Be Encouraged...

In my quiet time this morning, and over the past several days, I’ve had such an increased passion to encourage and uplift you all. I really asked God what I could say to you to encourage your hearts as you consecrate yourself and seek God for more of Him, and thus more of yourself.  I know from my own experience that at times this walk with God ain’t exactly no walk in the park.  Personally, there are times when I feel like, just as I seem to grow and get better in some areas, God unveils some other area where I totally suck!  If I’m not careful, I find myself battling the spirit of depression and condemnation, wondering if I will ever get it all together.  So I wanted to share one of the ways the Lord consistently encourages my heart in those times.

Not too long ago, a friend recommended that I read the book Search for Significance by Robert McGee.  It’s such a mind-altering book that I highly recommend it for you as well.  In it, he talks about the performance trap that many believers find themselves in from time to time.  It’s the idea that you must meet certain standards in order to feel good about yourself.  I can certainly relate to this feeling.  At one point in my life, and even now periodically, I find myself attaching my confidence to my “performance” as a Christian.  The better I “perform” i.e. make all the right decisions, say all the right words, remain totally consistent in my prayer, devotion & church attendance, etc, the better I feel about myself as a Christian.  Then on those occasions when I make a horrible decision or I say all the wrong words to my husband or I allow my schedule to pull me away from focused attention to the Word, I find myself questioning whether or not I’m even saved for real.  This is not the will of God.

Instead, God wants you and me to understand some very important truths about ourselves.  We are so deeply loved by Him just the way we are. Because of Christ’s redemption, He has welcomed us into the beloved, and we are completely forgiven, acceptable and pleasing in His sight – not because our performance is completely perfect – but because the blood of Jesus is completely sufficient to present us to God as holy and acceptable in His sight.  What a wonderful savior we have. 

So despite the things you may feel you are lacking in your life, you are totally complete in Him.  Despite what might seem like the slowest growth process ever, you are just where you should be. Still growing!  Release yourself from the performance trap that suggests that you are anything less than a woman who is growing in God.  Of course, that does not negate the fact that you must still put forth the effort to continue growing and maturing in him.  But for just a moment, take a look at where God has brought you from, and be encouraged in knowing that the God who began such a good work in you is faithful to complete it.  Sure, you may not be where you want to be spiritually but keep growing. You may still make some mistakes but keep growing. If you get a little off course (or a lot), get back on course and keep growing! There is so much purpose and destiny ahead for you to accomplish. Don’t get stuck in the performance trap. Walk in the freedom of knowing that as imperfect as you are, you are God’s perfect-creation-in-progress and reject any & all thoughts, ideas, beliefs, people or environments that suggest that you are anything less than deeply loved and totally acceptable to God. 

Remember who you are!