Beauty for ashes: receiving emotional healing by Joyce Meyer Page B
Authors: Joyce Meyer
Tags: Religión, General, Family & Relationships, Spirituality, Christian Theology, Abuse, Child Abuse, Christian Life, Spiritual Growth, Religious Life, Christian Life - General, Adult child sexual abuse victims, Meyer; Joyce, Adult child sexual abuse victims - Religious life
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Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life" (John 3:16).
Read Romans 12:6-8: "Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: [He whose gift is] prophecy, [let him prophesy] according to the proportion of his faith; [he whose gift is] practical service, let him give himself to serving; he who teaches, to his
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teaching; he who exhorts (encourages), to his exhortation; he who contributes, let him do it in simplicityandliberality; he who gives aidandsuperintends, with zealandsingleness of mind; he who does acts of mercy, with genuine cheerfulnessandjoyful eagerness." Then confess, "I have gifts and abilities given to me by the Lord."Ponder in your heart the words of the Lord when He said, "Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you, I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life" (Isaiah 43:4). Rejoice as you admit, "I am precious and valuable to God."
Search the Word of God for other positive confessions about yourself.
Another wise practice is to get a thorough medical examination to rule out the possibility of any physical condition that may be affecting your mental and emotional outlook. Unless your depression is caused by some health problem, it can usually be traced to negative thinking and speaking. Even when the depression is caused by some physical condition (hormonal or chemical imbalance, etc.), the devil will take advantage of the situation. He will offer many negative thoughts, which, if received and meditated upon, will only make the problem seem many times worse than it actually is.
I repeat: When you feel depressed, check your thinking. It is not God's will for you to be depressed. Align your thoughts with the Word of God. Isaiah 61:3 says that the Lord has given us "the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened,andfailing spirit." Nehemiah said, "The joy of the Lord is your strengthandstronghold" (8:10). Believe what the Word says you are, and that is what you will become. Believe what the devil says you are, and you will become that. The choice is yours: "therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live" (Deuteronomy 30:19).
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Shame causes self-rejection and, in some cases, self-hatred. In more extreme cases, it can develop into self-abuse, including self-mutilation. I have ministered to several people who have shown me scars on their bodies from their cutting, burning, or biting themselves, as well as bruises from their beating or hitting themselves, and bald spots from their pulling out their own hair.Some people even starve themselves as a form of punishment. Others behave in an obnoxious manner so they will be rejected. Since they have rejected themselves, they are convinced that others will also reject them, so they manifest behavior in accordance with what they believe about themselves. The list of potential problems goes on and on, but I am sure you see the point I am making:
You cannot get beyond your own opinion of yourself-no matter how many good things God may say about you in His
97
Word. Regardless of all the wonderful plans God may have for your life, none of them will come to pass without your cooperation.You need to believe what God says.
Accept God's Opinion of You
If you are seeking recovery from abuse, you must not allow other people's opinions of you, as evidenced by the way you have been mistreated in the past, to determine your worth. Remember, people who feel worthless always try to find something wrong with you so they can feel a little better about themselves. Keep in mind that this is their problem, not yours.
In John 3:18, the Lord Jesus states that no one who believes in Him willeverbe rejected by Him or His heavenly Father. If God accepts you because of your faith in His Son Jesus Christ, then you can stop
Read Romans 12:6-8: "Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: [He whose gift is] prophecy, [let him prophesy] according to the proportion of his faith; [he whose gift is] practical service, let him give himself to serving; he who teaches, to his
95
teaching; he who exhorts (encourages), to his exhortation; he who contributes, let him do it in simplicityandliberality; he who gives aidandsuperintends, with zealandsingleness of mind; he who does acts of mercy, with genuine cheerfulnessandjoyful eagerness." Then confess, "I have gifts and abilities given to me by the Lord."Ponder in your heart the words of the Lord when He said, "Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you, I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life" (Isaiah 43:4). Rejoice as you admit, "I am precious and valuable to God."
Search the Word of God for other positive confessions about yourself.
Another wise practice is to get a thorough medical examination to rule out the possibility of any physical condition that may be affecting your mental and emotional outlook. Unless your depression is caused by some health problem, it can usually be traced to negative thinking and speaking. Even when the depression is caused by some physical condition (hormonal or chemical imbalance, etc.), the devil will take advantage of the situation. He will offer many negative thoughts, which, if received and meditated upon, will only make the problem seem many times worse than it actually is.
I repeat: When you feel depressed, check your thinking. It is not God's will for you to be depressed. Align your thoughts with the Word of God. Isaiah 61:3 says that the Lord has given us "the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened,andfailing spirit." Nehemiah said, "The joy of the Lord is your strengthandstronghold" (8:10). Believe what the Word says you are, and that is what you will become. Believe what the devil says you are, and you will become that. The choice is yours: "therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live" (Deuteronomy 30:19).
96
Shame causes self-rejection and, in some cases, self-hatred. In more extreme cases, it can develop into self-abuse, including self-mutilation. I have ministered to several people who have shown me scars on their bodies from their cutting, burning, or biting themselves, as well as bruises from their beating or hitting themselves, and bald spots from their pulling out their own hair.Some people even starve themselves as a form of punishment. Others behave in an obnoxious manner so they will be rejected. Since they have rejected themselves, they are convinced that others will also reject them, so they manifest behavior in accordance with what they believe about themselves. The list of potential problems goes on and on, but I am sure you see the point I am making:
You cannot get beyond your own opinion of yourself-no matter how many good things God may say about you in His
97
Word. Regardless of all the wonderful plans God may have for your life, none of them will come to pass without your cooperation.You need to believe what God says.
Accept God's Opinion of You
If you are seeking recovery from abuse, you must not allow other people's opinions of you, as evidenced by the way you have been mistreated in the past, to determine your worth. Remember, people who feel worthless always try to find something wrong with you so they can feel a little better about themselves. Keep in mind that this is their problem, not yours.
In John 3:18, the Lord Jesus states that no one who believes in Him willeverbe rejected by Him or His heavenly Father. If God accepts you because of your faith in His Son Jesus Christ, then you can stop
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