Perception Is Reality

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he…”  (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV).

Perception is reality. The way we perceive things is the way things really are to us. In actuality, the circumstances we encounter may be totally different from what we think they are.  Nevertheless, what we think about them is reality to us. Do you see the awesome power and influence of the mind? The mind has the power to direct the course of our lives, attitudes and actions. God says that our minds must be transformed if we are to know His good, acceptable, and perfect will for our lives.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV). When we were saved, we received a brand new Spirit that desires to do exactly what Father God wants us to do. However, we did not receive a new soul… mind, will, and emotions. Our soul is still un-surrendered to the Spirit’s control. Our soul has been in charge for the entirety of our lives prior to salvation. It will not surrender control without a fight. Allow me to illustrate.

Suppose someone you love offends you. They hurt your feelings really bad. God speaks to your spirit and says, “Let’s forgive them as I have forgiven you.”

Your spirit says, “Sure, Lord! Absolutely! We’ll forgive them because You have been so good to forgive me! Amen!”

Then your spirit tells your mind what the plan is. Your mind says, “Whoa! Are you crazy? Did you not see what they did to us? We’re not going to do that! Punch their lights out maybe, but forgive…? Are you kidding?”

God says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV). God’s thoughts and His ways are diametrically opposed to the thoughts and ways of our un-surrendered soul. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12). His way is always best. His way leads to life. Our way leads to death.

How do we get our soul in line with the Spirit? Simple. We renew it. We bind our soul to the Truth of God’s Word. We refuse to conform to the “stinking thinking” of the world. We begin to take what God says seriously and believe it wholeheartedly. Anything contrary to what God says, we reject. We cling to, rely upon, trust in, and put our whole weight upon the infallibility of His precious Word. It is essential that we know what Father God says about Himself, about us, about other people, and about life in general. Once we know what God thinks about it, we simply think what He thinks. Let me leave you with some facts about who you really are in Christ Jesus…

I AM God’s beloved child.

Every day I AM being transformed into the image of His Son through the renewing of my mind.

I AM God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus.

I AM crucified with Christ and I no longer live.

Jesus lives in me and reigns as my Lord.

I AM victorious because Jesus is exercising His faith in me to do the will of God.

I AM always looking to Jesus Who is my wisdom, my righteousness, my sanctification, and my redemption.

I AM God’s purchased possession.

I AM bought with the precious blood of Christ.

I AM more than a conqueror because greater is He that is in me than he who is in the world.

I AM powerful because He has given me authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means harm me.

I AM submitted under the mighty hand of God, and I give no place to the devil.

I AM fully clothed in the armor of God.29

I AM a victor because God always gives me the victory through my Lord Jesus Christ.

I AM successful because I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

 AM not condemned because there is therefore now no condemnation to me because I AM in Christ Jesus.

I AM a new creation and all my old things and former way of life have passed away.

 AM a priest of God. I AM anointed because the Messiah Who lives in me is the Anointed One.

Although I AM unworthy of these blessings, God has made me worthy of them all because Christ Jesus is my worthiness… my righteousness… my sufficiency… my strength… my Lord…. my ALL in ALL!  Hallelujah! Blessed be the Name of the Great I AM!

Beloved, you are what you think you are. Start thinking like Papa God thinks. You have the mind of Christ. When He was on the cross, you were on His mind. You are still on His mind. Now keep Him on yours.

Blessings,

Kenny