Title: Own a Blessed Self-Portrait
Contents
Self-portrait is how I look at myself. Many people are more concerned about what other people think of me. But how much do you care about yourself?
What kind of image should we, who believe in and serve God, live a victorious and blessed life while living in the world?
1. You must have a positive self-portrait of yourself.
People speak, act, and live according to their self-portrait. A person with a positive self-portrait will lead a positive and happy life, but a person with a negative self-portrait sees everything negatively and acts critically. In John 1, Nathanael reveals his negative self-portrait, saying, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” However, his negative self-portrait turns into a positive self-portrait after meeting Jesus. Today, I hope that the self-portraits of you and I will also be changed and corrected into positive self-portraits.
2. You must have a happy self-portrait.
The people of Israel shown in today's text were still in a difficult environment in the wilderness, but God is planting a blessed self-portrait in them. They are happy people, as they have been slaves in Egypt for the past 430 years and have gone through the wilderness for the past 40 years, have survived the numerous events in the wilderness, and the promised land of Canaan, where they will soon enter, awaits them. Therefore, if we are to live a happy life in a blessed image before God today, we must have a happy self-portrait.
Then, what is the meaning of 'you are the happy one' in today's text?
① It means 'I am a blessed person.'
He protects and protects us from any danger, and because we are a saved people, we are blessed.
Therefore, I am blessed and I am a happy person. When you have such a self-portrait, you will have a powerful life.
② It means 'I am a blessed person'.
In today's text, God says to the people of Israel, 'You are a blessed man.' You say. Therefore, if God is the God who has worked so far, have a self-portrait of becoming a blessed person by working, helping, and interfering in the future.
3. You must have a blessed self-portrait.
If I believe that I have received or will receive blessings, ① I must live with gratitude. It is because I have already been blessed and will be blessed in the future. ② We must live with self-sufficiency. It means being content with what you have been given. Instead of complaining about what you don't have, you need to be grateful for what you have. ③ We must do our best to live. A characteristic of people with a blessed self-portrait is that they are not lazy.
I hope that I will have a blessed self-portrait in the midst of what I am now. And we believe that when we live with a heart of self-sufficiency and do our best in our lives, we will surely lead a happy life. I bless you in the name of the Lord that you will have such a life of faith.