MY TRUE IMAGE
Matthew 26: 33-35 “Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 35 “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.” (NLT)
I have this self-confidence in how I see myself react to certain situations. I was absolutely certain that I wouldn’t react in a certain way, but time and time again, I find myself doing the opposite of how I thought I would react. It was a struggle for me as I was drowning in self-disappointment and failed promises to myself to do better because I know better. I had the knowledge to do better but lacked the will power to do so. The problem is not about what you know, but that what you know has not transformed into convictions. You see, that is a dangerous place to be because at some point you will be tempted to just give up trying to uphold what you know is right.
My liberation began when I started reading the Bible and came across the story of Jesus telling His disciples that they will desert Him and how all of them, particularly Peter, vowed that they won’t. Peter had every reason to believe that he was going to be the last man standing with Jesus because of his intimacy with Him. You see, what Peter forgot was that Jesus, as much as he was a man, is also ‘The Word,’ and he knows all things. Peter ended up denying Him not once but thrice to let him understand that it wasn’t a mistake. Peter’s self-image was shattered that night.
Matthew 26:74-75 – “Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.”
Whenever you stand before the mirror of the word of God and it shows you who you are, you best believe that is who you really are. If you don’t like the image that you see, begin to ask Him to help transform you because He already knows how you should look and has made provisions for your shortcomings. Don’t allow yourself to wallow in the pit of self-disappointment and guilt; like Peter, you can cry if you feel like it, but after you are done, turn to Him for help on how to move forward.
The next time Jesus would ask Peter if he loved Him three times, his response was, “Lord, you know everything.” His answer was different from the initial disposition that he showed when Jesus said they would desert Him. He learned that Jesus knows everything and everyone.
John 21:15-17 ‘A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”’ Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
Do not delude yourself into taking self-imposed measures to correct your failures because it will lead to premium disappointment. I learned to rely on what the word of God reveals to me about myself every time, and when I didn’t like what I saw, I looked to Him for help, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” The corrective prescription for our distorted self-image is the word of God.
I challenge you to trade your self-image for His image and watch how your life transforms for the better.
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