You are a Masterpiece…so Live Like you Believe It!

 

I’ve been thinking a lot about how crazy our society has become these days.  The latest of which is, of course, Bruce Jenner and his debut as a woman.  The epitome of manliness in the past, decathlon winner, and all-around amazing athlete has decided he wanted to be something else…something he’s not.

This has made me think a lot about identity.  God has given us all different talents and gifts.  He has blessed us with different callings on our lives based on the gifts he’s given to us, and has equipped us to be who He has made us to be in Him.  If any of you have ever watched the show, “American Idol,” there were people on there that flat out could NOT sing.  As much as they practiced or worked on it, they simply do not have that gift at all.  Just because they decided one day that they wanted to be the next American Idol does not make that who they are.  It doesn’t matter how badly they wanted it, they can’t just go have a surgery and magically be able to sing the next morning.  Maybe nowadays with computers it could be close, but at their core, they are not a singer, and they never will be.  They were not meant to be.  God had something else in mind, but chances are they will never find out what that is if they are constantly trying to be something they are not.

As much as I love nurses and how much they help so many people, I know that is something I could not be.  I do not like needles or blood or any other bodily fluid for that matter and I think if I ever were one, the real nurses would have me as their patient as soon as I started. 

The thing is, we have gotten so far into the “have it your way” culture that we no longer give any value to the truth of who we are.  If we want something, we should have it, even if it completely goes against the truth of God’s laws and simply against Him.  As Christians we are to lay down our lives.  We are to go after Jesus and all He’s called us to be…not simply what we think we want to be.

This also parallels with our identity in Christ.  What happens to the overwhelming majority of people, including Christians, is they allow the wrong voices to convince them of things that simply are not truth.  There is a very real spiritual world out there and there is an enemy who is trying to convince us of an incorrect identity.  If he can get us to believe incorrectly about who we are, then we are not any threat at all to him.  We allow satan to come into our minds and thoughts and try to convince us that we are full of shame.  He convinces us that we are no good and that we could never do anything great for God.  He convinces us that we’re bad parents, bad spouses, or not good enough to do what He has called us to do.  He has labeled us fat, ugly, or failure—and so we live our lives as if these things are true. He tries to convince us that we have to live a perfect life before God can use us the way He wants to.  NOT TRUE.

So many times lately I’ve been convinced that my family would be better off without me around.  This is simply a lie from the enemy and a massive blow to my identity.  Do you understand that me believing a lie about who I am in Christ and living according to that lie is really not much different than Bruce Jenner trying to say he’s a woman?  It’s simply UNTRUE!  It’s NOT who I am. We’re trying to be and acting like something that we are not! 

If God calls me more than a conqueror, than that’s what I am. I can’t be anything else. I’m not a failure.  If God calls me beautiful, than that’s who I am, I can’t be anything else.  I might believe that I am, but it’s simply a lie. If God calls me a good wife, that’s what I am, and I’m growing in it more and more everyday.  If God calls me righteous because of Jesus, then I’m righteous.  These things ARE who we are! We will not become them one day, this is our identity RIGHT NOW.  You know why?  It’s simply because of Jesus.  It’s because of His work on the cross.  It’s because of who He is and what He’s done, not about how I measure up.  No matter how hard I try, without Christ I will always fail.  Period.  He makes me who I am.  He makes me righteous.  If I am living in any other way then I am denying the work of Christ in me; I am focused on me, and not on what He’s done for me.  It’s simply all about Him. ALL about Him. When I look at myself and see a failure, then it becomes all about me, not Him.  I am not a failure.  I can’t be.  It’s not my identity.  God has a plan for you.  He has a plan for me.  It’s not to shrink back and to allow the enemy to identify who we are.  It’s to believe all that God has said of us.  YOU are a masterpiece.  There’s nothing else you could be. God knit you together in your mother’s womb.  It doesn’t matter how much you want to be something else or have someone else's talents…you’ll always be who He made you to be.  He has the final say, so why not believe Him and live this life in the freedom we find in Him? 

God is so good.  Ephesians 2:10—“For we are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

You are a masterpiece…so live like you believe it!

A Few Lessons Learned from my Son

Tonight our 9 year old son, Stephen, was in a foul mood.  He didn't get what he wanted, so he was mad.  As I was putting him to bed I asked him “what’s the matter?” 

He proceeded to tell me that he was mad.  I asked, “why?” trying to figure it all out. He was mad at me!  I had no idea because I had hardly seen him all day and I had nothing to do with the fact (this time) that he didn't get what he wanted.  I asked him why he was mad at me and he proceeded to tell me that it was something I had done a couple of weeks ago.  Really?  I couldn't believe it! He’s been holding onto this hurt for all of this time and I had no idea why.  I remember an altercation we had a while back, but I thought it was over.  I remember apologizing and what I thought, reconciling with him, but it obviously hurt him very deeply and he wasn't over it yet. 

He was hurt because his Mom can have a very short temper at times.  I remember flat out yelling at him (and apologizing later) for spilling a pitcher of sweet tea on the floor.  I knew when the words were coming out of my mouth that it was wrong, but my inconvenienced anger got the best of me and I let it out.  So many times I get upset with the kids when the house is messy.  My anger flies and most of the time it becomes all their fault.  After all, they are the ones who don’t clean up after themselves. They are the ones who make messes in the kitchen and leave crumbs and plates where they shouldn't be.  Can’t they just get it right?  I mean, I've told them a thousand times!!

