Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I have
never been eloquent, neither in the past
nor since you have spoken to your servant.
I am slow of speech and tongue.”
Exodus 4:10
You engage in self-deprecation when you think
or speak of yourself as being of little or no worth and
thereby minimize the value of what you “bring to
the table” or have to offer. Notice how Satan seeks
to take us from one extreme to the other. He tries
to make us either boastful or bashful. He tries to
make us think that we are “da bomb” (slang for
“really hot stuff”) or “done bombed” (totally blew
it!). Don’t be ignorant of his tricks.
Self-deprecation is often disguised as humility;
but in reality, it is a rejection of the Word of God, which assures us we can do all things through Christ
who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).Watch those
negative labels you put on yourself.What others call
you is not important; it is only what you call your-
self.
Consider the account of Jesus and the man who
had been possessed by demons for a very long time.
“Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And
he said, Legion: because many devils were entered
into him” (Luke 8:30). A “legion” was a major
unit of the Roman army consisting of up to 6000
troops; “Legion” was not this man’s given name.
Being possessed by a legion of demons was a tem-
porary condition he had come to accept as per-
manent reality. He had dealt with the problem for
so long that he labeled or defined himself by his
experience.
Have you had an experience that you have
allowed to define you? Perhaps you have labeled
yourself a “fatso” because you have battled your
weight for a long time with no apparent victory in
sight. Alternatively, maybe you have defined your-
self as a “victim” because you were truly victimized
more than once. You may even consider yourself a
“failures” because you are divorced. It is time to
abandon the negative labels and redefine yourself!
Self-deprecation displeases God. When Moses
complained that he was inadequate to lead the
Israelites out of Egyptian bondage because of his
speech impediment, God became upset.
The LORD said to him, “Who gave man his
mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who
gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not
I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak
and will teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:11-12).
What an awesome promise from an Omnipotent
Being who cannot lie. We must reject the spirit of
inadequacy. Without God, we can do nothing any-
way; with Him we can do all things. Because of the
reality of His Word, we can walk in confidence—not
in ourselves—but in the grace of God that empowers us.
God is able to make all grace abound
toward me; so that I always having all
sufficiency in all things, may abound
to every good work
never been eloquent, neither in the past
nor since you have spoken to your servant.
I am slow of speech and tongue.”
Exodus 4:10
You engage in self-deprecation when you think
or speak of yourself as being of little or no worth and
thereby minimize the value of what you “bring to
the table” or have to offer. Notice how Satan seeks
to take us from one extreme to the other. He tries
to make us either boastful or bashful. He tries to
make us think that we are “da bomb” (slang for
“really hot stuff”) or “done bombed” (totally blew
it!). Don’t be ignorant of his tricks.
Self-deprecation is often disguised as humility;
but in reality, it is a rejection of the Word of God, which assures us we can do all things through Christ
who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).Watch those
negative labels you put on yourself.What others call
you is not important; it is only what you call your-
self.
Consider the account of Jesus and the man who
had been possessed by demons for a very long time.
“Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And
he said, Legion: because many devils were entered
into him” (Luke 8:30). A “legion” was a major
unit of the Roman army consisting of up to 6000
troops; “Legion” was not this man’s given name.
Being possessed by a legion of demons was a tem-
porary condition he had come to accept as per-
manent reality. He had dealt with the problem for
so long that he labeled or defined himself by his
experience.
Have you had an experience that you have
allowed to define you? Perhaps you have labeled
yourself a “fatso” because you have battled your
weight for a long time with no apparent victory in
sight. Alternatively, maybe you have defined your-
self as a “victim” because you were truly victimized
more than once. You may even consider yourself a
“failures” because you are divorced. It is time to
abandon the negative labels and redefine yourself!
Self-deprecation displeases God. When Moses
complained that he was inadequate to lead the
Israelites out of Egyptian bondage because of his
speech impediment, God became upset.
The LORD said to him, “Who gave man his
mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who
gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not
I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak
and will teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:11-12).
What an awesome promise from an Omnipotent
Being who cannot lie. We must reject the spirit of
inadequacy. Without God, we can do nothing any-
way; with Him we can do all things. Because of the
reality of His Word, we can walk in confidence—not
in ourselves—but in the grace of God that empowers us.
God is able to make all grace abound
toward me; so that I always having all
sufficiency in all things, may abound
to every good work
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