Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.
Do you like who you are? When you look in the
mirror, do you like what you see? Or do you wish
you were a little taller or a little stronger
or a bit thinner? Do you like yourself or do
you struggle with feelings of inferiority? Today,
I'd like to talk with you about three keys from
the Bible to develop a positive, healthy, biblical
self -image. Stick around. When you look in the
mirror, what do you see? Someone unique and wonderful
or someone who doesn't measure up? Distorted
mirrors trap us in feelings of inferiority. I'm
Dave Drewy, and today on Living on the Edge,
Chip Ingram shows us how to break free from low
self -esteem and discover our true identity.
In our series, Experience Breakthrough, we're
learning how to stop feeling confined by life's
biggest barriers. Today's barrier might be the
most personal of all, the way we see ourselves.
Here's Chip with his message on how to overcome
inferiority and low self -image. Did you know
that according to personal observation, it is
almost impossible for a human being to walk by
a mirror and not look at themselves? Did you
know that when you are giving a photo to someone,
And their picture is in it with a group of people
that the very first person that they look at
is themselves. Did you know they did a study
of five and six year olds and they found that
how a child views him or herself is a higher
determinant of success than even their IQ? Did
you realize that how you view yourself is pivotal
in the quality of your life? and the quality
of your relationships. It's what I call mirror
madness. We're all involved in it every day.
We're all asking and answering questions. Sometimes
it's physically and we look in the mirror, but
more often it's emotional and psychologically
as we look into people's eyes and we have these
thoughts as we look into the mirrors of life.
And some of the questions we're asking are, who
am I? Where do I belong? Do I fit? Am I okay?
Am I competent? Am I a somebody? Am I significant?
What are other people going to think of me? So
let me ask you, when you look at the mirror,
what do you think? When you look into the mirror,
what do you see? Do you see someone that is unique,
beautiful, wonderful, full of potential? Or do
you look in the mirror and say, oh, I wish I
was a little taller, a little shorter, a little
thinner, a little stronger? When you walk around
in your world, what are the messages that you
say to yourself? Do you look at other people
and say, boy, I'm glad they're the way they are,
but I'm glad who I am. Or do you kind of unconsciously
say, they all look happy. They've got it together.
They have lots of friends. I don't think I'd
fit in. I don't think I'm worth very much. I
hope no one asks me anything because I'm sure
I don't have much to say. If I really got to
know them, I know they wouldn't like me. Do any
of those thoughts ever float through your mind?
They do for most of us. See, the problem with
the mirror madness is that there's more distorted
mirrors out there than there are good mirrors.
And distorted mirrors will destroy our lives
because a distorted mirror doesn't tell you the
truth about who you are. A distorted mirror,
it gives you a picture of what's not true. Have
you ever gone down to the boardwalk and gone
through like one of those fun houses or at a
carnival and they have the section where they're
the weird mirrors, you know, with all the bends
in them. Those are real funny. Except you know
what the reality is? The reality is for most
of us, all of our lives, through our culture,
through the media, through multiple relationships
and family, we have distorted mirrors that have
been telling us stuff about us that is totally
untrue. Can you imagine living if the only mirror,
what if there was never a real true mirror, and
you walked around looking like you do, but you
thought in your mind, I am one foot tall and
I'm nine feet wide. Now, the reality wouldn't
change, but if you thought that way about yourself,
just imagine how you would buy clothes. Imagine
certain places you would never go. I mean, the
beach would be out for you. Let me give you three
distorted mirrors. The first is the appearance
mirror. We are shot through with it, especially
in this country. It says my value depends on
how I look. So we find pretty people and we give
them millions of dollars. We give them all kind
of makeup, wind machines and multiple surgeries
so they fit this ideal. And then we all try and
be like that person. It's how you look. Second,
distorted mirror is the performance mirror. My
value depends on what I can do. You gotta be
good. You gotta be successful. You gotta be a
great athlete. You gotta be a great student.
You gotta be a great artist. You gotta be a great
this. You gotta be a great that. You gotta be
able to do, do, do, do, do. And so your whole
life, your whole value revolves around your performance.
If you do well, you're great. If you don't do
well, you're a loser. Third, distorted mirror
is the status mirror. My value depends on what
other people think of me. And so we dress. Talk,
drive, buy, go to certain groups, don't go to
certain groups, eat certain things, don't eat
certain things. Why? Because it matters what
everybody thinks. Those three distorted mirrors
are tools that will destine you and destine me
to feel inferior. Because the rules always change,
don't they? It's a no -win situation. We're talking
about how to overcome inferiority and low self
-esteem. My thesis is until we see ourselves
as God sees us, we are destined, not maybe, we
are destined to feel inferior. Until you and
until I can see in my mind's eye that can sink
down into my emotions how God looks at me as
the true mirror of who I really am, that my value
doesn't... depend on how good I am. My value
doesn't depend on how I look. And my value doesn't
depend on what other people think. Until you
get three of those things, you are destined to
feel inferior. Now, before I go on, let me highlight
something. What I've said so far, most of you,
you haven't nodded because it would be embarrassing.
