What we think we become. Or to put it another way: Our actions reveal our thinking and our thinking denotes our true belief system concerning our identity. If our thinking stinks the chances are good our actions will too, and that exposes our foul perception of who we are.

As sons and daughters of God we are blue bloods—royalty—the King’s kids. That is our identity no matter what you think. This reality is truth and truth is determined by God, not you or me. Truth is fixed, and thus our perception must align with truth for there to be reality. Reality and truth are not relative, regardless of what our culture proclaims. If you know Christ you are a son or daughter of God. But for this truth to be more than an intellectual concept the reality of this truth must move to your heart. It must become a part of who you are by becoming a treasured core value of your belief system.

Satan has done a masterful job of convincing most of us that we must serve God to gain His favor, to win His approval, or to secure a place in heaven with Him. He has switched the focus off God and onto us. We are then forced by our belief system to take responsibility for things God never granted us liability for. It is here we neglect one of the greatest biblical truths—we are saved through grace and kept by grace. We are God’s responsibility, but for some reason we want to take that slave mentality that “I must survive at all cost” right into the palace of the King of Glory.

This warped way of thinking—this slave mentality—cripples and strains our relationship with our heavenly Father. The “me” mentality fuels a survivalist system of thought that ultimately makes everything revolve around me, myself, or I. Instead of developing an intimate relationship with God where there is give and take, we tend to act like the children of Israel as they wandered about in the desert. They constantly grumbled and complained. “What are we going to eat?” “What are we going to drink?” “Why is this happening to me?” “I don’t deserve this. God is so unjust.” This line of thinking is born out of a victim mentality.

The victim or slave mentality has seeped into every aspect of our thinking. It’s like an invisible cancer slowly eating away at our divine inheritance. Instead of living like royalty we think like slaves and thus, act like slaves. What must God think when He sees His children living so far below their positions?

Let me give you some clear definitions and you decide which one resembles the identity on display through your actions. Remember your actions are a screaming proclamation of who you believe you are.

A son or daughter is a believer who knows (through experience) who their Father is and is secure in the Father’s love, and in that assurance is secure and at peace with their identity. In knowing the Father, a son or daughter experiences validation. Faith-filled intimacy marks their relationship with the Father.

A slave is a believer who is consumed with stinking thinking. He or she knows facts about the Father, but has not moved from the immaturity of hesitation into the maturity of a heart relationship. A slave is a son or daughter with a measure of head knowledge, but little or no heart knowledge. Fear of intimacy marks their relationship with the Father.

So…which one are you? Are you living a life of false perception or true reality?