Contributed by Jerral Campfield
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Saturday, 16 February 2019 |
ACHIEVING YOUR POTENTIAL I. Comfort Zone- That area which corresponds with your current self-image in any area of your life. The higher the self-esteem the broader the comfort zone. Move out of it and we experience tension, anxiety, breathing becomes difficult, muscles in neck tightens, we secrete extra digestive juices causing ulcers. The result: Decreased effectiveness and poor performance. A. Building your own self-esteem in two ways. 1. Self talk-I CAN 2. Present your self to the Lord. Romans 12:1-2. B. Is it what you think, or what God thinks is important? C. Imagination times vividness equals reality on the subconscious level. 1. Humanism says the subconscious doesn’t know the difference between actual experiences and one vividly imagined. D. Notice worldly, carnal people’s custom and sinful ways. 1. In committing popular sins. Exodus 23:2, 33; Romans 1:21-32. 2. In false worship. Deuteronomy 12:29-32; Acts 17:22-31. 3. In bad Government polices. 1 Samuel 8:19-22. 4. In Heathen practices 11Kings 17:15-17. 5. In following bad examples Matthew 23:2-7. E. Our self-image as a Christian is in a battle 24 hours a day spiritually. 1. Bible 2. Prayer 3. Worship 4. Reverence 5. Faith F. It’s an inward battle Romans 12:1-2. 1. Spiritual weapons are required. 2 Corinthians 10:4 2. We are fighting invisible foes. Ephesians 6:12 3. Young soldiers are enlisted 1 Timothy 1:18 4. It’s a fight of faith 1 Timothy 6:12 5. Demands entire consecration 2 Timothy 2:4 Our Souls have many enemies as man in its five senses. 1. Imagination 2. Reason 3. Memory 4. Consciences 5. Affection Note Psalms 86:14; Jeremiah 2:34, 18:20; Ezekiel 13:18, 22:25; Luke 22:31; Ephesians 6:13 and 1 Peter 5:8 to name a few. Be prepared! Be alert! Watch! 1. Thank the Lord for weapons and armor. 1 Samuel 17:45; 2Corthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:17-19; Hebrews 4:12 & Revelations 112:11. 2. Loins gritted about with truth. Ephesians 6: 14 3. Breast Plate- Isaiah 59:17 Ephesians 6:14 and 1 Thessalonians 5:8 4. Helmet of Salvation Isaiah 59:17; Ephesians 6:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:8. 5. Shield of Faith Ephesians 6:16 6. Feet covered with gospel of Peace. Ephesians 6:15. Note your comfort zone--- words + picture + emotions = reality. Example: Hey! You’re wanted on the phone! 1. Emergency ---Word 2. Car wreck-----Picture 3. Fear for loved ones---Feelings. Heaven – Hell – Words Paradise-Torment-Picture Joy unspeakable-Weeping- gnashing of Teeth-Feelings Everything we do needs to be based on whom do you chose? God or Satan. I x V = R Imagination times Vividness equals reality. So what is once recorded we’re stuck with it? True or False? If you chose to make a change in yourself image, you can use positive imagination to create a new subconscious picture of yourself and this will bring about a change you desire, true or false? Can you see why man can become God in his own right? The strong can overcome the bad habits and attitudes, but how about the weak and the poor? I. Self esteem cycle. 1. Positive self talk 2. Reinforcement forces 3. Controls 4. Performance reality 5. Stimulates either positive or negative enforcement. II. How does this cycle work? 1. We are born empty buckets. A. Curse of sin upon all. We have to learn right behavior and attitude. Genesis 3:15-24; Psalms 51:5; Matthew 15:19; James 1:15, 4:1; Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:8. B. Parent’s sins are passed on. Exodus 20:5, 34:7; Leviticus 26:39, numbers 14:18, 33; Job 21:19; Isaiah 14:21 and Jeremiah 32:18. C. Begin to interact with environment. Family and Home. 1. Filial Obedience-Son or Daughter-Parents –Authority. 2. Honor. 3. Children’s domestic duties. 4. Parental duties. 5. “Experts” evaluate our every performance and our self-talk records the opinion. 6. Negative and positive thoughts and feeling are deposited like rocks in the respective buckets. Computer of the brain stored for further use. 7. Rocks accumulate and we lean in one direction or the other. Right or wrong. 8. An attitude is now formed; we lean toward or away from good. 9. Just as there is right and wrong, so it is with good and bad.