But in your hearts, most of you have been going,
yeah, man, that's right, man. I don't like me
very much. I mean, real down deep. But there's
a small percentage of you And you wouldn't say
this either because it would be more embarrassing.
It's sort of like, I like me. In fact, I wish
most people were like me. In fact, the world
would be a lot better like me. And you look in
the mirror and you say, this is how people I
love. And when you go to work, everyone's slower
than you. And you're thinking, man, if they could
just get with the ball game. And these kind of
people often project ultimate confidence. And
like they've really got it together. And can
I tell you something? Everyone feels inferior.
Inferiority just wears multiple masks. Paul Turnian
in a book that literally transformed my life.
The book had one thesis and then the rest were
stories. He's a Swiss psychologist of many years
ago. Book's out of print, but the book was called
The Strong and the Weak. Thesis of the book,
every person is desperately inadequate. and insecure.
And all of us as human beings will either express
that with strong reactions or weak responses.
So we're all insecure. We all have this feeling
that something's wrong, that we're inferior.
And so some people will be shy, withdrawn, low
self -esteem. I'm not worth much. No one wants
to hear me. I probably wouldn't do very well.
I don't want to try because I'd probably fail.
I know they won't like me. To cover their insecurity.
But there's another group of people who are just
as desperately insecure who say, man, I got it
together. I'm going to be on top of this. They're
powerful. They're aggressive. Hey, get out of
my way. And you know what those strong things
are doing? Covering the same insecurity. I know
I was that person growing up. Arrogant. Loud.
Pushy. Because I was so afraid if anyone saw
who I was really like inside, I knew they'd reject
me. You're listening to Living on the Edge. More
from Chip Ingram in just a moment. But first,
if today's teaching is resonating with you, don't
keep it to yourself. You can easily share this
message with friends and family by visiting livingontheedge
.org. There you'll find not only today's program,
but an entire collection of biblical resources
designed to help you experience breakthrough
in every area of life. It's all available at
livingontheedge .org. Well, let's continue with
Chip's message. Here's what I want to do today.
I want to tell you that you do not have to be
in bondage any longer to the distorted mirrors
of our world, but you can do three things, three
keys God's going to give us today. Now, it's
going to be a lifetime of working it out, but
you can get the data today. There's three keys
to getting what I call a healthy biblical identity
or a healthy self -concept. The first one has
to do with knowledge. You must get God's view
of you. You've got to see yourself from God's
perspective. It's knowledge. Remember what Jesus
said? You will know the truth and the truth will
set you. Good job. If you don't know the truth
about you, you'll believe lies. But knowing the
truth doesn't change your life. The second key
is you must believe God's view is true. So you
can know it, but think, oh, that's like for everybody
else, but not me. And then third, you must discover
the you that's true. You've got to experience.
You've got to get involved in some risky, out
of your comfort zone relationships where you
actually experience through people being deeply
loved and deeply affirmed. And we're going to
talk about how to do that. So now, by the way,
what I've given you today, you can do a Bible
study for the next week or two. I'm going to
just highlight because what I want you to do
is get big picture. I'm going to give you five
reasons why you are very significant, regardless
of what the world may or may not say. You're
significant first because you are unique. Jot
that down. Genesis 127 says you're made in the
image of God. Psalm 139. 13 and 14 say, for you,
God, created my inmost being. You knit me together
in my mother's womb. I praise you because I'm
fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are
wonderful. I know that full well. You're unique.
You are not one in a million. Your DNA is different
than any other person on the face of the earth.
God created you uniquely. That makes you significant.
You know, it's like an original piece of artwork.
You know, there's an original piece and there's
prints. God doesn't have any prints. You're an
original. So you're significant. Second, you're
significant because you are loved. Jeremiah 31,
three says, the Lord appeared to us in the past
saying, I have loved you with an everlasting
love. I have drawn you with loving kindness.
Because of some things in my background, I have
a hard time with that. The performance trap is
mine. I feel loved when I do well and I feel
not loved when I don't do well. That's a lie.
I have been working at letting it soak into my
mind, seep into my heart and realize God loves
me unconditionally, not because of anything I
ever have done or I ever will do, but because
he is creator. I am creation and I am the object.
I am the object of his love and compassion. See,
God doesn't love somebody somewhere out there.
He loves you. He's totally committed to you.
