In the Mirror

Try this:

Stand in front of a mirror.

Spend a minute just looking and being present to yourself and God.

How does it make you feel?

What do you see?

What words come to mind?

Write these things down.

Now give them to God. Right now tear up the paper into little pieces.

Release your grip on them and choose His definition of your worth.

Now ask God how he sees you.  

Maybe a picture comes to mind, maybe a word, a book, a character, a memory, a verse.

Whatever it is, ask God to reveal to you the significance of this. It might not come right away, but keep it in your thoughts through the day, asking God what it means.

He is trying to capture his deep stamp in your soul. Give it time, it can take a while to sort through the lies to find His image stamped in your core.

Pray:

God, I want to see myself as you see me. I choose to believe that I am who you say I am. Help me see how I am created in your image. Help me believe I have something to give as a creator; created in the creator's image. Help me to live from this reality today – with those I meet and the challenges I encounter. 

Be inspired:

Meet Olga Ling, a modern-day co-creator whose obedience has taken her around the world preaching the gospel and seeing lives changed.

At the age of five, Olga “fell in love with Jesus” by attending church at 6 am every day at her Catholic boarding school in her home country of Indonesia. By the time she moved to Australia at 29, she had become a woman with strong Christian faith, deeply devoted to God and willing to be obedient to Him.

In April 2000, Olga had to undergo surgery to remove a large tumour.

“During the operation, I had a cardiac arrest for 10 minutes. The doctor said to my husband, ‘When the oxygen doesn’t go to the brain for three minutes, there’s going to be brain damage.’ But I wake up in ICU and my brain is working!” she shares.

“Two days later, I had a dream. I had a vision of a coffin in front of me on the wall. I said, ‘Lord, what is this one?’ In my spirit, he said, ‘It’s supposed to be you in there, but by the grace of the Lord I give you another chance to live. Go into the world and preach the gospel.’ I said, ‘Me?!’ He said, ‘Yes.’ And then I woke up.

“And the Lord said, ‘Open your Bible to Ezekiel 36:26-27.’ It said, ‘I will give you a new heart.’ And he said, ‘I’m going to take your heart of stone and I will give you a heart of obedience to me.’ And I cried and I wept and I know that God’s called me.

This life-changing call led her to Bible college and later to co-found Harvest Indonesian Church in Sydney with Joseph Tee. Seven years later, God opened the opportunity to preach the gospel to the world – through a birthday party for a Christian friend!

“I went to Jakarta and my friend wanted to see me. They said, ‘Olga, I heard you are a pastor! It’s my husband’s birthday party and I already invited 200 people – can you come and preach?’ “When I preached, I brought an altar call and they all wept! They all came to Jesus in only one night. The next day they asked for another rally – and so many people came, about 500 the next day. And they made an appointment for me to come next year, to send me from village to village. From there, opportunities opened up through friends and word of mouth for Olga to preach the gospel to Indonesians living in Holland, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Athens. “For me in my heart, every day when I wake up, I say, ‘Jesus, one more soul for you. I’m 68 next year and, in my old age, I’m going to bring so many people to come to you.’ That’s my goal. I don’t have any other motivation. I don’t care about the reward – I just say, ‘Thank you, Jesus!’ I’m so honoured God chose me.”