When you think about yourself, how do you see yourself? If you are like me, you sometimes struggle to have a positive self outlook. You think about all the negative things people have said to you and focus on your flaws.
But to see yourself as God sees you changes your whole life. It alters how you treat yourself. It allows you to love yourself as God created you to be, before others and the world influenced you to see yourself differently.
How Do You See Yourself?
Most of us see ourselves through the lenses of others. What others have said about you can stick with you.
How you were treated as a child can cloud your outlook of yourself. Or the world makes you think you have to look and act a certain way. When you don’t, or can’t, you acquire negative thoughts about yourself because you can’t live up to those impossible standards… even if you tried.
Not accomplishing certain goals or not achieving academic degrees that others have can make you feel “less than.” You compare yourself to others and it makes you feel down about yourself. The list can go on and on.
All of this can give you low self esteem. Low self esteem makes you not confident in who you are in Christ and makes you not believe God has the best for you.
In order to change, it’s important that you first recognize that you have a negative outlook about yourself and seek to understand why. God intended you to instinctively love yourself… but not to think highly of yourself.
Having an appreciation for yourself and giving him praise and worship for who he created you to be is healthy. Praising him for your strengths, knowing they are from him, using them to glorify him and to further the kingdom should be your goals.
But sin entered the world to destroy how he intended it to be. You can walk in the way he designed you to be by recognizing you need to change your outlook and praying for his Spirit to lead you and guide you into truth from the Bible.
How to Change Your Mindset From Negative to Positive
If you feel hopeless and trapped in this place, you can rest assured that God can do all things. He has the power to change your heart and allow you to see yourself as he sees you.
God sees you as wonderful (Psalm 139:13-16) and made you for good things (Ephesians 2:10). Changing your mindset includes a daily process of reading God’s word in the Bible.
God commands you to in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (NIV)
You have to be purposeful about committing to do this; to not walk in negativity towards yourself. You belong to Jesus and you stand in his power. When you know this you can take back your mind and allow only the thoughts that please him.
You have to also intentionally study and pull out scriptures that say who you are in Christ to focus on. Meditate on these verses.
See Yourself as God Sees You
In order to see yourself as God sees you, you have to really focus on and internalize the gospel. Jesus died for you; through your acceptance of that, you are a new creation. You have the mind of Christ.
“For, ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16, NIV)
This means that your mind is capable of change and you completely belong to him. Satan has no power and control over your mind if you don’t let him. You have to right away take captive those thoughts to God. You can have a renewed mind when you focus on him and his truth from the Bible. These three truths below will help you focus on seeing yourself as God sees you.
1. God’s Love Fills You
Do you really know how loved you are by God? He loves you so much; when you anchor yourself in his love it changes your perspective to see yourself as he does.
His Spirit lives in you—and pours out his love into you—when you know him: “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5, NIV)
When you are confident in this, you will be self assured that you were made for a purpose; to be a vessel of his love. It soothes you to not need to look for anything from places other than him. What others say about you will have little bearing because you are not seeking love or self assurance from them. You already know you have it all in him.
His Spirit alters your heart to want to walk in his design. You’ll want to study and learn the Bible. It moves you to action because it lives in you. The more you know his love is with you, and focus on it, you will be moved to know him more and in turn will see yourself as he does. God’s heart becomes clear to you.
2. The Power of the Holy Spirit to Dispel Lies
The Holy Spirit helps you live for Jesus. You must know that he directs you into truth.
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:13, NIV)
Living in truth allows you to be strong in the Lord and be who he created you to be. You can live unhindered and not in confusion (which is from the enemy; he comes to steal). Living in the truth will allow you to see yourself as God sees you, and thus love yourself.
This is important to know; when you are believing lies about yourself you can instead pray to Jesus for the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth in the lies.
You don’t have to worry about walking in lies; trust the leading and guiding of the Spirit. Seek truth always and daily ask in your time with God if you are believing any lies so you can renounce them before him. Ask to receive this help. You need to be purposeful about walking in truth, as the enemy is always on the prowl.
3. Focusing Your Mind on God
In order to see yourself as God sees you, you must change your mindset. You have to focus on the positive ways God made you and not your faults and failures.
You have to know your identity in Christ. Keep your mind focused on the things of his kingdom so you see the good things he is doing through you and for you.
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” (Romans 8:5, NIV)
This means having a biblical perspective and praying for it. Only then, through trials, tests and hard times, will you see him working for your good and the great ways he is growing you. Set your mind on him and pray to be full and led by the Spirit to glorify him and his purposes.
See yourself as God sees you—not focusing on your flaws and being negative. These three truths above will help you focus on seeing yourself as God sees you.
