What You Feel is Not Who You Are
I find it ironically amazing how God sends messages and reassurance to us through various sources. For instance, for several days (weeks maybe) I have been feeling out of sorts. This winter has taken its toll on not only me, but my family as well. We absolutely know it’s not personal, per se but spiritual. We have endured colds, viruses, aches and pains, accidents and a few other things. Some people would chalk it up to weather, time of year, and just plain circumstantial.
I do not.
When God healed me, one of the first things I learned is that our mental health can play a huge part on our physical health. Hence, all the years I spent in severe depression and anxiety, enduring heavy panic attacks, took a toll on my physical health. While I’ve always been very healthy, a couple of health issues popped up before my emotional and spiritual healing. I learned the symptoms, what they felt like, and how to handle them.
Then God healed me; emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Yet, I wondered why the physical symptoms remained.
I’ve often wondered if these symptoms were left behind to help me remember to Whom I put my trust? To help me remember God is my Healer. Were they left behind to give me what Paul described as “a thorn in the flesh?” If so, it worked. Because these issues remind me daily that I am in fact a human. I’m not invincible. But they also remind me that God is. He is my Source of everything, including being an overcomer, a victorious warrior, and a winner regardless of whatever ache or pain I’m feeling. Which brings me to the crux of this post.
What I feel is not who I am.
Whether I am struggling through aches and pains in my body, or bronchitis, or pneumonia, or a headache, or even stress, tension, or any other weapon the enemy uses to try to put me down, all those feelings do not define who I am. They are merely a weapon the enemy is using against me – and I need to remember as such, it has no power over me. It won’t prosper in what it was aimed at me to accomplish.
The same goes for you too, my friend. Whatever you are feeling today, know that it is just that; a feeling. Feelings are fickle. They are up one minute and down the next. People are also fickle. They too, are up one minute and down the next. They will support you today and come against you tomorrow. Sad to say, yet it’s true.
The point is, whatever others, or even you, yourself, cause you to feel, what you feel is not who you are! You and I are called to a higher standard through Jesus Christ!
Over the years I have learned, “if the Son sets you free, you are truly free,” (John 8:36, NLT). This means, all those things we have endured, all the hurts, the abuse, the neglect, the depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, the embarrassment, the addiction, whatever it was that any of us endured, if Jesus set us free – healed us – the we are truly free from it! It no longer has a hold over us. We are FREE!!
God is Healer. Period. He is the Great Physician. Period. When He frees us of our maladies, and He does, we are free. We also have an enemy who hates us with such fierceness he will throw everything he can at us to convince us quite the opposite of what we know to be true. He will even use God’s Word against us, twisting it just enough to make us doubt. Then he will hit us harder.
It is here that I find myself today. I know the truth. I know the truth sets us free. And I know whom the Son (Jesus) sets free is free indeed. Therefore, I cannot afford to go back to what I’ve been set free from. Neither can you, my friend. Neither can you. We both must remember we are more than conquerors. We are victorious. We are warriors. We are royalty. We are chosen. We are blessed, blessed with every spiritual blessing. We are healed. We are loved.
Regardless of how we feel in the physical, emotional, or mental, we must remember, how we feel is not who we are.
We belong to Jesus. We have been seated with Him in the heavenlies and are not only joint heirs with Him, but are residents of heaven. Therefore, we must remember our identity, who we are in Christ. Whatever we go through while here on earth, while journeying to carry out our assignment, we must arm ourselves and continue moving forward. Because when we focus on Him, knowing the battle has already been won for us, no power in hell can stop us.
Be blessed today, my friends!