He knows your situation, your struggle, your
hurts, your depression, your relational chaos,
your dysfunctional background. And he looks at
it all and he says, I love you. And I want to
be close to you. Third, you're significant because
you are valuable. First Corinthians 6, 19 and
20 says, do you not know that your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit? who is in you, whom
you have received from God, you are not your
own. You have been bought at a price. Therefore,
honor God with your body. See, we always evaluate
things by what they cost, right? Now, I would
never want to be a slave of any kind in any situation.
But if I were a slave and they were selling us,
I'd like someone to walk up and say, I'll give
you $5 million for Ingram. Because if I'm going
to be a slave, I want to be a valuable one. I
mean, I don't want someone to walk up and say,
I'll give you $5 .95 for him. I don't think he
could lift a thing. You know, the fact of the
matter is, though, we're all slaves. Before you
trusted Christ, the Bible pictures you and pictures
me as being in the slave market of sin, bound
by desires and lusts that we can't break out
of. And the Lord walked in as he saw you on the
block in the slave market of sin. And he says,
I'll take this one, this one, this one. No, you
know what? I'll take them all. Price tag, the
death of my son. The blood of Jesus paid on the
cross as your substitute. That's how valuable
you are to God. And, you know, we get uptight
like, oh, God doesn't care about me. And won't
he show me about what's going to happen in the
future? And what am I going to do about this?
He that spared not his own son. How will he not
with him freely give you all things? Our problem
is not that God doesn't love us. Our problem
is we don't believe he loves us. Fourth, you
are significant not only because you're unique,
loved, and valuable, you are secure. Things that
last have a lot of value. Paper plates aren't
worth much in my home. You eat them all, they're
done. It's priceless heirlooms. They're gonna
last. That's what's valuable. You want to know
how long every believer in Jesus Christ is going
to last? How secure? Ephesians chapter one, verse
13, it says, and you also were included in Christ.
Speaking of believers, people have come to Christ.
Well, when did this happen? When you heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
Having believed at a point in time in our life,
we need to come to where we believe in Christ,
that he died in our place and we receive him
as our savior. Having believed, notice this,
you were marked in him with a seal, the promised
Holy Spirit. You're secure. The word picture
here meant a lot to people when this was written
because in Roman days, they would put a seal
on a document. You know, the wax and then the
emperor would put his ring on it. No one could
break that document except the power and the
authority of the emperor. God says when you trust
in Jesus Christ and accept the free gift of salvation,
you are sealed, but not with wax and not with
a ring, but it's with the authority of God himself.
He seals you and marks you off by the Holy Spirit.
In fact, the scripture says that the Holy Spirit
is a down payment or literally it's earnest money
to remind you of how valuable you are and that
every promise God ever made to you in scripture
is going to be true. People put, I've heard of
people, they're putting their house on. the market,
and they get two or three bids, they're getting
more than they're asking. And as they do that,
what do you ask people to do? To put down earnest
money. You know, you put $50 ,000 down on a house,
you're pretty interested. And you know what God
has done? He's put down earnest money. He's placed
the Holy Spirit in you as a believer, as a deposit
to let you know he's committed and you're secure.
Now, wait a second. Do you really think this
way about yourself? Do you believe that you're
loved, that you're secure, that you're valuable,
that you're unique? Let me give you one more.
According to God, when he looks at you, not the
person next to you, we're talking about you,
you are indispensable. Indispensable. Ephesians
chapter four, the apostle Paul is talking about
the church and how God put it together. And the
church isn't a building. It's just a place where
anytime believers are gathered, that's the church.
I encourage you to take those passages and do
a little Bible study and let it sink down through
your mind into your heart. First, you need to
understand faith is built on God's word. Hebrews
10, 17, faith comes by hearing, hearing by the
word of God. I do not understand this. I don't
understand it, but I'm telling you that when
you expose yourself to the scripture, when you
hear the word of God, when you read the word
of God, when you put Christian music on that
has content and lyrics and truth, faith grows.
Secondly, though, it's not enough just to be
exposed to the scriptures. It grows when you
renew your mind. Romans 12, 2 tells us that don't
be conformed any longer to distorted mirrors.
Don't be conformed any longer to this world,
but be transformed how? Metamorphosized from
within, changed by the renewing of your mind,
that your life or your lifestyle could demonstrate
what the will of God is, that it's good, that
it's acceptable, that it's perfect. The key is
the renewal of your mind. See, one of the things,
you know, I've got some real problems with the
whole positive thinking movement. I mean, they
promise pie in the sky, you think it, think and
grow rich, think and do this, think and do that.
