Psalms 49:18
For when he dies he can take none of it along with him; his goods cannot follow him down
The Bible relates that after Solomon (Shlomo in Hebrew) becomes king of Israel, he has a dream. In his dream, God appears and offers to grant him one wish. instead of requesting weath or llong life, Shlomo humbly askes for wisdom so that he can properly judge the people. God is pleased with his decision, and rewards him not only with wisdom, but with wealth and honor as well. Upon waking the next morning, he comes to Jerusalem and offers sacrifices, expressing his gratitude to the Lord (I Kings 3:50-14).
In making his request,Shlomo demonstrates that he understands the message of this verse: Thiose things that most people chase, wealth and fortune, are the most fleeting.
Have you ever known someone who put up a barrier that pervented true communication? Sometimes when talking to certain people, I've felt like there was a wall of cold steel between us. In moments like that, I find myself wishing that person could open their heart just a little. Do you know why this happens? Oftentimes, it's because that person has a poor self-image and is afraid to let others see them for who they are. But God wants - and has provided - so much more for His children.
What do you see when you look in to the mirror?
Your self-image is the mental picture you paint of ourself. it's important to develop it correctly, because how you think, feel, speak, and act flows out of it.
The shaping of your self-image began very early when you were a baby, and continues throughout your life. Your mental self-perception is influenced by the words of others as well as your own experiences. But because our hearts are self-deceiving (Jer. 17:9), we're prone to a distorted views of ourselves. The only one who truly knows and understands us is Gdo, Himself. By going to His Living Word, we'll gain right insight into who we truly are.
Paul is an example of someone who had a balanced self-image. We catch glimpse of this in 1 Corinthians 15:8-10. After listing those who had the privilege of seeing the risen Christ, Paul declared with humiliy that he was the last one to see the Lord. What was Paul's journey from an earlier, distorted view to this more accurate self-perception?
Before his conversion, Paul had too high an opinion of himself. he had reached the top tier of Judaism and was confident as a Pharisee that his obedience to the law had earned him God's approval and acceptance (Phil: 3:4-6). he was so convinced of his self-righteous beliefs that he persecuted the church. It took a visit from Jesus on the Damascus road to open Paul's mind to the truth that he was a sinner in need of a Savior.
After, Paul humbly adjusted himself to a more accurate assessment. He said, "Wahtever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss because of Christ"v (Phil. 3:7-8).
When he wrote to the Corinthians, he described himself as "the least of the Apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I (he) persecuted the church of God"(1 Corinthians 15:9).
Now, you might think Paul must of had a terrible self-image at this point. How could he possibly get over the guilt of what he'd done? Perhaps you feel this way about yourself. Is past sin dogging your foot steps, gragging you down into discouragement, and distorting your selfimage? Do you let your failures shape how you see yourself? if so, learn from Paul's example.
Paul viewed himself as God saw him. He didn't let past failures shape his identity. He left them behind so he could pursue Christ. At salvation, Paul became a new person, all due to God's good grace: "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10). Paul didn't develop a self-loathing attitude once he recognized his sins. Instead, he saw himself through the lens of biblical truth.
That's what God wants for every believer. We4 don't have to live the rest of our lives with a distorted view of ourselves, living in bondage to a low or high self-image.
The Lord wants us to have a balanced perception based on Scripture. Ephesians 1:3-14 tells how God sees us. We are His chosen, beloved children who are redeemed, forgiven, and lavished with grace.
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