Develop Your Faith Image // Essential Life Skills, Part 3

A Different Perspective Official Podcast

We get a lot of our understanding of who we are, where we fit and what we’re worth, by listening to what other people say. How the world reacts to us. The problem is, you can’t always believe everything you hear.

If I asked you, in twenty-five words or less, to write down who you are, what would you write? No, not some bland generalised statement. I want a sentence that captures your essence; your value; the important things about you. So, what would you write? What evidence, what feelings, what feedback would you draw on to write it? It’s hard because we don’t think too much about who we are, and yet who you believe you are, what you believe about yourself ... It shapes your thoughts, your opinions, your feelings, and your reactions and mostly, we rely on what other people tell us. Perhaps you were told once by a teacher or a parent, "You worthless child! You’ll never amount to anything," and that, like it or not, has had a huge impact on your self-image, or perhaps you were always the last kid to be chosen on the team, as I was in the schoolyard; and even though you don’t think about it all that much anymore, it still has a huge influence on how you see yourself.

Self-image is a dangerous thing. The lies of this world are ruining many a life, even (let me say) the lives of people who with all their hearts believe in Jesus, so what’s the alternative? One of my professors back in Bible-college days used to talk about replacing your self-image with a faith-image. In other words, deciding to believe what God says about you, rather than what the world says about you. For instance, try this on for size. John 1:12-13:

But to all who received Jesus, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God, who were born not of blood or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

Children used to taunt me at school because I was chubby and short; because I was gifted in the classroom and not on the sporting field, and it hurt – a lot, so then I’d come home and talk to my dad about it. He’d help me get my perspective right. He’d get me believing the right things about myself. I got a lot of comfort from my dad just being my dad, and I’m absolutely certain that it’s because of him that those things from my childhood don’t affect me these days, but not just him; also my Father in heaven. As I read my Bible day after day, my heavenly Dad speaks those words about who I am into my heart, and for me, it’s been a simple decision to believe what Dad says about me, rather than what the world says about me. That is my faith-image.

Do you believe in Jesus? Then He has given you the power to be His child; it’s as simple as that.

There’s an important reason why believing what God says about you has such a huge impact on your life. Most of us believe the world, and that’s what self-image is all about. The problem with that is that it’s like looking into one of those distorted mirrors on Sideshow Alley, and believing that that’s your body-shape. It’s not reliable. Believing what God says about you ... well, that’s a lot harder because often, God says things that the world doesn’t say.

The world may tell you you’re worthless, while God tells you your worth by showing the price He was prepared to pay for you by letting Jesus die on that cross. The world tells you you’re not talented, but God tells you that He has given you a unique gift – a unique ability and not only that, He has a call on your life: A destiny planned for you to live out.

A carpenter hangs different tools off his belt. Two of the most common tools you’ll find there are a hammer and a screwdriver. Let’s say he takes the screwdriver and starts to hammer a nail into a piece of wood by gripping the shaft, and whacking the nail with the plastic handle. Is that a good use of the screwdriver? No! Is that the best way to get a nail into the wood? No! And yet how many people are living their lives like that, simply because they haven’t yet figured out what God has to say about them? Because they don’t know the unique gift that God’s given them, the call that God has placed on their lives. 1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-6:

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. There are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.

In other words, God has given you certain gifts, and those gifts are for the purpose, for the service, the activities that He has planned for you to do. Hammers are for driving in nails. Screwdrivers, on the other hand, are for screwing in screws. It’s obvious! But you know, people tell you this; they tell you that; they shove you into a job that you were never made to do, and then ... then we wonder why we’re not happy; why we’re under stress and pressure at the moment.

Just picture that screwdriver being used to hammer in the nail. Is that what your life looks like today? Are you doing something you were never designed to do? God made you with a purpose in mind. He gave you a gift that fits like hand in glove with the things that He has for you to do, and it’s time to start believing what He says about you, rather than what the world says about you.

What a waste of a life it would be for a screwdriver to be constantly used as a hammer. What a waste of a life it would be … no, let me be more specific, what a waste of your life it would be for you to spend the rest of your days doing something you were never made to do. Don’t you think? So, how are you spending your life at the moment? What do you spend most of your life doing – perhaps at work or at home. In a paid or a volunteer capacity? Is it the right thing? Is it the thing that God made you to do?

Some people know that straight away. They can tell you whether their living out their God–given gifts or not. Others don’t have a clue. And the best way to know that is by whether you’re enjoying what you’re doing. Now, sometimes we don’t enjoy out jobs because of the people we’re working with – many organisations have a toxic culture and it doesn’t matter how good the match is between your job and your gifting, you’re never going to enjoy it. So put personalities and circumstances aside just for the moment.

Are you enjoying the work that you do – be it paid or unpaid, in a workplace or in your home? Do you find it fulfilling and satisfying? If not, the chances are you’re not exercising your God–given gifts. And it’s time for a change. Life is too short to waste it on doing things you were never made to do.

Stand back for a moment. God made you who you are. And He has given each one of us – that very much includes you – one or more gifts, abilities, talents, call them what you may – to do the acts of service that He planned for us before time began. Step into that space, start doing those things, and there’s a joy and a peace and an exquisite sense of fulfilment that comes from living out your faith in Jesus by using the gifts to do the things he made you to do.

Ignore it, keep working away at things you were never meant to be doing, and all that will elude you. It’s up to you.