#107 S4 EP 27: Finding Self-Worth and Identity in Christ with Sharon Hughes

Sharon , you want to say hello to everyone .

We pray in the name of Jesus that you'll continue to manifest your word in us and through us as we get into your word , as you reveal the diamonds in us . We pray in the name of Jesus , counseling any assignment that are in me that will be sent back into the picture where it came from . We pray in the name of Jesus .

Your Holy Spirit will just have its way . We pray in the name of Jesus for the ones that had no sight to know who you are . We pray in the name of Jesus for the ones that want to know who you are . But don't we pray in the name of Jesus for even the ones that said pray for me . We ask you just have your way in their lives and in our lives .

If you make us and mold us into the damage that you call us to be . These things and all things we ask , all in Jesus , mighty and maximum thanks . We say thank you , we say amen , amen and amen .

I consider myself to be a confidence and self-worth expert and I say that because I walked the hard road of learning how to have a healthy , biblical confidence and self-worth , and it's my mission to help everybody listening to have that as well .

You know something , or you know maybe something that's happened in your past . That speaks to how you've gotten where you are .

But having a high-functioning alcoholic father that was very , very abusive physically , emotionally , sexually to my mother and then to myself and I grew up being really afraid of God .

And I grew up being really afraid of God and what I've learned and I think this is so true for so many of us is that when we have a father that is overbearing and angry and abusive , when we try to know who our heavenly father is , it's hard to differentiate between an earthly father and a heavenly father and to think that the heavenly father is not the

same in any manner . So I was really on a long journey of healing and learning to trust God Because I liked Jesus . I was like , oh , jesus died for me , so he's cool , he's cool with me , but God , ooh , I'm in trouble with the father .

And a lot of people will say , well , I would do this if I felt confident . Well , we know that feelings are not completely trustworthy . However , feelings do dictate behavior . So if you're thinking , oh , I don't feel confident , I'm not going to pursue that , there it's dictating behavior . It can shut you down and hold you back .

But when we look at confidence as a skill set , such as learning how to podcast so you and I have both done that and we learned the steps , we learned how to use the equipment , we've learned how to edit and things like that and then the more that you do it , the more confident you become in that skill set .

It's a whole different animal when you think you don't deserve to have a podcast because you're not good enough and that's a self-worth issue .

And because we get it mixed up , like you said , we can lack in places that we should not , and so that definitely speaks to all of us in who we are and whose we are , because y'all diamonds know that we say here all the time you know , uh , god wants us to see us , see ourselves the way that he sees us , and confidence is definitely a part of it and

this is how we can really overcome trauma is to see God , and I believe that our perspective matters , because we can look at God and look at the trauma and say , well , I'm angry at God because he let this happen to me .

Or we can allow the trauma to put us in a place that says I'm fearful and I can't do anything , I'm not this and I'm not that , and so it becomes a barrier that if we're looking at God , we're looking at Jesus , then we can overcome any trauma , any abuse or anything that comes at us .

That would speak that we aren't the diamonds that God says that we are . Any comments either ?

That fear that he's talking about is not that trembling in your bones or in your boots that he's going to throw this big bolt of lightning down and hit you if you don't do what you're supposed to be doing . That fear is the reverence of what and who he is . That fear is the reverence of what and who he is .

It's not the fear of saying , oh , I got to dot every I across every T , it's the fear that you do your very best in everything that you do . But that reflects back on the Romans 12 , 1 and 2 , the renewing of your mind . No-transcript . Get applauded by man or not , if it's doing it for God , I'm going to give him my very best what I do .

Because we got to realize look , we're not perfect in this world by far . We all have issues , we all have mistakes . We make things in life that we don't't understand . But we got to realize that , look the mistakes that we make in life is not mistakes , it's a learning tool .

We got to have a learning tool in life because if we got , if we dotted every I and cross every t and I and I've asked this question plenty of times before and I'm gonna ask it again if you dot every I , cross every t , would you cross every T ? Would you turn to God ? Amen , would you turn to God and be honest with you ? The answer is no .

He doesn't care if it's bondage of perfectionism or it's a form of bondage , and the enemy likes for us to be in bondage . He doesn't care if it's bondage of perfectionism or it's bondage of addiction , it doesn't matter to him as long as he's got something over you .

But I'd like to go back to that point we were talking about , about confidence , because there's a verse in Hebrews that says to come boldly or confidently to the throne in time of need . Now , that's not a father God that's waiting for you to mess up so he can smack you up beside the head . That's a father that's saying child , come to me , I've got you .

And I didn't know that until I was so much older , like I knew the verse . I didn't know the verse Right and I think when we sit in scripture we really need to ask Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us , to give us fresh

eyes . So we're not reading scripture and it's being filtered through a religious spirit of perfectionism and standards we can never attain . We need to read scripture and know that Jesus did it all for us , that we are now seated in heavenly realms with him and we're under that grace . We have the Lord's mercy upon us . He knows we're human , he created us .

He knows we're human , he created us . He knows how weak we are . I mean truly . I mean we flounder around with some silly things and people listening . They go . Oh yeah , I did something silly yesterday that's had me up all night . Just bring it to the Lord , let it go and just be done with it .

