Growth Is it all About Perception?

[Sandy Zalecki]

"I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:14

I just returned from a wonderful vacation. My husband and I went back to our home state of Colorado. It is a beautiful state. They have had a lot of rain so there a flowers and green grass everywhere. But even though the landscape was amazing, my perception of my life was changed a bit by an encounter with an old classmate.

She was one of the "popular kids" and I was always shy so I didn't have many friends when I was in high school and the ones I had were not popular. In fact they were considered the bottom of the barrel, the outcasts, the ones the no one else wanted to hang around with. I was so shy that they were the only ones that would talk to me. The classmate that I hooked up with on vacation was a cheerleader, candidate for home coming queen, a part of the honor society, and a leader in many other clubs. She was an "untouchable" one in my high school world.

However, when we got together 40 years later she said she didn't perceive herself as popular at all. She told me that she only had one true friend all the way through high school. Sure she was a cheerleader, but she was just a country girl and she didn't feel she was popular in high school. Her perception of high school and mine were completely different.

This changed my "perception" of life because our perception isn't reality at all. The only important thing in life isn't how we perceive ourselves but how the Lord perceives us because our reality is skewed. He sees us as safe and unconditionally loved. In Him we are perfect. Although we are flawed human beings we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Ps. 139:14) in His eyes.

How do you perceive yourself? Do you see the flawed human that lives here on earth or do you see yourself as the Lord does?
View attachment 4564

 

[iLOVE]

I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. A child of God created in the image of Lord Jesus Christ. Subject to the fruit of the spirits and the character of God. As Jesus is so am I. As a son of God I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. If God be for me who can be against me!

 

[Blain]

Things are almost never as it seems this goes for life for faith and how we see things

 

[Sandy Zalecki]

Things are almost never as it seems this goes for life for faith and how we see things

Yes, that is very true.

 

[for_his_glory]

I really like what I love God said, but it took me many years to see that in myself, even though I was saved way back in the day. I was never popular and was considered an outcast by students and even some teachers. It wasn't until I got over my self esteem issues that I learned to love myself for who I was and am now in the Lord. It's still hard to fathom the unconditional love that Jesus has for me, but praise His name he saw something worthwhile in me.

 

[Danus]

Good post Sandy.

In terms of my relationship with God I see myself as a saved sinner. In my salvation I see myself as a repentant sinner being conformed to the Christian life; drawn to God like a magnate, which is still "funny" to me. Not funny "haha" but amazing.

Conversion took place in my life, in my heart, years ago. Not some sort of "poof" now you're a Christian type of thing, but a slow pull towards God, a moment of regeneration, and a growing from there, and even a struggle with that vs my sinful nature. That's my perception of me.

I can't answer the question quite as clearly as do I see myself A or B, this way or that, but often when I refer to myself as a sinner, people tend to not understand what I'm saying. I believe that is because of how we understand the term "sinner".

I am a flawed human on earth, but I know God loves me, and I know God has a plan for me, and I am experiencing His plan. My personal circumstances are irrelevant to Gods plan, and the Love He has shown to me.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

How do you perceive yourself? Do you see the flawed human that lives here on earth or do you see yourself as the Lord does?

Both.

Forgetting what is behind and straining forward in Christ is not am amnesia about what we were, but a decision to not let the past hinder the present and future we have in Christ.

I have found it useful for the purpose of humility to 'remember' where I came from. It keeps the glory of God's forgiveness alive and burning in me.

 

[Edward]

Both.

Forgetting what is behind and straining forward in Christ is not am amnesia about what we were, but a decision to not let the past hinder the present and future we have in Christ.

I have found it useful for the purpose of humility to 'remember' where I came from. It keeps the glory of God's forgiveness alive and burning in me.

Yeah. Good judgement comes from experience, experience comes from poor judgement.

I really like what I love God said, but it took me many years to see that in myself, even though I was saved way back in the day. I was never popular and was considered an outcast by students and even some teachers. It wasn't until I got over my self esteem issues that I learned to love myself for who I was and am now in the Lord. It's still hard to fathom the unconditional love that Jesus has for me, but praise His name he saw something worthwhile in me.

(I also like what I Love God said, and agree.)
It was opposite for me. I was pretty popular back in the day, and now that I have found the Lord, it's like most people turned against me. but I don't care, I expect it because scripture says it will be like that. The way I figure it, this is a flag for me which indicates that I'm on the right path, lol.

Perception is a wonderful (skill?) thing to have. This is how we are able to be scraping along on next to nothing, and yet, be content with our station in life, like Paul said. I eat every day, the lights are on...I'm good, praise the Lord!

 

[iLOVE]

I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. A child of God created in the image of Lord Jesus Christ. Subject to the fruit of the spirits and the character of God. As Jesus is so am I. As a son of God I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. If God be for me who can be against me!

Greater is he that is in you, then he that is in the world. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

 

[Sandy Zalecki]

Having the mind of Christ sounds like a great goal, but tell me how you keep your mind stayed on Christ in today's world of distractions? I find it very difficult. Does anyone else have this issue?

 

[jeff77]

Having the mind of Christ sounds like a great goal, but tell me how you keep your mind stayed on Christ in today's world of distractions? I find it very difficult. Does anyone else have this issue?

I find it difficult as well. I try to keep my thoughts on the reason God put us here. It makes all the distractions seem less important.

