Seventh grade, when boyfriend and girlfriend is nothing more than a cute concept that everyone pursues to follow the winds of popularity and the standards of others around them. Boyfriend sits with girlfriend at the lunch table, snickering at each other’s presence, gently holding hands under the table to “break the rules” as if their “love” simply can’t resist.
Every word glistening with it’s sugar covered flattery and every glare straight into the eyes of each other, noticing little of what’s going on around them. In their own little world, population 2.
Boyfriend tells girlfriend, “Your eyes are so beautiful.”
To his surprise girlfriend jerks her face aside, instantly withdraws, regresses to her insecurities, covers up her eyes and demands, “Don’t look at my eyes.”
Not even a thank you, but a comment that screams,
“I AM SO INSECURE, I CAN’T TAKE A COMPLIMENT OR DARE TO BELIEVE SUCH THINGS ABOUT MYSELF.”
What was intended for a genuine word of encouragement, quickly became the stirring stick and reason behind a devastating break up.
Meet Girlfriend, none other than yours truly, Natalie Hallford.
I jokingly revert to this time and specific instance in my life a lot. How silly this was, yet how very relative this concept is in the lives of many people today, especially believers. There is a struggle going on in the Kingdom of how to be confident, yet remain humble and what the difference between confidence and pride is.
My heart is torn today with the idea that people, especially Christians, have neglected their confidence in fear of it being prideful and given humility a false definition of being a door matt for everyone to walk all over and to always respond to praises with ,“Yeah, yeah, I’m not worthy.”
Yes, that’s partial truth.
Yes, you WEREN'T worthy,
But you’ve been bought with His blood that makes you worthy.
Yes, you DIDN'T deserve it,
But if you accepted the free gift of righteousness, you do now.
Yes, you COULDN'T do things,
But in Him you can now do ALL THINGS.
You see, for those that believe in Christ,
All of those disabilities, excuses
Are now past tense, because now it is no longer you that lives,
But HIM THAT LIVES THROUGH YOU.
He commands that you are great.
He commands that you are a success.
He commands that you are good at what you do.
He commands that He has given you gifts.
He commands that He created you with a divine purpose.
He commands that you are beautiful.
He claims that your talent is great.
He commands
YOU TO RECEIVE, BELIEVE, AND LIVE
CONFIDENTLY.
I say “especially believers” because you can go into the world and find non-believers that will claim compliments that aren’t even truth. Perhaps we find the most “confidence” in the carnal world, than we do in the Kingdom. Granted, the confidence you see in this sphere is typically one that is found to be prideful and not grounded in the truth of God’s word. However, it’s confided in something else; meaning, it’s still confidence.
May our confidence in God within US outweigh the confidence others have in other things.
To accept compliments is not to be prideful.
To accept compliments is to acknowledge the good things God has placed within you.
To accept compliments is to give God the glory for who He has made you to be.
When you turn away from the great things God speaks about you through others, you are not admitting your humble, you are not giving all the glory to Him, yet you are telling others I don’t believe the truth about what God says about me.
I am so challenged as the Lord has exposed this truth to me.
Many times the face that turns away from things I am afraid to believe about myself, is me.
Many times the girl that wants to turn every compliment around to point the focus to another person, is me.
Many times the girl that plasters a fake smile on her face to utter a simple “thank you,” but can’t accept the kind words that were just spoken, is me.
God has called me, and us, to a place where we can believe in ourselves solely because He lives in us and everything that He has done. Not only do we need to get good at releasing a genuine “thank you” to the positive things that He sends our way, but we need to truly believe His truths.
For there is power in words;
The very power to create the very thing that you are having a hard time taking on as your identity.
True humility isn’t low self-esteem, no confidence at all, and a worthless individual.
True humility is neglecting what you feel like you are and to accept what He says you are.
True humility is putting off the lies and clothing yourself with His truth.
True humility is taking on the perspective of Christ, which is flawless and eternally truthful.
And His perspective of you, my friend.
Is not worthless.
Is not trash.
Is not a mistake.
Is not a sickling.
Is not broken.
Is not lacking.
Is not afraid.
His perspective of you is
Daughter.
Son.
Royalty.
Loved.
Righteous.
Healed.
Delivered.
Prosperous.
Courageous.
And SO MUCH MORE.
Be Bold and confident, confiding in Him, while also knowing who that makes you to be.
Don’t sell yourself short of being anything less than who He says you are.
