by bossychick~ I wasn't going to blog this yet, but after reading Sassy's last blog, I decided to go ahead, since it touches on something she said.
This is from a devotion I recently read: To Him Who ever loves us and has once loosed and freed us from our sins by His own blood. - Revelations 1:5
We need to get to the place where we are secure enough in who we are in Christ that we will not allow our sense of self worth to be based on the opinions and actions of others.
Don't try to find your worth in how you look. Don't try to find your worth in what you do. Don't try to find your worth in how other people treat you. You are worth something because Jesus shed His blood for you.
You may have faults, and there may be things about you that need to be changed, but God is working on you the same as He is on everybody else. Don't let somebody dump their problems off on you. Don't allow someone else to make you feel worthless or useless just because they don't know how to treat you right and love you as you deserve to be loved as a blood-bought child of God.
Don't spend all your life trying to win somebody else's acceptance or approval. Remember that you have already been accepted and approved by God. Make sure your affirmation, your validation , and your sense of self-worth come from Him...
This really spoke to me, because its something I can relate to, having once been that person, seeking approval, but I went through a time in my life when I realized nobody else's opinion matters but God's.
This may be something you want, but don't know how to achieve.
Let me tell you first that it is such FREEDOM not to be bound by what others think of me. I used to be the person that sought approval and let others opinions sway me, but several years back I was delivered. I say all the time 'I don't care what other people think of me, or if people like me'. I think sometimes others take that as, I don't care about other people, or that I'm mean. When really that's not it at all. I just know that at the end of the day, what Whatser-face thought doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, all that matters is the opinion of my God, so back to achieving it...
Pray. Ask God to show you His love for you, He's always showing us His love, sometimes we overlook it or don't give Him the credit, so maybe ask Him to reveal to you His love in your life.
Also, ask Him to give you His wisdom and discernment in recognizing your "pattern". We all have one, I call it the ' song and dance', its when a situation presents itself ( over and over, through different people and different circumstances, but its the same), and we react the same way every time. This might be God trying to teach us to respond instead of react. If we learn to respond instead of react, then the situation is more likely to end in success (which would be, conquering the "pattern"). If we continue to react the same old way then we will stay stuck doing our same 'song and dance', until one day it clicks in us and we yield and God then teaches us what He wants us to know.
Once you recognize your 'song' ( on a side note, I think I overuse quotation marks, but I like them) and you catch yourself taking the familiar steps of your 'dance', STOP yourself and say- Will this person's opinion, actions, acceptance be the list that God measures me against when I get to heaven? It doesn't matter who it is standing before you, the answer will be NO. This may sound silly but it helps me keep things in perspective when insecurity tries to creep up. I realize that there isn't always a person standing in front of us when we deal with insecurity, but it usually stems from something that person may have said, that we've remembered, and can't let go of, so it still applies.
Next say this out loud everyday (my mom used to have us repeat this after her every morning when I was a kid and I hated doing it, but now I'm so glad she did) so anyway here it is, and this is all from the Bible btw...
I am the head, and not the tail, I am on top and not beneath, I'm blessed going in and I'm blessed going out, I HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST, I can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens me, no evil shall befall me nor plague come nigh my dwelling, no weapon formed against me shall prosper, I have favor with man and favor with my authority, my God did not give me a spirit of fear but He gave me power, love and a sound mind, and I will walk in that power, love and sound mind, Father let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be in line with Your word and acceptable to You today, in Jesus name, Amen.
When you say these words over yourself everyday, your spirit man will get a boost and your flesh will line up with the word of God. Quit taking it so personally when you falter, remind yourself of these things and keep going. Don't look at it as an inadequacy in YOU, because its not. Look at it as a step in a growing progress. Think of this, when a baby is around 1 and begins learning to walk, do you spank them every time they fall down?, or do you encourage them to try again? You encourage them. So don't beat yourself up, encourage yourself with God's word.
Satan will try everything he can to deceive us and keep us rockin' to our same 'song and dance'. So I encourage you to run a new song through your head, and get a new dance.
I used to teach this to 4 year olds, and it speaks volumes-
I am fearfully and wonderfully made...Psalms 139: 14
He made us the way He wanted us to look and be, so don't let satan play on your insecurities. Know your worthy, because you are HIS!
That is all, you do what I say- Bossy
This is incredible. I love that you put it as the old "song and dance" Boy. Do I know what that means. Im getting a new dance. Amazing. Thanks.
Posted by: sassychick | March 19, 2010 at 09:20 AM
THAT WILL ALWAYS WORK!
Posted by: Pastor Rick | March 19, 2010 at 10:55 AM
Good word! btw I love listening to you explain things like this. You put it in another light.
Thanks!
Posted by: babychick | March 19, 2010 at 11:47 AM
Very well said...completely understandable and I needed to hear it! Thanks!
Posted by: Megan | March 19, 2010 at 01:39 PM
It is so funny how God shows us all the same thing but in different ways. I have had to learn this this week. Thanks for sharing. I love your quotation marks.
Posted by: socialchick | March 19, 2010 at 03:09 PM
Love it!! Thank you!
Posted by: singerchick | March 19, 2010 at 03:11 PM
I am going to print this and say this EVERY DAY! Just what I needed - I have so many insecurities! Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: J Tison | March 22, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Wow! that was great!!!
Posted by: mama c | March 23, 2010 at 09:36 PM
Wow! I am always amazed at how God delivers his messages to people in need and at just the right time. I truly needed to hear that right now. Thank you!
Posted by: Charity | March 28, 2010 at 09:53 PM
Wow! That is so darned good, I've printed it and am taking it to our neighborhood Bible study next week - what an awesome teacher you are Missy! Thank you so much!
Posted by: Laura M. | April 07, 2010 at 12:06 AM
Thanks niece of mine! Really came at good time and has strengthened me. Reminded me that I am not alone. Love you.
Posted by: Nana Hen | April 07, 2010 at 08:59 PM