Handpicked and Highly Graded: Building a Healthy Self-Image
Dr RJ Sing, 39 min, Part 3 of Five Keys to Improve Your Self-Image (2007)
Originally recorded as “Five Keys to Improve Your Self-Image, Part 3”
Sermon outline
You are chosen, handpicked and loved by God, so feed your imagination on His goodness and build a new identity that the opinions of others cannot shake.
Main text
- 1 Peter 2:9
- 3 John 2
Opening
The recording begins in the middle of the message, as he explains that he looks at people's hearts, not their appearance, and that this comes from a healthy self-image. He warns that a poor self-image will make you abort your destiny.
A poor self-image will make you abort your destiny
When someone hurts you, a poor self-image makes you react and walk away from the place where God planted you, and where God has not sent you there is no grace to carry you. Spend time in the Word until you know who you are in Christ, and accept yourself as made in God's image. If you are secure that God has accepted you and you have accepted yourself, you will accept others, love those who do not like you, and think the best of people even when they do not greet you.
Illustration: If he walks past without greeting you, say: 'Whether pastor greeted me, didn't greet me, I know he loves me.'
“Where God does not send you, there's no grace to carry you.”
- 1 John 4:4
- Genesis 1:26
- 2 Corinthians 3:18
Grow your soul and do the Word
John prays that we prosper and are in health as our soul prospers, which means growth of the mind as information comes in and is acted on. Hearing is not enough; you must be a doer, which means that if someone rejects you, you go and love them. Love God first with all your heart; behind every message on prosperity or healing is a man who puts God first.
Illustration: He calls Adrian up to act out how to respond when someone pretends not to see you: walk over and greet them warmly anyway.
“If you have a poor self-image, you cannot build up other people.”
- 3 John 2
- James 1:22
- Matthew 22:37
Rest in the love of God
God called Gideon a mighty man of valour, Abraham blessed and Mary highly favoured, and they had to see themselves that way. Get up in the morning knowing God loves you. Having taught them to rest in the righteousness of God, he now adds: rest in His love, because God is not waiting to punish you but to help you forward when you miss the mark.
“I'm gone beyond the stage of wanting to know whether He loves me or not. I'm resting in that.”
- Judges 6:12
- Luke 1:28
Step one: utilise your imagination
Most people let negative thoughts dominate them, but God works through the imagination and negative thoughts block Him. To change your self-image, change your imagination: picture your business doing well, your health flourishing, yourself successful and leading people. Build beautiful landscapes in your mind and God will create them for you.
Illustration: Someone said negatives are only developed in dark rooms, but believers are children of the light.
“To change your self-image, change your imagination.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:5
Step two: establish a new identity
Your identity is not your culture, your ethnic group or your small beginnings; you are made in God's image and a new creature in Christ. Loose yourself from the opinions of others, as Jesus did when they called Him the chief of devils and He simply went on to the next city. The word 'chosen' (eklektos) means elect, selected and favourite: God handpicked you, so when people walk away it is their loss.
Illustration: Shoppers picking up tomatoes and oranges, turning them over to check for blemishes before choosing: God chose you like that. And the crayfish in an open bucket: whenever one climbs up, the others pull it back down.
“Hand-picked. Carefully selected. Highly graded. Stamped with a seal of approval.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Matthew 12:24-26
- 1 Peter 2:9
Putting it into practice
- Spend time in the Word until you know who you are in Christ.
- Think the best of people and love those who reject you.
- Start each day by saying that God loves you, and rest in it.
- Fill your imagination with pictures of God's goodness instead of negative thoughts.
- Stop living by people's opinions; meditate on what God says about you.
Closing
He says he has not finished the teaching and will carry on next Sunday. He calls forward everyone troubled by negative words spoken over them, prays that none will fall, has them lay a hand on their forehead and breaks those words off, then tells them to tell the devil they are 'fully engaged'. He leads eight people to Christ and hands the service over to Pastor Wesley.
Declarations he led
- God loves me so much.
- I'm highly attractive, Holy Ghost full, very successful. I'm free now, I'm the blessed of the Lord.
- Look at me, great things are about to happen, I expect it, in the name of Jesus.
- Dear Lord Jesus, this morning I crown you, Lord. I accept you as Lord in my life.
In his words
- “If you're unhappy with yourself, you'll never make others around you happy.”
- “To change your self-image, change your imagination.”
- “Listen, he could have picked a thousand others. He chose to pick you.”
- “When people leave me, I just say, oh, shame, they've lost something.”
- “Tell the devil, I'm fully engaged. I have no place in my diary for you.”
Every scripture in this message
- 1 John 4:4
- Genesis 1:26
- 2 Corinthians 3:18
- 3 John 2
- James 1:22
- Matthew 22:37
- Judges 6:12
- Luke 1:28
- 1 Thessalonians 5:5
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Matthew 12:24-26
- 1 Peter 2:9
- Hebrews 1:14
- Revelation 1:6
- John 10:10