Honestly I've learned a lot from this.  One of the first things is, I need to change.  No, I’m not perfect, but if my son is holding on to hurts because of my lack of gentleness, I can’t just say “Well, that’s who I am” and get away with it.  God calls us to live a life that’s a reflection of Him and to GROW!  These actions do not bring Him glory, so I need to humble myself, get on my knees and ask God for his grace to change.

Another thing that I've learned is that words matter.  They matter a lot.  Not only do we need to watch what we say, we can’t just go day to day living life without encouraging our children, or others, for that matter.  People are under attack from the enemy constantly.  Our children are as well and they need our unconditional love and encouragement.  They need to hear that you are proud of them.  They need to hear that they have a great purpose and destiny and that they, indeed are good enough.  They need to hear that they are beautiful, and they need to be listened to and encouraged to pursue their dreams.  Just being silent is not good enough.  Everyone is drawn to someone who makes them feel good about themselves, so hopefully it’s us as parents. 

Another lesson is this:  my kids need to see me getting better.  They need to see me growing in Christ and overcoming my sin and weak areas.  They need to see that yes, I’m broken, but I’m also a powerful child of God with a purpose and destiny.  They need to see me overcome this.  It not only will help me, it will break a stronghold in their lives as well.  If I can overcome the sins that entangle me, it will empower them to take it even a step further.  If I can gain victory in my life over these things that have been passed down to me, then it’s one battle they probably won’t have to face…and if they do, they know without a doubt they can win.

My son doesn't need to be criticized for not keeping his room clean or just left alone to figure everything out for himself!  He is a child and needs my direction and encouragement and love!  My son needs to be reminded all the time who he is, and that no matter what happens, he is loved by us and most importantly by Jesus.  He is a child of the most High God.  He is more than a conqueror.  He is righteous.  He is strong.  He has the same power that rose Christ from the dead.  He can do all things! Greater is the one in him, than the one in the world.  I need to remind him of these truths so that when the enemy comes to lie about who he is, he will not believe it. I guess, though, for me to remind him, I need to know it in my heart, too.  After all, how can I give him something I don’t have? 

TheGift I Never Dreamed Of...

It’s funny how we think we know what we need in life.  The thing is, most of the time we don’t.  We think we know what we can or can’t handle, what we want or don’t want and what will bring us joy in our lives.  I have to say that it is not I but God who always knows best.  We spend so much of our lives in a control mode that most of the time we don’t even ask God what it is that He has for us.  Sometimes He just has to hit us over the head with it, and sometimes even then we push away what He’s trying to give to us. 

The past few years have been a very interesting time for me.  I had no idea that my life would radically change 16 months ago when God added a new member to our family,  Allie.  I was so shocked when I learned that I was going to have her…I even cried for about 3 months straight.  It was not an easy time for me at all, considering that I’m really NOT a kid/baby type person.  I love it when they get older, but I never really know how to handle little kids very well.  I kept playing the difficult scenarios over and over in my mind…sleepless nights, temper tantrums, potty training, and all of the fun stuff that comes along with having a young child. I thought I was done with diapers. I was not wanting this at all—But God had a different plan.  A plan that included one of the most heart warming, beautiful gifts that has ever been given to me.  A gift that, at that time, I didn’t want.  That gift was my surprise daughter, Allie.

Can I just say that this girl has changed my life?  I don’t ever remember enjoying my children as much at this age as I do her.  Maybe I’m just older and know what a blessing she is.  Maybe I know she’s my last.  Or maybe God gave me a second chance to enjoy a season of my children’s lives that I rushed past the first 3 go rounds.  I don’t know, but she’s such a joy in my life.  She makes me smile so much, and for that, I’m so grateful. I can’t even bear to imagine what my life would be like without her now. 

Thinking about her makes me wonder how many other gifts God gives me that I simply don’t accept because I don’t feel like it….or maybe I’ve defined myself in a way that excludes the very thing that God is trying to do in my life to bless me.  I remember saying a couple of years ago over and over… “I’m not a kid person.  There’s no way I could ever watch children or work with kids.”  Literally, just a few months later God put it on my heart to watch 2 children at my home.  And, while I was watching them, I found out that I was pregnant with number 4.  God always knows what He’s doing. 

How many people or opportunities have I pushed away that might be just the answer to a hurt inside of me that needs healing, simply because I don’t feel like opening up?  How many walls have I erected around my heart not letting others in to see the real me, in fear that they won’t really like who I am? 

I could’ve continued to be upset with the fact that I was having another baby and resented Allie for the rest of my life.  I could’ve been angry with God for giving me another child to take care of which, in turn,  “ruined my plans.”  But, instead, I allowed God to change my heart.  Yes, it took time…lots of time, but the very thing that I thought I never wanted was exactly the gift God gave me to show me His great love for me. 

Maybe God is trying to bless you with a gift that you just keep pushing away?

Maybe that gift is Jesus.  Maybe a friend.  Maybe He’s trying to bless you with a new ministry but you’ve been so hurt by something else that you’re not even listening to Him. 

Let me encourage you…keep your heart soft towards God.  He will bless you in ways that you can’t even dream of if you’ll just let Him.  Just look at my gift…What a treasure!