A lot of that is thinking by their books and
they get rich is how it works. But there's a
tremendous kernel of truth in the positive thinking
movement. You know what it is? You are what you
think. You are what you eat and you are what
you think. Whatever you think, eventually, because
that's scriptural. Proverbs 23, 7, as a man or
a woman thinks in her heart, his heart, so he
or she becomes. This is Living on the Edge with
Chip Ingram, and we're in our series, Experience
Breakthrough. Today, Chip revealed three keys
to developing a healthy biblical identity. Chip
has one more crucial point to share, so please
stay with us. The distorted mirrors Chip described
today—appearance, performance, status—they're
everywhere in our culture. And breaking free
from their lies requires something more than
a one -time decision. It takes consistent exposure
to God's truth, allowing Scripture to gradually
reshape how we see ourselves. That's exactly
what Chip's free devotional, Psalms of Hope,
is designed to do. Over 10 days, you'll explore
Psalm 1, Psalm 15, and Psalm 23. Passages that
speak directly to finding your identity in God
rather than the world's constantly shifting standards.
The format is straightforward. Chip teaches for
10 minutes each day. Then you spend 10 minutes
letting that truth soak into your heart through
prayer and meditation. Get Psalms of Hope completely
free by going online to livingontheedge .org.
Just search for Psalms of Hope and begin today.
You know, every resource we offer, including
this devotional, exists because listeners like
you believe in the mission of Living on the Edge.
When you give, you're helping people around the
world discover their true identity in Christ.
Would you join with us today? Support this ministry
at livingontheedge .org or mail your gift to
Living on the Edge, P .O. Box 3007, Atlanta,
Georgia, 30024. You can also call us at 888 -
And we've added something new to the Living on
the Edge podcast, the Chip Ingram Sermon Podcast.
Now you can hear Chip's complete, unedited sermons
as they were originally preached. Just subscribe
to the Living on the Edge podcast on your favorite
podcast app. Well, now here's Chip. Jesus was
standing before a group of people. They had just
believed him and received eternal life. And he
said to that group who had just believed on him,
if you abide in my words, you will know the truth
and the truth will, you can finish it for me,
can't you? The truth will set you free. What
we're really talking about today is the power
of the truth to set you free. And rarely is there
an area that's more sensitive, not just in the
Christian community, but in the world at large,
of people seeing themselves through faulty mirrors.
You know, there are beautiful, beautiful people,
wonderful people, and they look in the mirror
and they don't see a beautiful or wonderful or
caring or loving person. They're looking at their
lives through warped mirrors and they don't like
themselves. And there's a lot of people that
are taking drugs and abusing alcohol. and are
in codependent relationships, and who are workaholics,
and who are desperately, desperately trying to
be free and trying to be a someone, but the distorted
mirrors of their past have warped their thinking.
Jesus says that when we know the truth, the truth
can set us free. And in our next broadcast, we're
going to talk about... getting the kind of knowledge
from Scripture so that happens. We're going to
talk about how you grow in your faith so it actually
occurs, how your mind is renewed, and then specific
steps of experience where God can make true in
you what is already true of you. But today I
want to close out our broadcast by talking very
honestly and personally with some of you that
have warp mirrors. You know, the warp mirrors
are, one, my value depends on how I look, the
appearance warp mirror. You know, we are so flooded
with information and the magazine racks and TV
and commercials that, you know, if a gal's not
5 '6 and 105 pounds, and you know what, that's
pretty skinny. But, you know, on those magazine
racks, they make those people look so pretty
and so beautiful. And we've got a whole generation
of young women who look in the mirror and who
are beautiful but think they're fat. We've got
this whole eating disorder thing that has occurred
because of faulty mirror. I have a very close
friend. She is just a great friend of our family
and a friend of our church. And as Teresa was
doing some teaching in the life of our church,
got to know this gal. And I mean, she's drop
dead gorgeous. You know what I mean? I mean,
she ought to be on a magazine somewhere. And
you know what her biggest struggle is in her
heart? She thinks she's ugly. I mean, it's just
like so far from reality, but her appearance
and her value is dependent on faulty mirrors.
How about you? Are you preoccupied with how you
look, and are you one of those guys that has
to lift so many weights and drink all the protein
drinks, not because you really want to be healthy
and strong, but you desperately want to be approved?
Are you a woman that is just dieting, dieting,
dieting, and you're a Christian and you love
God, but down deep you don't like you? Can I
tell you there's a better way? God made you uniquely.
You're loved. You're valued. You're significant.
But you must get the snapshot of his word in
your heart and life, not the snapshot of the
world. You know something? I encourage you, if
this is an area, our few minutes here today is
not going to bring about the long -term transformation.
If you really struggle here, I encourage you
to find a good Christian counselor, a pastor,
a friend. Get in Psalm 139 and read it over and
say, Lord, will you help me see me the way you
see me? Begin a journey of seeing the truth about
you so you can be free. How do we renew our minds
with God's truth? I'm Dave Drewy, inviting you
to find out Monday on Living on the Edge. Today's
program is produced and sponsored by Living on
the Edge.