So in my book , the Girl in the Garage Three Steps to Letting Go of your Past it's my testimony and it's written workbook style , so I'll share something that I was getting caught up in , but then I break it down so that the reader can reflect on that , answer some questions , to see how they might be struggling in the same issue .

Because once you understand your identity in Christ , the enemy does not have a hold over you , so he's going to keep you running in circles as much as he can . So it's yeah , all comes back to identity . We are , as Christians , a Royal priesthood . Does it get any better than that ? Like ?

What has happened to you , what's been done to you , is not who you are . It does not define who you are on any level , and that's where shining the truth of who you are , your identity in Christ that turns the light bulb on in the darkness , and darkness has to flee .

But it's very , very hard for people to learn how to think differently about themselves , absolutely . One of the things that I say is I'll teach you how to think for yourself , not against yourself , and what that means is because we need to take every thought captive and most of the thoughts that we have are thoughts that are against ourselves .

Of the thoughts that we have are thoughts that are against ourselves . You know , I'm stupid , or I'm fat , or I'm ugly , or I'm a cheater , I'm a drunk , I'll never be anything , and we keep sitting in all of those horrible thoughts and that does a number on not just our mind and our emotions , but on our health as well . Yeah , Wow . Yeah .

I agree that it's definitely has a lot to do with the perception that we think about ourself and how we perceive what others think about us . Amen , so that is powerful , very , very powerful . You had to say something .

A calling because you know we all have naysayers around us that want to tell us , oh , you can't do that , you're not good enough to do that , and that's not the truth .

And I know it's in Ephesians , in Colossians , and I was trying to find it , but you know I didn't find it . But I did find something that was very key to what we're talking about . It's colossus 310 and I'm not sure what um , what , um , then uh , what , whether it's niv or what version is . But this what it says in ephesians .

In colossus 3 , 10 , it says put on your new nature and be renewed as you learn to know your creator and become like him . And it also goes further and says Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe . Every item of your new way of life is custom made by the creator with his label on it . All old fashions are now obsolete . We have to realize that .

Look , when God made you , he made you the way you are . He made you the way you are , whether you think that you're ugly , whether you think that you're God's gift to the world . He made you short , tall , skinny , big , whatever . He made you the way he wanted you to make .

We got to realize that , look , we have to realize and stop thinking that we're not good enough . God made you the way he did for a reason . And then we got to realize that , look , when he made you and you overthinking and overcomplicating things he made you in a way that would benefit him . That's why he says in his word lean not on your own understanding .

Proverbs 3 and 5 . We got to realize that , look the way God made us . He had a plan for us before we even came out the womb . As our old folks would say . He made up before you was even thought of . He had a plan for us before we even came out the womb . As our old folks would say he made up before you was even thought of .

He's not some far off , distant God that's just kind of hanging out and waiting for you to get it together and call him he's personal . He's not some far off , distant God that's just kind of hanging out and waiting for you to get it together and call him he's personal . He's involved , he cares , he cares deeply .

They are a witness , we are all a witness to the power of God and the fact that we are who we are and we do what we do because of him , not because we are good enough , not because we , you know , we am just so very grateful and thankful for everyone , and even ourselves , of being here , because he could have chosen anybody else to do what the three of

us are doing you know what I mean and he could have chosen somebody else other than you , listeners , diamonds , to do what you're doing and to be where you are , amen . So it is powerful , a powerful thing when we begin to catch , I would say catch the perception that God has for us and on us . Powerful . So , ms Sharon , tell us about Confidence Academy .

What is that about ?

It's probably the same where you are too , but for a cup of coffee you can get . You can get in .

What is it that you want to share ?

In my book you can find it the Girl in the Garage Three Steps to Letting Go of your Past on Amazon , on Barnes Noble , or you can come to my website , sharonhughesnet , and go to the book tab and grab a copy there . And I just want people to be free , know who they are in Christ . Let go of trauma . You got to let go of trauma .

Trauma doesn't have you . You got to let go of trauma . Don't let it own you , don't give it power anymore .

We might have different stories , we might have different levels of obscurity and tribulation and trial , but at the end of the day , the answer should still be the same . It should still come back to the truth of God . Amen . That's my final thought . Hallelujah To God . Be the same . It should still come back to the truth of God . Amen .

That's my final thought Hallelujah To God , be the glory . Michael , you have anything you want to share or say ?

Come on , get older , kelly Blue Book says it loses value . But we gotta realize our life , as it gets older and more wisdom , it increases in value . Don't compare yourself to a car , because over time that car gonna die off , get beat up , get worn life does too . But car loses value . Life increases in value .

That they would boldly bring those things before you , father , that they would be refreshed and renewed , lord , god , that they would know that you have them , that you care . Your eye is on them , just the same way it is on the sparrow .

Lord , we thank you that you are a father that loves and adores your children , that you are full of mercy and grace , and we ask for an extra measure of that mercy and grace as we navigate the things going on in the world today . Lord , may we only be a mirror to reflect your love back onto the ones that don't know you .

Lord , that we would draw them unto you , father . Father , we just thank you . We give you all the praise and glory for this day In Jesus' name amen .

You're welcome , my dear . You're certainly welcome , diamonds .