. The problem is that everything but God tells me that I am not dead to those things but very much alive!

In contrast, the Word of God says my old life died with Christ. That is how I am to think — not that I am alive to sin but alive to God. This is not an easy way to think.

In the above passage, the word ‘consider’ is an accounting term in the Greek language. It means to reckon, conclude, and is related to taking inventory or keeping records. If I line up the data, I’m to put how I think and feel alongside what God says and determine which information is correct. That is, does my estimation of myself speak truth — or is what God says about me the truth?

Pride interferes with the obvious. Of course God speaks the truth, but why then do I hang on to my version of it? Is it because I think I know better? Or is it because I want to keep my ‘freedom’ to sin in the equation? Or is it because I’ve not disciplined myself to think as He thinks, putting that view of me as a dead-to-sin person deep into my sense of self? Probably all three.

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Lord Jesus, You are patient with me which is wonderful, but I am too content with this status quo of a self-view that avoids thinking I am dead to sin. It is like sin itself and puts me in slavery to a life that has no ‘life’ instead of real life in You. My scattered mind has always struggled with meditation but that is only an excuse. Focus me on the reality of who and what I am in You.