Ministry this month has been a lot of praying. And introspection. And metacognition. And lots of other fun, soul searching adjectives.
In that, I’ve found that the Father has been speaking to me mostly about, well, me. Me and Him and the areas I can grow to be more like Him. After all, isn’t that the purpose of being in relationship with Him –to look less like me and more like Him?
Lately I’ve been getting a lot of feedback about how I need to press into more of the ‘mothering’ qualities of God. These characteristics include but are not limited to: tenderness, compassion and gentleness.
These are not at the top of the list when I am being described nor do these things come naturally to me. Words that might be used to describe me might include but are not limited to: loud, sarcastic and dramatic.
At first, I didn’t really understand why I should press into the softer side of God. My logic went something like “Well, not everybody can be everything, right? So why can’t I let people like Jess and my mom be that tender side of God while I am another side. We are the body and we don’t need a zillion people being hands…right? Right?”
To which the Father responded by saying:
“Be Holy as I am Holy.
Those things may not be who you are (yet),
but they are who I am and I am making you more like me.”
While I partially recognized that we are all created in the image of God, I failed to recognize that we are fully created in the image of God. God is a complex God, thus, we are complex beings.
Jess and my mom are very tender and gentle and compassionate people. They will cry with you and for you at the drop of a hat. They love well and they love deeply. I see Jesus in them.
But just like their Creator, they are more than that. Jess is witty and funny, and she loves musicals. My mom loves to laugh and cracks herself up regularly (something I’ve inherited). She taught me from a young age that Jesus is in everything and she’s taught me how to recognize Him in the small things and give Him glory for it.
So while I am not called to be everything, I am called to be something.
I am forgiven.
I am loved.
I am delighted in.
It is from that place that I can learn to be more like the One in Whose image I am created.
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What are some characteristics you appreciate in other people but are not walking in fully yourself?
Press into those areas. You are created in the image of a complex God and He has more for you!!
All you have to do is let Him in. He will give you what you need.