 

[for_his_glory]

Having the mind of Christ sounds like a great goal, but tell me how you keep your mind stayed on Christ in today's world of distractions? I find it very difficult. Does anyone else have this issue?

For me I allow no drama or stress of this world to come in my house as for me and my house we serve the Lord. It's all about conditioning your heart and to know God is always in control even when temptations come your way as Satan loves to distract us and as Jesus said, get thee behind me Satan. Even though I live in this world I am not of this world, but only passing through. When others try to bring me drama that can cause stress I just say "it's not my circus and it's not my monkeys".

 

[Willie T]

Perceptions. Right from the beginning, they have affected us.
Eve "perceived" that perhaps Satan was telling the truth, and maybe God was holding something back.
Then, Adam "perceived" that God was angry with him, and he hid. And, sometimes, even today, the perceptions we have of both God and ourselves... AND our identify in Him influence our reactions, and even beliefs. (For GOOD, I hope)

But not always.....
"God is angry with me because of (whatever we think we did), and He may not see me a too good a light." Humm? What's the Bible say? Yeah, you know... it hasn't changed. He loves us.

Sometimes we need to keep in mind that "perceive" and "deceive" sound a lot alike, and can fool us..... UNLESS we remember that, "believe" and "receive" trump them both.

 

[Edward]

Having the mind of Christ sounds like a great goal, but tell me how you keep your mind stayed on Christ in today's world of distractions? I find it very difficult. Does anyone else have this issue?

Sure i do.
However, it's like anything else. Routine, repetitiveness, and what is on your mind most of the time. This is what I am studying right now. I notice that the bible speaks very much of 'think on this' 'meditate on that' 'do not think on these things'...and so forth. I think this may be a lot more important than we give it credit for. I'll put some scriptures together later on these things for you all.

We should realize and remember...that our mind is our mind and belongs to us. The enemy can whisper things to us and put thoughts in our head, but we should be able to (and practice) casting down those bad thoughts, and not continuing to think about them. Rebuke them, pick up a bible and read, pray, whatever we have to do to get our minds back on Christ, and over time, we would/should be able to do it with less effort.

Distractions are the enemy's weapon. our counter is;

Psalm 1:2
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night./

Joshua 1:8
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success./

Proverbs 23:7
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee/

Isaiah 26:3
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee./

There's a few for you. Scripture is littered with sayings such as these. So it must be be important, or even crucial. If we do this, He will keep us in perfect peace.

Peace in the spirit, praise God! Not only this, but the more we meditate and think on Christ and His Word, the more we will obtain the mind of Christ. We will begin thinking like He does, for the bible is Gods very thoughts written down for us.

 

[iLOVE]

Having the mind of Christ sounds like a great goal, but tell me how you keep your mind stayed on Christ in today's world of distractions? I find it very difficult. Does anyone else have this issue?

Dying to self daily is what Paul spoke of so often. It is how we walk in the "Spirit" and not in the

"flesh" as we are instructed in Romans Chapter 8 and Galatians Chapter 5. The whole issue of

dying to self daily is the absolute key to living a victorious life in Christ. It literally means that you

have to die to self DAILY! This is why so many people who are saved, love the Lord, live beneath

their blessings and in constant turmoil. This is how people who know Christ as their Savior end

up committing adultery, cheat people, lie, get in bondage to drugs, alcohol, food, sex, gambling,

shopping, greed, and anything else people become enslaved to. They don't die to self each day

and end up walking in the "flesh" and NOT the "Spirit." In dying to self, we find genuine life by

depending on God.

Jesus described the dying-to-self process to “deny self”

http://www.openbible.info/topics/dying_to_self

 

[Sandy Zalecki]

So many great responses to this post. We have three enemies, the devil, the world, and the flesh. We must constantly be stayed on Jesus and His word in order to fight these enemies. With the internet, TV, and all the media we have these days, it is very difficult to keep our minds on the Lord. Then there is all the drama of the world. Everything changes so quickly and we seem to be in constant ciaos. We need the Lord more now than we ever have.

 

[phil marriner]

Great story Sandy. I agree with you.We can go through our lives looking at ourselves totally different to the way people look at us. Jesus looks at us differntly to both those perceptions

 

[Sandy Zalecki]

Great story Sandy. I agree with you.We can go through our lives looking at ourselves totally different to the way people look at us. Jesus looks at us differntly to both those perceptions

If we could only see ourselves the way the Lord sees us. How powerful we would be!!

 

[eddif]

"I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

Physical imagery relates to spiritual.

Fearfully:
Kidneys remove toxins (mind vain imaginations)
Lungs exhale carbon dioxide as waste ( confession of
sins helps reap forgiveness)
Immune system resists disease (Holy Spirit resists our flesh)

Wonderfully:
Lungs gather oxygen (spirit from spirit)
Digestive system digests food (live by Word as we meditate on it)
Cerebellum does physical and hormonal balance (spirituals help balance Body of Christ)
Heart pumps good things to body parts as each system supplies needs (Jesus directs our gifts)

He tries our hearts and reins (kidneys). Fear and wonder.

eddif

 

[Christ_empowered]

I think this idea--the idea that God's view of His children is so vastly different, and more positive, than what the world says--is one reason a) I like Christ and Christianity and b) Christianity has often been the faith of the excluded, the disenfranchised, the poor, the expendable.