A picture is worth a million words!

Have you felt belittled or put down? Have you felt that the emotion of feeling belittled was a lie from the devil? Have you relied on your own understanding instead of the wisdom of the Lord? Well, this sounds all too familiar. Let’s see how the world’s greatest Philosopher and Moral Educator, Jesus de Nazareth handled His issues of self worth.

Then the devil took him (Jesus) to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' Matthew 4:5-6

The Scripture says that the devil took Jesus to the highest point. In this narrative, the devil did not physically take Jesus to the pinnacle, but he drew a mental picture for Jesus.

Inasmuch the same way, satan draws mental pictures in our minds.  Being a Christian, the main area of our attack is the mind. The enemy brings depressions and discouragement with feelings of low self worth.  As John Stott said “The Christian's chief occupational hazards are depression and discouragement.”

Having reached out to hundreds of thousands of Christians, I have identified that the  main attack is on the mind. When your mind is upset, all is upset. While growing up, I often heard the proverb “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop” What then, must we do? St. Jerome gives the answer “Be ever engaged, so that whenever the devil calls he may find you occupied.”

A rich business man walked into a posh hotel and saw a beautiful custodian woman cleaning the floors of the hotel on which the rich and the famous trampled upon. The businessman looked at the woman and said 'woman, I would give you a million dollars, if you would spend the night with me' to this she replied 'O, no way sir, I would never do something like that'. As the man proceeded to his room, reason came riding on her mind as she thought, 'what can I do with a million dollars?' She replied to herself, 'I can get outta this town and outta this poverty and have a good life'. Having reasoned herself out of dignity, she called out to the man and said, 'sir, I will do it'. He said, ‘ok; meet me at five in the evening.’

At five in the evening, a limousine showed up at the hotel, the businessman took the woman in the car and proceeded to the best beautician in town, then to the most lavish clothing store and then to the most expensive jewellery store and then to a sumptuous  dinner. After the meal was over and as they were on their way to the hotel, this time, reason came riding on the business man's mind. He said to her, 'look, I’ve been thinking, a million dollars is a lot of money, how about I just give you a hundred dollars instead?' The woman replied, 'Sir, what kinda cheap woman do you think I am?' The business man replied, 'you don't have to tell me how much you are worth, I already knew how much you were worth, the moment you agreed to spend the night with me in bed'

The story of the woman in the above narration speaks volumes. It speaks on the lack of self worth she had and how she was deceived. Have you been duped by evil schemes where you thought that what was drawn in your mind seemed exciting but you ended up being deceived? This deception happens with the damsel, with the married and with every single human being that is not vigilant.

Dear friend, how much are YOU worth? Is the enemy drawing you false promises of satisfaction with the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life? Don't be deceived by his schemes. He has nothing to offer you, but the destruction of your soul. Walk in the truth and live the truth that you may discern the schemes of the enemy. “The best evidence of our having the truth is our walking in the truth.” - Matthew Henry

If you have walked falsely, turn back to Christ, He knows your struggles for He Himself was tested. As Scripture says: For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:18). For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

 "If you are the Son of God"

The devil tried to place a doubt in the mind of Jesus with the word "If you are the Son of God" satan was challenging Christ’s credentials. Jesus did not try to prove to His credentials to satan by throwing Himself down or by turning stones in bread, instead, He held on to His identity of being from the Father when He quoted what the Father said of Him: “This is My Son” Mark 9:7.

You are worth every drop of the Blood of Jesus, because He died for you. Carry His word within you. As Jesus relied on God’s will and not on things that will perish, He submitted in humility and declared the mighty works of God. He was the Word of God. Mary, the mother of Jesus, carried the word of God, from HER womb, to HIS tomb! She fought a good fight.

Do not change your godly character for people who are ungodly, be your character, anyway. Stay away from those who deny the dignity God has given you by belittling you. Let go and walk in freedom in Christ anyway and do not change your God given characteristics for anyone.

Mother Teresa's Anyway Poem

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;

Give the world the best you've got anyway.