What we tell ourselves is a measure of the kind of person we are; it represents what we want others to think about us. Thus, we need to be spiritually precise about what we tell ourselves.
This woman is struggling with a physical hardship—she had been bleeding for 12 years. The physical hardship caused other hardships. Socially, she was an outcast. Economically, she was unable to care for herself and she had run through all her money seeking a remedy. Religiously, she was deemed to be under divine judgment. Yet, she was surviving because of what she was telling herself.
Mark 5:27 tells us that this woman “had heard about Jesus,” which suggests that not only was she talking, but she was also listening. And that’s significant because the reliability of what we tell ourselves is based on the accuracy of what we listen to. If we listen to the wrong things from the wrong people, it will negatively skew our perspective.
We have heard that, to be successful and happy in life, we must accumulate all we can, any way we can. But that’s not true. We have heard that, to enjoy life, we must follow the crowd—do what others are doing, go where others are going. But that’s not true. To have the right perspective, we must hear Jesus: “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you as well (Matthew 6:33).”
This woman had heard about Jesus, and though everything had failed her—money, medicine, relationships, patience, society, religion—she kept telling herself. “If I can just get to Jesus, I’ll be healed.”
“Sometimes you have to encourage yourself. Sometimes you have to speak victory during the test. And no matter how you feel, speak the Word and you will be healed. Speak over yourself, encourage yourself in the Lord (Lyrics of Donald Lawrence).”
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