I am overwhelmed easily. Impatience rules my attitude. It takes focus to not focus on my own aspirations. Selfish actions are easy, but having a servants heart takes work. Kindness is unnatural when I am ill treated. Loving people I do not know is still a concept that I am learning in. I make snap judgments, and speaking in front of large crowds scares me because I am nervous to deliver words that are not from the spirit, the responsibility of teaching and having impact to large groups is intimidating. I do not feel brave or courageous 99% of the time, and sometimes I do not feel proud to be me.
We as humans live lives full of jealousy and anger. We are slow to forgive and quick to judge. We close ourselves off from people we do not know simply because they are strangers. We are rude, selfish, focused on personal and physical gain. We focus on the moment and live in the NOW because we believe life will end when we should be living for the sake of gaining an eternity. Impatience and frustration and anxiety fill our small existence. Why?
Because we feel unworthy?
In genesis 1:27 it says that people were made in the image of God.
And in Galatians 3:26 Paul wrote “And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me,” says the Lord Almighty.
“You are a CHOSEN people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Peter 2:9
My Father is kind. He is beautiful and too overwhelming and powerful to comprehend. He is almighty. Good is not a quality that Yaweh possesses, good is what He is. He is merciful. He forgives. He does not hold on to grudges or past sins. He does not want to condemn, but to convict and to teach and to move forward. The Lord is not insecure. He does not love for us to worship Him because He needs it.
If we didn’t worship, all of creation would
He wants us to worship because it is a chance to come into communion with Him. To bask in the presence of glory and light. To be a part of His family as He invites us to the table to dine with Him. He offered up his son, with the blood of Christ and the bread for his body and He gave us the ultimate sacrifice. GOD is not cruel. He does not allow for bad things to happen, but He does not control everything in the world. He gives us free will as He steps back and looks at creation moving forward, and in bad moments, in times of grief or natural disaster or death He takes what people have and works in it. He moves in His own way and His own timing. He is all trustworthy, all loving, almighty, all powerful, and all encompassing and consuming. Yahweh, Father of light, Gracious, beautiful, beloved, Abba, El Shaddai, Addoni. THIS is who God is.
And if this all mighty and wondrous God took the time to have his children write down in a tangible way that YOU are created in His image. Are you going to take the time to listen to what He has told you?
If you are made in His image, if we all are, how do we live like we do? How do we force ourselves to experience so much grief and sorrow and negativity and loneliness…
It’s time to throw away what you know and embrace something new. The hard truth is that you have no clue who you are until you are in Christ. Until you know what He gave up so that you may gain. Beauty, kindness, compassion, the willingness to serve, hospitality, generosity, and grace are inside you. Filled with light, illuminating dark places, and fully enabled you have the ability to change people. The Holy Spirit is not something that certain select people experience. The Holy Spirit lives In you when you decide to accept the Lord. You are beloved, important, made for a purpose, unique, hand crafted, original, and perfectly made. You have been destined for greatness. You have been WANTED, valued, needed, significant, holy, worthy, forgiven, radiant, and worth dying for since the beginning of time.
Remember that you are “..fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14
“Now, speak the bolded declarations out loud to yourself. The power of life and death is in the tongue, so it is vital that you only allow the truth to come out of your mouth. It could be the difference in an amazing life and a disappointing one.” Proverbs 18:21
Thank you for reading! If the race is teaching me anything, I am learning about identity. True joy comes when you know in your heart who you were created to be. Because through that comes the fruits of the spirit and an honest and vulnerable relationship with your Father. It’s something I hope and pray that everyone reading this gets to experience. Love you all, God bless.
Josie.
