Learning to Love Myself Through God’s Eyes

May 27, 2026May 27, 2026 Timothy R. BermanLeave a comment

Learning to love myself was the first mountain I ever had to climb in recovery. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength—and the second is like it: to love our neighbor as ourselves. I thought I loved God. I thought I loved others. But I had never learned how to love me. And when I finally faced that truth, I realized I didn’t just “not love myself”—I despised myself.

When I was drunk and alone, I’d curse myself. I’d repeat the harsh words spoken over me by others—especially family. Emotional abuse, degradation, bullying, name‑calling… all of it became the internal script I lived by. I believed I was worthless, stupid, manipulative, selfish, unlovable. And because I believed it, I lived it.

So I kept God at arm’s length. I kept people at arm’s length. I feared abandonment, rejection, and judgment. I feared giving God my whole heart because I assumed He would eventually reject me too. Shame became the lens through which I saw myself, others, and God.

But recovery forced me to confront the lies. It forced me to ask: Who does God say I am? And in that painful, holy unraveling, I began to learn to love God with what little I had. I began to see myself through His eyes. And only then could I begin to love others with sincerity, depth, and courage.

Anchor verse – Hebrews 1:3 – “He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Christ is the exact imprint of God’s being—and through Him, we learn who God is, who we are, and how deeply we are loved.

Set the Sail of Recovery and Sobriety: “If Any Would Follow…”

May 26, 2026May 26, 2026 Timothy R. BermanLeave a comment

I do not recall the specific moment in my own recovery journey when Jesus placed a crossroad before. For one, I have had multiple crossroads placed before. And I am sure many of you have had those same crossroads placed in your own life and path. These crossroads were not placed with thunder, not spectacle, because they were often placed with a quiet, piercing invitation. At times, and for me, came by way of conviction that brought me to the knees of humility because of an entitled selfish attitude. Other times came in moments of comfort and spiritual direction when someone took the time to obey without delay the promptings of the Holy Spirit. And still other moments where it is the quiet witness of confirmation, and then further confirmed by another’s message and teaching.

That tiny word if holds the weight of your destiny as well as my own destiny. it is the hinge between us surviving and thriving, between bondage and freedom, between the life we’ve known and the life Christ longs to give us – you know, that abundant life where there are peace and joy in Him? An abundant life where we come to rest in Him.

Today, we are stepping right into this profound, simple, and quiet invitation with courage, clarity, and a sound mindset that is honest. Stepping into understanding how the cross becomes transformative in our path, in our lives, and in our relationships.

Anchor Verse — Matthew 16:23–26 (cf. Luke 9:23–26, NRSVUE): “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?“

Welcome back, fellow travelers, to Sacred Sobriety: A Path for the Soul. We are continuing our series Set the Sail for Recovery and Sobriety. Today we’re walking with Jesus into one of the most demanding—and liberating—teachings He ever gave. Matthew 16:23–26 and Luke 9:23–26 confront us with the truth that discipleship is not an accessory to life; it is the surrender of life. And yet, in that surrender, we discover the abundant life we’ve been aching for. As Tozer writes in Salvation Walks the Earth, “Every man holds his future in his hand… destiny waits on the nod of his head.” Today, we nod toward Christ.

Day 2 – The Weapon of Identity

January 2, 2026January 18, 2026 Timothy R. BermanLeave a comment

Access this study guide for today’s devotional message

Moses 1:12–16; Romans 8:16-17; 2 Timothy 1:7

Theme: Confrontation, Sonship, & The Hierarchy of Value

And it came to pass that when Moses had said these words, behold, Satan came tempting him, saying: Moses, son of man, worship me. And it came to pass that Moses looked upon Satan and said: Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee? For behold, I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him. But I can look upon thee in the natural man. Is it not so, surely? Blessed be the name of my God, for his Spirit hath not altogether withdrawn from me, or else where is thy glory, for it is darkness unto me? And I can judge between thee and God; for God said unto me: Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve. Get thee hence, Satan; deceive me not; for God said unto me: Thou art after the similitude of mine Only Begotten.
~ Moses 1:12-16 ~

There are moments in the life of every believer when heaven has spoken, the soul has bowed, and the world has fallen silent. Moses had just come from such a moment. He had tasted the “mercy of nothingness”—the holy undoing that comes when a man stands before God and discovers that all self‑importance is dust. But Scripture shows us a pattern: whenever God empties a man, the enemy rushes to fill the vacuum.

The adversary does not wait for weakness; he waits for surrender. He appears not when Moses is proud, but when Moses is humbled. Not when Moses is full of himself, but when he is emptied of Egypt. This is the rhythm of spiritual warfare: revelation is followed by confrontation.

Satan’s first words are calculated: “Moses, son of man, worship me.” He does not tempt Moses with pleasure, but with identity. He attempts to rename him. The enemy always begins by lowering the value of the soul. If he can convince you that you are merely a creature of dust, he can command your worship. If he can strip you of sonship, he can strip you of authority.