Have you ever thought to yourself, “I could never __ “(fill in the blank)?
In a season of not being able to get pregnant, I watched a reality show about a woman going through in-vitro fertilization (IVF). At one point, she ended up in the hospital due to complications. I remember thinking, “I could never go through that. The mental and physical demands would kill me.”
Little did I know a few years later I’d be going through it, not once but four times! This is the moment where my “I could never” switched to “heck yeah I can!”
We set ourselves up for failure before even trying. Fears convince us of the impossibilities. Our feelings and thoughts attempt to rule our lives, but the truth is, they don’t have as much power as we give them credit for.
We CAN do hard things regardless of what our thoughts and feelings are communicating, especially when God has our back.
The next time you find yourself saying, “I could never…”
Challenge it. Ask why?
Take inventory– (remember the hard things you’ve done in the past).
Flip It – (“I can do anything that God has called me to”).
Fill your mind with truth– (read scriptures about overcoming fear and being strengthened in Christ).
Support– (find people to encourage you along the way. Accountability will help you move forward)
A lot is going on in the world right now. I can feel you lurking beneath the surface. It’s during these times when you awaken from hibernation.
I know you think you’re protecting me, but you’re not. The truth is, you make me nuts. Hanging out with you causes a physical reaction and an excavating of all rational thinking. You plant seeds of worry that grow into skyscrapers.
You’ve ruled my days, preventing me from enjoying the precious moments in life. You were my default for the big and little things. You advised my choices and influenced my reactions. You came at me hard after my daughter was born, making me believe she was going to die.
You’ve forced yourself upon me. I never felt like I had a choice, but now it’s different.
I’ve been training for battle. I’m heavily armed. My greatest weapon?
The Truth
Truth tells me that I no longer have to engage with you. I get to choose whether or not I accept your thoughts and feelings. Even when my breath is shallow and incessant thoughts circle my brain, I Get To Choose.
I acknowledge your presence, but you will no longer control me. My choice partnered with God’s power is indestructible. And even though you still exist, I know how the story ends.
I recently saw a movie called Overcomer, the overarching theme being identity.
We see the characters attaching their identities to specific roles and life experiences.
Through the harsh realities of life, God shows up, revealing who he is while showing the characters who they are, according to the one who created them.
Chains break.
Hurts heal.
Hearts mend.
Once we know where our true identity comes from, we need to nurture this truth. Otherwise, we’ll continue getting caught up in the lies of the world and our minds.
How do we do this?
Get to know the creator by reading his word. Once you know who he is, you’ll understand who you are.
Pray for the truth of who you are to be louder than the lies.
Join a small group of like-minded individuals who will speak truth over your life.
Why is this so hard? I’d rather be doing something else. It’s too hot out.
This summer has been a challenging one. I find myself complaining a lot–often expressed through jokes and sarcasm. Regardless of how it’s packaged, it’s still complaining.
I have been discontent, and it shows through my words and attitude.
What I’m communicating through my grumbling is that God is not enough. I can say all day that I’m blessed and thankful, but my discontentment with circumstances and situations say differently.
I always want more. Things can still be a teensy bit better.
I can make all kinds of excuses as to why I grumble, but the truth is–I have an ungrateful heart.
The more I complain, the more I complain. My brain takes notes–keeping track of negative activity– and a new pattern of thinking develops.
I need to fill my mind and soul with gratitude. I want my brain to get the memo–we are switching it up to a more positive perspective. I can choose the words I speak over my life, but I need to be intentional about it.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Romans 12:2 NLT
I’ve been practicing mindfulness in this area. This is what it looks like:
Complaining
Gratitude
Why is this so hard?
I can do anything through Christ.
I’d rather be doing something else.
I am exactly where I need to be.
I’m too hot.
I have air conditioning (thank you, Lord).
What’s something you’ve been complaining about? How can you flip that complaint into gratitude? Please share in the comments so we can all be encouraged.
Yesterday was a rough day. I found myself connecting more with the mangled than the masterpiece.
I was involved in a battle, a spiritual one. It was like an arm-wrestling match between lies and truth. The truth kept me in the game, but the lies were strong.
What did this look like?
Unhealthy thoughts, insecurities, and anxiety.
What did I do?
I shared it with my women’s group. I know full well that when I keep this stuff in the dark, the enemy feeds on it. I felt extremely vulnerable after sharing BUT my desire to live in the freedom that Jesus has given trumps all else.
I went to a pool party/bible study. I forced myself to go when all I wanted to do was isolate. I knew if I went with a servants heart, I’d feel better. A good time was had, AND as usual, God provided the exact words I needed to hear through a fellow believer’s reading of Scripture. He is such a personal God.
Through this situation, I learned something (always growing and learning); My pride is still alive and kicking, and I may not be as humble as I thought.
On most days the truth can slam lies down with little effort. What I need to do is remain close to the Source and stay away from things that don’t serve me well.
There have been times I’ve wanted to introduce myself this way, just to get it out of the way. My anxiety and people-pleasing tendencies come up when I talk about my faith with unbelievers.
