The character of Christ as a victor, which supported his ministry, was the vision from which he lived – that of glorifying God by serving others. His vision was fulfilled in other people – not in things. He lived each moment with people to open up the possibility of a greater life. He challenged those around him to change their lives – a repentance of loving self to loving others – from being a victim to a victor.

Goal:

Transformation from loving self first to loving God and others first. Provoke the “victim” in each of us to yield to a vision bigger than ourselves.

The end of every Christian is not just to KNOW he or she is saved and redeemed; but to LIVE a life that is saved and redeemed.

One of the more subtle ploys of the enemy (or our willfully deluded selves) is to get us so caught in introspection and dealing with the self that we forget others. We miss the opportunity to love. In asking us to take up our cross, could Jesus really be asking us to choose the suffering of shame, rejection and humiliation?

Jesus did feel shame, rejection and humiliation but the relationship to those feelings was one of thinking little of them. He chose to disregard them. He refused to be a victim to his feelings – they were not an excuse for breaking his word. The cross that Jesus asks us to bear involves considering others as more important than ourselves (Mark 8:35).

God’s concerns are always the stance of the heart: how we relate to Him, to others, to the circumstances, and to ourselves when the chips are down.

Sanctification – ongoing process of being continually transformed into the image of Christ; involves killing the victim.

Also in this series:

• Our Biggest Idol: Ourselves
• How to Move from Selfishness to Selflessness
• How to Provoke and Kill Your Inner Victim

A book I read explains that the “victim” in each of us thrives on using the injustices of life to justify all manner of selfishness; the unwillingness to love, the numbing of our feelings for others, abusive anger or the satisfaction of numerous lusts.

Four principles of selfishness:

1. Looking good
2. Feeling good
3. Being right
4. Being in control

Self-preservation and comfort is their only goal. The “victim” trades short-term pain of resolving a crisis for a long-term, dull ache of hopelessness.

God has given us the authority and liberty to steward our lives. Whenever we surrender that control to someone or something else, we become a “victim” to that person or thing. Every time you allow a past hurt, a failure, a feeling or a circumstance to determine your life, you are relating to those incidents as a victim.

Also in this series:

• Our Biggest Idol: Ourselves
• How to Move from Selfishness to Selflessness

The Kingdom Cult of Self (by Kevin J. Conner) says that man was especially created to be filled with God. God himself desired to fill man’s being – man’s self – with Himself.

If man is not filled with God, then he becomes filled with himself, entirely self-centered. He sets himself up as a god, a king, and rules over his own world called “the kingdom of self.”

I don’t know about you, but I sure have done this. I want it when I want it and I want it now. Sound familiar?

However, Christ wants us to come from SELFISHNESS, where one is excessively concerned with oneself, one’s own pleasure and well-being, into SELFLESSNESS, where we live for God and for others in an unselfish life.

Matthew 6:33 says:

“Seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Put the spiritual needs first and the physical needs will be taken care of. Give and you shall receive. You reap what you sow. It’s about giving and not getting ,but if we are focused on self, then it becomes about us.

Man’s first need is the need of repentance. Repentance – a change of mind, a change of attitude. Christ came not “to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13).

Faith, along with repentance, is the entire foundation of the Christian life.

The Lord Jesus said, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:24, 25).

The knowledge of our own poverty is what brings us to the proper place where Jesus accomplishes his work. It’s about self-denial, not self-worth, self-love, or self-esteem. SELF-DENIAL is saying no to all subtle forms and all expressions of selfishness and all one’s selfish tendencies! It is saying no to self will, self-admiration, self-exaltation — every expression of selfishness. To deny means “to deny utterly, to disown, to abstain from.”

The cross is dying to SELF, sinful self, selfishness in all its expressions. It is dying to self-will, selfish ambitions, self-pride, and self-love.

It is a “Laying one’s life down” to live for Christ and others and not living for self.

One thing I have realized in ministering to others and in receiving healing and deliverance in my own life, is the issue surrounding self-worth.

Our worth does not come from what we do, how we behave, or what occupation we have. It comes only through the Blood of Jesus.

I am beginning a 4-part series on “self worth” to bring light to the body of Christ about not only what it truly is but what the enemy of our soul would like us to believe.

Literally everything we DO is influenced by the way we feel about ourselves:

• Our emotions
• Our relationships
• Our decisions
• Our attitudes
• Our trust in God
• Our ability to excel
• Our confidence to serve God
• Our faith in difficult times
• Our ability to give and to receive love

A person who sees herself in a negative light is a person who also sees others in a negative way. The opposite is true, as well. A person who sees herself positively also looks for the good in others. It’s all in one’s perspective. We act as we see ourselves.

However, the biggest idol that we have as a people and as a body is the idol called “Self.” This idol demands its own way… demands that everyone serve it and not the Lord… demands that we do our own thing, despite what everybody else says. Over and over we bow down to the needs of the flesh and we begin to serve self.

In The True Measure of a Woman: Discover Your Intrinsic Value As You Learn to See Yourself As God Sees You, by Lisa Bevere, she states that we need to stop focusing on self. Whether your feelings about yourself are good or bad, they can still become an idol. It is the worship of self.

Oh, “I don’t worship self,” you may argue, or you may say, “I have a poor self-image.” But whenever you are limited to your self-image – good or bad – the image of self becomes your master.

An image of self is not something we are born with; it is forged through pain, pressure and praise. Pain will cause us to become aware of something we previously were not aware of. Pressure will bring hidden talents or flaws to the surface. Praise will test what you are made of and point to our talents or assets. This is what God wants for us – that we become so totally aware of our relationship with Him that we lose our awareness of what is around us. He doesn’t want to draw us close to see our flaws; He wants to hold us close to captivate us with His love.

Self-image is a defense mechanism. It is the image we project while we try to protect who we really are.

What we must understand is that the opposite of self-conscious is not a “good” self-image or self-esteem. The opposite of conscious is unconscious. We become less conscious of self and our will as we become more conscious of God and His will.

Sometimes I get tired of trying. Do you?

As I talk with so many today regarding where they are in their lives be it economical, spiritual, emotional, or physical, I believe there is always a temptation just to stop trying and give up.

I have experienced that too. It can sometimes be overwhelming and fearful. Disappointment and discouragement enter in and then the spiral begins downward. Gosh, I must not have enough faith! Maybe I should do this and that to make it better.

We all try different tactics to make things change. Some work and some don’t. Day by day I am learning to rest in God’s arms and His plans so I can experience peace in the midst of the uncertainty.

I know I can only fail if I quit. Moving forward is the difference between winning and losing so I choose to move forward!

Can you relate?