IT IS NOT IN ME

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it.” So Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.”
-Genesis 41:14-16

I love Joseph’s response to Pharaoh when he is called to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Joseph knew his place, he knew that he was only a vessel for the Lord’s work and that his gift to interpret dreams was not of his flesh, but came directly from the Lord. Joseph is a great example of how we as the body of Christ are to humble ourselves and give the glory to God for the work He is doing through us and the gifts He gives us.

As you may know, God recently gave me “Transcend Your Weight: Building on the Rock” (a 12-week Biblical weight loss program that helps individuals overcome their struggles with weight loss by building on the Rock of Jesus Christ, that they would be set free from the bondage they are in). I know that some people look at me strangely or think I am off my rocker when I tell them that this program was not of me, but it was totally God. But I knew that the completed work sitting before me was bigger and better than anything I could ever do in and of myself. It was beyond my capabilities; it was not in me, but it had come from God. Yet even knowing this, there were times when I found myself doubting this program was good enough. I started to notice fear creeping in; I was afraid of what others would think about “my” program, afraid of being rejected by the church and my friends, afraid no one would want what I had to offer, etc. Then I would get that ever so subtle reminder from God; that little tap on the shoulder or the whisper in my ear, “But this isn’t yours, it is Mine. It did not come from you, but from Me.” At some point, without even realizing it, I had taken ownership of the gift God had given me; I had made it “my program”. All my fears and doubts came down to the fact that I had outwardly given God the glory for this program when I would tell others about it, but I had not truly given God the glory in my heart. In my heart, I still saw it as “mine” and all my doubts and fears came from the doubts I rightly had in my own abilities. However, once I gave to God what was His all along and really gave Him the glory for what He had created, my doubts and fears disappeared because I knew that there was nothing to doubt, nothing of this world to fear. God was on the throne, He was in control and this program was and is His; if I were to continue to doubt or fear, I would be doubting the power of God and doubting His perfection…how dare I.

The world tells us we need more self-confidence, more self-esteem, more self…the reality is we need to stop looking to self at all! We are called to die to self and live for Christ. Our confidence doesn’t come from ourselves and our abilities, but from God! We don’t need self-confidence and self-esteem, we can be confident in God; in His abilities, in His perfection, in His plan and purpose for our lives. Isn’t it great when we can say with confidence, “It is not in me, God…”?

COACH'S CALL TO ACTION

• Complete this statement, “If only I had more…”?
  
• What would it look like to die to self and live for Christ?
  
• Complete the following statement, “It is not in me, God…”
  

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