III. How are good attitudes and behaviors formed? Genesis records man as communicating with God in the Garden of Eden in the morning and evening; time of bles and instruction for the day. 1. Saw-God He talked with Adam. 2. Desired- To hear from Him. 3. Gave- No took. IV. How are bad attitudes and behaviors acquired or formed. Genesis 3:6. 1. See. Looks good! 2. Desired- no different than the others. 3. Took- it’s created by God so lets do it! 4. Gave-misery loves company. 5. Hid-had to cover wrong up. We see the same thing much earlier when Joshua lost the battle of Ai Joshua 7: 26 V. Self -Esteem Cycle-How do we value ourselves? By using self talk as a negative or positive force. It has a pattern. 1. Begins with performance. a. How we act. b. How others evaluate our actions. 2. This “Stimulates a mental evaluation through my self talk or affirmations”. 3. How do I react to my evaluation or others evaluation of my experience or performance? 4. This reinforces either a positive or a negative subconscious self-image or attitude of how I feel about my self. 5. My self-image is the regulating mechanism that controls future performance. If we understand the concept, “man moves toward and becomes like that which he thinks about? Can you see how powerful self-talk is in structuring self-image or self-esteem? Sin is a source of dissatisfaction Ecclesiastes 2:11 and Isaiah 44:20 Sin is the source of unrest, no peace, emptiness and vanity. Note Deuteronomy 28:67; Job 15:20; Psalms 107:17; Proverbs 13:15; Romans 3:16; and James 5:1 VI. Faith not in self but in God secures ones self-esteem: Note John 3:15 & 36; 5:24; 11:25; 12:46; 20:30 and Romans 10:9. VII. Awareness is simply the clarity with which we perceive and understand everything that affects our lives. 1. Awareness limited; thought pattern limited. 2. Be aware of our own natural limitations in the world of reality and how to expand awareness of opportunities to develop full potential. 3. Don’t lock out reality. A. No two people have the exact same level of awareness; we all perceive the same world, but we all interpret what we see differently. 4. Awareness is the combination of all things since birth to death. Questions: 1. What causes people too never fully be aware of all that’s around them? 2. What the reason for some seeing new opportunities? 3. Are some people luckier than others? 4. What cause some to be open to new ideas and innovative projects? VIII. List some ways awareness is limited or distorted? 1. Natural limits. A. Sight-sound or hearing-smelling-tasting-touching. 2. Helps in making us aware. A. Eye glasses bifocals. B. Hearing aids. C. Micro chips for the heart. D. Artificial limbs for the body. 3. We can’t take or tolerate total awareness to all stimuli in our environment. We would be bombarded by thousands of sensory messages constantly and would not be able to handle them all. 4. We have a DATA Reduction or filtering system of data at work in our lives. This is a group of cells in the brain, which monitors sensory messages given to it. It’s a natural filtering device that allows only “Personally Profitable Data or Information and Threats” to get through to us. It allows us to receive only the messages of information that have Pay Value. A. Pay Value. 1. Knowing what you want before we become aware of “How to get it”. a. Example a new house. b. An exact new job. c. Exact amount of money. We need to get a clear picture of exactly what is information stored there. B. Picture your wants and the pay value to you. 1. Self-Denial--Matthew 16:24; Luke 14:26 & 27; Romans 8:23, 15:1; Galatians 5:24. 2. Subdue normal fleshly lust—Matthew 5:29; Romans 6:6; Colossians 3:5. C. Be- aware of Lock on Lock out Principles. 1. Once we lock on to a principle, opinion, belief or an attitude we find it difficult to see or understand the truth. 2. Locking on to the “Truth”, as we perceive it causes us to develop scotomas to new truth. (Blind spots) 3. Makes change difficult because of past experiences. 4. Attachment to friends, vocation, social prejudices, life styles and habits some times causes no growth. 2 Be continued1 |