Truth Leads To Freedom

Truth Leads to Freedom

If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:31-32 (NKJV)

THE WAY YOU PERCEIVE YOURSELF greatly affects your marriage. Some people grew up thinking of themselves as failures. The message they heard from their parents was, “You’re not good enough.” This perception keeps them in bondage. Their attitude is, Why try? I’ll fail anyway. When these people fall in love and get married, they bring this distorted self-perception into the marriage.

I can tell you that such a person’s spouse will be greatly frustrated. Often, someone who thinks of himself as a failure will expect his spouse to build him up, but it doesn’t take long for the spouse to discover that such efforts are futile.

If you recognize yourself as having a distorted self-perception, please realize that your spouse cannot change the way you see yourself. Only you can do that.

So where do you start? In John 8, Jesus said that the truth will make you free—free from sin, and free from wrong patterns of thinking. What is the truth about you, according to God’s Word? You are made in God’s image (see Genesis 1:27), highly valued by him (see Matthew 10:31, among many other references), and especially gifted to serve in his Kingdom (see 1 Corinthians 12; Hebrews 13:20-21).

Believe the truth about yourself. Discover your abilities, and give them to God. He will make you a success. Then you will free both your spouse from having to battle the way you view yourself and yourself from negative thinking.

Lord God, I often see myself as a failure or worthless. I cling to my spouse for affirmation, but then I don’t believe his or her words. I realize how destructive this is. Please help me to see myself as you see me. Your love gives me great value. Please set me free from the lies I have believed.

Self-perception