I want people to like me for who I am, regardless of my beliefs. I don’t want to be lumped into a category of people that have misrepresented his name. Besides that, once you mention the name of Jesus an automatic line is drawn in the sand.
I’m placing the fear of opinions above my faith
This is not in alignment with who I claim to be.
No one likes to be judged. We all want to be seen and accepted for who we are as people, not by our choices or preferences. But the truth is we’ve all judged and been judged in one way or another.
Then there’s Jesus. The one who sees all my faults and mistakes. He knows my history of disdain towards him, yet he dies for me. I spit on him, brutally attack him and mock him, yet he dies for me.
How can I be ashamed of the one who gave his life for me, for the one who solidified my own personal “I am.”
I am making a decision;
I will not be ashamed
I can’t talk the talk and not walk it. I need to walk it. I WANT to.
I need to make sure that I’m keeping it real, which for me means not shying away from speaking about the one who saved me from myself. With that being said, I’m not trying to convert you (well maybe a little) when I talk about him. He is just so much a part of my life, I can’t NOT talk about him. It wouldn’t be authentic.
Now that I have made this choice, it seems appropriate to give him a proper shout out:
Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
I’ve read this verse so many times. Instead of bringing me comfort, it often frustrated me. I understood that I wasn’t supposed to worry but how do I stop?
My anxiety resided in the details of each day, every once in a while vacating the property to rent a room in one of the more significant events in my life.
As I planned my days, obsessive thoughts consumed me, circling the details around and around with way too many conclusions. Intrusive thoughts dropped intermittently, taunting me with the “what if” game. The uncomfortable feeling of crawling in my skin made it unbearable at times.
I didn’t have a say about what was happening within me. It was exhausting.
How do I stop?
People would tell me: “stop worrying, its all in your head, everything will be fine.” They meant well but it only made me feel more anxious and isolated. If they could only see the hamster wheel in my head.
A few years back I was informed that I might need a specific surgery done. This wasn’t just any procedure, this was my worst- fear- come- true procedure.
It was the day of my follow up appointment, where my destiny would soon be determined. My knee bounced violently as I waited for the news. I felt like one of those tiny chihuahua’s that never stops shaking.
I had my bible open reading verses I had tagged on anxiety. I prayed. I listened to worship music. Even with all of these things, my anxiety remained close.
My worst fear come true
A nurse arrived to take my vitals. We started chatting. I shared how nervous I was and we continued talking about the small stuff.
Then something weird happened…
The atmosphere in the room shifted with the mention of God. This amazing nurse shared her heart with me. We prayed together, hugged, and she left the room.
By the time the doctor came in, my anxiety was gone, completely gone. He even mentioned how relaxed I appeared. I couldn’t explain it, but I could tell you who was behind it.
Did I mention that I didn’t have to have the surgery? Win!
What I experienced in that doctor’s office was supernatural. I can try to figure it out, or I can embrace the gift of transcendent peace that Philippians talks about. I choose the present.
I can only hope to have more experiences like the one above. The reality of my humanity is that I live in a broken world so there will be struggles.
AND
God is gracious. He doesn’t just leave me in this place of struggle. He encourages me, guiding me in the midst of the struggle through his Word.
Now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me-everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9
I may not be able to prevent the Ferris wheel of thoughts from coming to town, but I do get to choose which seat I jump into.
Fix your thoughts on what is true
I’m learning to listen to the thoughts that speak the truth, letting the contaminated ones float into the sewer where they belong. The more I’m in the Word, the more I’m able to identify these life-giving thoughts.
Would you please pray with me
Lord, thank you for providing me with a glimpse of what’s to come. I pray for more of it! You know the anxiety we deal with. You’ve been there yourself. If it is not your will to heal us then please give us the resources we need for it to be more manageable. Bring people into our lives that will walk among us, so we don’t have to suffer alone. I pray for all life-giving thoughts to be louder than any other. Thank you for never leaving us. Help us to focus more on you instead of our feelings and circumstances. Amen!
We have all been broken at some point in our lives, whether due to circumstances, choices we’ve made, or messages we’ve received from others.
While searching for a name for this blog I came across the word “mangled.” It really spoke to me, capturing the wide range of brokenness we’ve all experienced at one time or another. Some of us have been bruised by life while others have been crushed.
We have all been broken at some point in our lives
A few years ago I got a tattoo on my wrist of a heart with puzzle pieces inside of it. A cross sits boldly in the middle, completing the puzzle, with Ephesians 2:10 written beneath it. I got this as a reminder to myself about the truth of who I am: God’s masterpiece, his handiwork, his beautiful work of art.
This truth becoming a reality has been a process for me. I still have days when negative thoughts try to determine my identity. Days that I fall into the trap of comparison, letting others and the world dictate who I am.
But then, I glance at my wrist and remember.
It takes energy to fight off all the messages that stand against who God says I am and to embrace the person he’s created me to be. All of my weird and quirky ways, the dumb things that fly out of my mouth, my vanity issues, my mistakes, my choices. None of these things define me, not one. I am God’s masterpiece, and so are you.
I am God’s Masterpiece, and so are you
What things in your life have you let define you?
Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
