This blog is dedicated to my beautiful teammates and for how well you love me in every situation. Thank you for guarding my heart, drying my tears, sharing my laughter, and always pointing me back to The One. Love you Amie, Megan, Tayo, Seth, & James.
“Get up, let’s go. We’re making declarations.”
“Whatever,” I thought, “fine.”
As I ran up the hill, out of breath and out of confidence, I silently repeated, “I will climb this mountain with my hands wide open.” When I reached the top I saw the tiny little wooden cross jutting into the big blue sky that was placed crookedly on top of the little shack called a church.
My heart pounded as I stared at that cross, oh My Jesus.
I was wanting to run away from what we had come here for. I didn’t necessarily feel like talking about it. I felt dumb.
God gives us special gifts. Did you know that? God gave me two precious gifts this morning, Amie & Megan. Despite the fact that it was our off day and the last thing Amie and Megan wanted to do was run, they rallied around me, put on their tennis shoes, and were determined to help me kick the devil in the face.
[[side note: when God gives you people who are willing to put you before themselves, thank Him. If your people aren’t people who are willing to put aside what they want to do to encourage you, to fight battles and attacks against the devil with you, to speak life into you, or to cry with you-get new people. And on the flip side-if you aren’t one of those people get on your knees and ask The Lord to change your heart. Be an encourager, be a best friend, put your people before your own selfish wants and desires. Start acting and looking more like Jesus. Rant over.]]
20 minutes earlier I was struggling with making the decision to go on a run-I didn’t want to and then satan attacked and starting planting nothing but lies into my mind…and I believed the lies.
When we reached the top of the mountain we made our way over to a 6×8 room designed for alone time with Jesus. We used the room, not necessarily for it’s intended purpose, but The Lord met us there.
We sat down and I was told to start speaking out all of the lies that satan was telling me and to replace those lies with truths from Jesus. It wasn’t easy, I didn’t want to admit how I was feeling…it was worth it.
This went on for about 30 minutes. There were tears-there was shouting (shouting of declarations of truth, that is), there was a weight lifted, and eventually, a smile.
I share this with you with a sense of urgency. I KNOW that I am not the only woman struggling with lies concerning image. But that’s just what these are-lies straight from the devil-a list that he uses so often to try and attack me when he realizes that he can’t get to me any other way-LIES.
It’s not fair that he uses these tactics that cut so deep. But I have a savior, Jesus, who tells me who I am and who He says I am does not line up with who satan tells me that he THINKS I am-his opinion doesn’t matter anyway. Jesus’ opinion is the only one that matters and the bible is littered with truths about who He says I am. He is my validation. Not satan’s lies, not what a man thinks, not what the world’s definition of beauty is…those things do not validate me. Jesus does.
This battle is far from over, I know that much. I’m not going to pretend like it’s easy from here on out because trust me, I’ve been here before and it’s a really sad and hard place to be. But be encouraged my dear sisters, be encouraged ultimately by our Jesus from the words He speaks to us everyday and through the words written on the pages of the book that He wrote FOR us and ABOUT us. Be encouraged by the beautiful people that He has placed in your life for a reason-to encourage you, fight for you, fight alongside of you, & to speak life to you.
Sisters, take captive EVERY thought and make it obedient to Christ. Go break your mirror if you need to, go shout declarations, go humbly to a friend, broken, and ask for help, prayer, an ear to listen, a tissue to wipe your tears, or simply arms to embrace you as you cry. But whatever you do, stop believing the lies.
I love you.
Proverbs 31:30
Luke 1:45
Psalm 139:14
