Living by What We know is Truth.

I had to laugh at myself a few weeks ago. On my way to work, I decided that I would stop at my favorite mermaid coffee place where I knew there was a drive-thru to pick up a little caffeine-fix. The line was ridiculous, but oh boy I wanted that caffeine to make it through another winter snowed-in kind of day. So being a little tired (anyone else relate prior to your morning caffeine?)....I make it through the line and get to the window, and realised I never ordered before pulling up!!?!  Apparently I just never stopped at the little box to order, I just drove straight to the pick-up window. I laughed so hard at myself you guys! Not to mention the staff inside I'm sure were laughing so hard at me. 

So I had the park of shame as I placed my order and pulled aside to wait, while cars behind me had to navigate around me to exit from the Starbucks pick-up line. Cue the shades of red on my face! 

Anyway, that hilarious story reminded me for some reason of those moments in grade school. You know the ones where you feel as though everyone in school hates you because you look silly in your outfit that day. 

And in reality it may have been that one girl didn't like it and told you in an incredibly confrontational insensitive way while standing in the girls bathroom. Well you let it fester but act on the outside as though you don't care what they think. But by the end of the school day, you are convinced that everyone things you have terrible fashion sense and you vow never to wear that shirt ever again despite the fact that you saved up some of your own money to buy it. Anyone relate?   

Yeah - as if braces weren't enough of an issue ;) 

My own problem in situations like these, I allowed my feelings to guide my actions. I totally allow people to dictate how I am going to handle life in that moment. Instead of telling myself truth, I allow them power over me by telling me my value (whether that's my stupidity over messing up in a drive-thru line or the shirt I am wearing). 

Suddenly my entire worth in one particular area is in shreds and while perhaps a person was rude or insensitive towards me, I gave them the power to tell me my value. 

I handed it over to them on a silver platter.

The Lord has broken me in the last few months over this issue. He has began to show me that one of my greatest insecurities is what other people think about me. To the point where one person openly displaying they don't like me much causes a cascade of emotion and insecurity. 

I have been putting my value in the wrong places. I have previously allowed anyone with an opinion a say in how valuable I am.

And I see now just how plain stupid that is. 

'For you created my inmost being;

    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

    your works are wonderful,

    I know that full well.'

Psalm 139:13-14

'For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.'

Ephesians 2:10

'But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.'

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Oh friends, how I have just held on tight to these words and so many others as I have explored really learning where my value lies. I have been battling so hard to curb this bad habit of mine.

See the only way I have made progress at breaking this was to start shifting my surrender in this battle of worth. To realise that people don't dictate my worth and value. People will do or say things to continually hurt me, but it shouldn't shake my world like it has been.

Because I believe that what God says about me is true.

Now when these thoughts appear after a harsh word or comment, I remind myself of my worth and value through those precious life-breathing words in scripture. 

And I'm now finding that it's way healthier for my soul. It's so freeing taking back that power that I had surrendered to people I never should have given it to. 

To worry less & put less value in what people say or think about me. 

Instead to trust what He has to say about me. And to believe that is the truth.

//Fog beginning to clear//

{Via}

I am beginning to feel the Lord speak truth to me about pulling these pieces together, He is graciously giving me glimpse of this greater picture. I am continuing to pray for the ability to communicate all that He has been teaching me and transforming in my heart as I begin to think about closing this series.


Today, these words just hit me like a ton of bricks.


He has plans for us friends, beautiful plans which He orchestrated long ago. And we are His masterpiece. His art. 


I've been thinking on that today. 

This post is part of my 31 day series for the month of October, 
fighting through the fears and sharing the confusing passions I have. 
Hoping to figure out the bigger picture of all these interests.

Lies we tell ourselves.

If you had known me in High School, I hope you would have understood me and seen where my heart was on a lot of issues. I was interested in mentoring younger girls and really seeking to encourage them to pursue purity and a deep relationship with Jesus. I really wanted these girls to understand the deep love the Lord had for them and to build their lives around Him.

Over time, I wrestled out conflict with several girls the Lord had put into my life back then who had told me their perspective of my intentions towards various people back in high school, how I came across and how I had messed up their lives.

You know, I believed them. 

Without even realising, I had allowed Satan's lies to soak into my soul and taint what the Lord had been doing in and through me back in High School. I began to try and forget about those years and just claim I was young and inexperienced, so of course I had hurt a lot of people through whatever I had done. I could no longer remember any good coming from my life during those years.

I came into contact with a girl from my youth group recently who thanked me in a conversation for mentoring her while in High School. She told me what a great role model I was and how she had appreciated my intentional friendship more than she could explain. 

Girl, I fought back tears while she told me those words.

I finally saw that I had allowed those few people to rob me of my identity in Christ from those years ago. I had let their words define who I thought I was back then. I had refused to listen to truth about what God had seen and done through me and chosen to believe Satan's lies.

