Love Junkies: Break The Toxic Relationship Cycleনমুনা

[Illustrations included in this devotional are not visible in this view. Illustrations are only supported in the Bible App for iOS, Android, and at Bible.com] Many of us live to please the men in our lives. We spend a lifetime calculating our own worth through their perceptions of us. If we think our boyfriend or husband has a low opinion of us, we may struggle with a low self-esteem. If our mate has a high opinion of us, it’s also possible to have an inflated opinion of ourselves. Either way, we totter on an unstable platform of worth. Our society places great emphasis on appearance, acquisition, achievement and associations. That’s why it’s so easy to put our confidence in places other than Christ, but it’s not secure. A man-made image can come crumbling down at any point. On the other hand, a Christ-centered identity is shatter-proof. If you’ve been in church circles long at all, you’ve no doubt heard how important it is to place your identity in Christ. But since the word identity is not in the Bible, what does that mean? To confuse the matter more, the Bible doesn’t even use the words self-esteem or self-image or self-confidence . These are modern-day terms to describe what the Bible refers to as trust, hope, or confidence. With so many influ­ences trying to rob our identity, how can we transfer our hope, confidence and trust from our relationships and the opinions of others and put it in Christ? One of the best ways to secure our identity in Christ is to start with meditating on His truth. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have to help us improve our soul-health, but meditation is far more than just thinking. The word meditate used in the Old Testament comes from the Hebrew word hagah which means to mutter. In truth, most of us mutter about things that we are don’t like. That’s why the word mutter has a negative connotation. When we grumble about things we don’t like, we end up discontent. I want to challenge you to tame your tongue and mutter about good things. True things. What you declare produces life. When you speak God’s truth out loud it also causes your vision to increase. Choose your words with care and watch your faith explode. There’s power in the spoken truth, because the Word declared out loud creates life! Want to test your identity? [ Take the quiz ](http://www.christyjohnson.org/identity-quiz/) .