I enjoyed the book “I’m OK-You’re OK” by Thomas Harris.  In this book, Harris explains that we take on certain life positions of OK-ness while we are very young.  These life positions then stay with us for the rest of our lives.  Some people take on the life position “I’m OK-You’re not OK”.  Others take on the life position “I’m not OK-You’re OK”. One of the most damaging life positions to take on is “I’m not OK-You’re not OK”.  Harris explains that when people take on this position of not-OK-ness, they hurt so much, but are not likely to change, because on top of not liking themselves, they do not like anybody else enough to trust them.

WHEN HE LIES, HE SPEAKS HIS NATIVE LANGUAGE, FOR HE IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF LIES
(John 8:44).

 It is the father-of-lies’ goal to get us to adopt the life position “I’m not OK-You’re not OK”.  He does this by lying to us about ourselves…and lying to us about God.  He tells us that we are not OK and that God is not OK, either—that God cannot be trusted.  This way, he sets us up with a life position that keeps us trapped. We do not feel OK about ourselves, but we have nowhere to turn, because “God is not OK and cannot be trusted.”  But then, the father-of-lies offers us an escape route: sinful habits and patterns of hiding our not-OK selves from our not-OK God, running from our not-OK selves and our not-OK God, and blaming our not-OK God for our not-OK selves.

MAY THEY BE BROUGHT TO COMPLETE UNITY TO LET THE WORLD KNOW THAT YOU SENT ME AND HAVE LOVED THEM EVEN AS YOU HAVE LOVED ME
(John 17:23).

I bless you to know that all the things the father-of-lies told you about God…is not true.  God is the Perfect Father and He wants you to know that He loves you as much as He loves His Son, Jesus.  You can trust Him!

By the way, I took on the life position “I’m not OK-You’re not OK” as a child, as well.  Nobody could help me get rid of it, because I did not trust anybody.  However, after I have come to know God as the Perfect Father who can be trusted, I have allowed Him to help me adopt the position “I’m OK-You’re OK” through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Which life position have you taken on? What are the underlying negative, destructive beliefs from the father-of-lies about YOU…and about GOD?

Would you like to acquire the position I’m OK-You’re OK? Then, you need to invite God’s Presence and Participation into the beliefs that deem you and others not-OK. Embrace these beliefs, expose them to God, and allow Him to exchange them for His Truth.

PRAYER: Lord God, I am tired of feeling not-OK about myself and others. Help me to trust You to lead me to the place where I will feel that I am OK and that others are OK, too.