I am not claiming that everything I did was perfect. Oh goodness no. I am young and I am sure that several girls were hurt by some insensitive things I did back in High School. From my recollection, I never purposefully meant to hurt any of them. My heart for them was just to be like an older sister and point them to Jesus. To share with them the way that He had changed me and how loving Him was the best decision they could ever make. But I allowed those lies to creep in and settle in me. 

If I was honest with you....I battle these lies everyday. As I am sure you do to some extent. They may not always look the same, but they are of the same origin. They are lies. Not God's truth.

Some mornings it is the fact that noon has come and gone and I feel already overwhelmed at how the morning has not gone according to plan. I did not get up seeking the Lord, praising Him for another beautiful day. I snapped at my family for something small and silly like something being where it shouldn't have been (dirty laundry on the floor). I ate an unhealthy snack and then felt guilty knowing I was trying to eat healthier. I tried to write an encouraging blog post but the words wouldn't flow and I can hear the lies telling me.....

....I am a failure. 

I begin to think maybe God can't really use me, simply because I couldn't do it all.

Then I can choose to tell myself the truth.

'For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

(Romans 8:38-39)

'My frame was not hidden from you

    when I was made in the secret place,

    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

¹⁶ 

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

    all the days ordained for me were written in your book

    before one of them came to be.'

(psalm 139:15-16)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  

(Jeremiah 29:11)

I can choose in those moments to remind myself of what God thinks of me. I can take a moment and just soak up His word hearing His truth. Telling myself not to believe lies but instead to know what my worth and value are in God's eyes. 

To remember that acceptance and love from Jesus is not about what we do.

It honestly is ok not to have it all together.

Know that God wants to know us & He wants us to know Him. 

Emily Freeman beautifully wrote:

'You are not accepted because you are good.

You are free to be good because you are accepted.

You are not responsible to have it all together.

You are free to respond to the One who holds all things in his hands.

You do not have to live up to impossible expectations.

You are free to wait expectantly on Jesus, the One who is both author and perfecter of your faith.'

(Grace for the Good Girl, p.137)

I'm choosing to reject the lies friend, and embrace truth.

Will you join me?

Much Love,

L

{Via}

Where do you find your worth?

{Via}

I don't know how many of you ladies have had the opportunity to watch

 (or read if you are a book-lover) The Help. 

I watched it when it came to redbox with a precious friend when she came to visit last December

and just loved it. 

This past week, while I had no internet and felt completely pooped from all the moving and cleaning.....

I decided to watch it again.

This time the sweet interaction between Skeeter (the main character) 

and the maid from her childhood, Constantine, 

reinforced a similar thing I had read in my devotions 

(I started reading Rebecca St James Pure about a week ago).

Skeeter is feeling depressed about her school friends and mother telling her

she isn't pretty and is sitting alone in the garden.

Constantine says to her:

'I wish you'd quit feeling sorry for yourself!

Now that's ugly!' 

She goes on to tell Skeeter how everyday that you wake up in life

you have to make a decision about whether you are going

to believe what other people are saying about you.

It so resonated the message from the day two devotion I had read about 

who you let determine your worth.

As women, are we basing our value on what others think of us? 

Do we spend all our time making ourselves beautiful because of

how others will respond to us? Do we behave a certain way to win the respect

of those whose opinion we value?

Do we let other people's negative comments about us get us down?

Do we hear those comments and opinions above what our precious heavenly Father thinks of us?

There are a few people in my life who I would love to have positive opinions about

me. But to what extend should I want those opinions?

I certainly don't think I should change who the Lord has made me and change

the ways He is using in ministry just to seem better to a select few.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? 

Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 

So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

[Matthew 10:29-31]

I am not trying to preach a self-worth message, I am just talking about seeing

oneself with God-worth (not self-worth).

Choosing to believe the Lord's truths about yourself instead of trying to win the approval

and respect of others to find worth.

{via}

I hope to never live life with a sense that God is disappointed in me,

that I will never be good enough.

But instead to choose to believe His truth.

That I am loved and secure in Him.

I belong to Him.

I am accepted and cherished - By Him.


Remember that there is one person whose opinion matters.
He has already told you what He thinks of you.
(Read the Bible to know more...)


Don't base your opinion of yourself on false or conditional love from others.
You are not more important to Him because of what you do or don't
do for others.
Don't get so wrapped up in selfishness that you can't see beyond yourself
to see who you are in Christ.
(Yes, that is possible....)


You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, 
though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: 
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
[Romans 5:6-8]

{Via}


Remember ladies.....

The Lord loves You.
He wants to spend time with You
(even if it feels like no-one else wants to).
He values You.
He won't exclude You.
He understands You & Cherishes You.

Know that you are Loved by the Lord.


Where do you find your worth?



Much Love,
L

P.S. I hope to be back now with regular internet =) Thanks for being awesome hosts for my guest posters.