I woke up this morning thinking about our freedom since yestesrday was the 4th of July.  There were so many fun and grand celebrations.  I’m proud to be an American and proud of our country.  I can’t celebrate Independence Day without also thinking about our freedom in Christ.  Understanding this fact changed my life!  So many believers don’t understand what it means to be free in Christ.  Jesus broke the chains to sin, addiction, legalism, the law and a long list of things that involve total self effort.  We are also not only free from certain things but we are also free to many things.  We are free to love God.  We are free to let go of unforgiveness.  We are free to love others.  We are free to serve without a have to mentality.  We are free to enjoy life without letting other’s ruin our day.

But this morning my heart, once again, is going out to myself and my fellow female friends who so desperately need to be free from self-condemnation.  Another word for self condemnation is self hatred.  Have you been there?    The world has done such a number on us all.  I’ve been teaching people their identity in Christ for over 20 years and I still struggle with negative thoughts about myself and my appearance.  I want to be free!  Technically I am free because Jesus set me free but I want to experience my freedom.  What good is it to have a million dollar check if I don’t believe it is real and cash it.  Ladies, we’ve been given a ticket to set us free from self-condemnation.

I was recently thinking how many times a day I hear myself or a woman say something negative about her appearance.  It’s rampant!  Do you know when I’ve noticed a woman looks the most beautiful?  When she’s happy, smiling, laughing, forgetting about all of the expectations she has on herself to look a certain way.  She’s loving other’s and loving life.  But we need to love ourselves too!

Will you join me right now in a prayer?  Jesus, thank you for making me who I am.  Help me to accept myself and to really know my value.  Help me to see the unique things in my body and soul that YOU created in me that makes me one of a kind.  Help me to see myself the way you see me.  Help me to experience my freedom in Christ and love myself.  Yes, there are areas in my life that the two of us may need to work on in order to physically feel better and to be healthy but would you supernaturally stop all words of condemnation that come into my mind and out of my mouth?  Would you bind the enemy from my thoughts and renew my mind daily with your truth!

I now declare what you declare about me:  I am loved!  I am beautiful!  I am special!  My Heavenly Father is wildly in love with me and could not be more proud of the creation HE created in me!  I have a GOOD heart!  I make people smile.  I have been wonderfully made and was knit together in my mother’s womb.  I have been chosen and made a princess of the King of Kings.  I am a victor in Christ, not a victim.  I am free!  And I will no longer let the enemy rob another day from me.  I choose to love and accept myself, just as I am!