That Which You Most Certainly Deserve.

Recently, the Lord has been helping me with myself, how to fully embrace and be thankful for who He has created me to be.  He has demonstrated this in many ways, but mostly through the importance of genuine relationships with friends who love me in a way in which is far beyond what I could imagine.  For someone who has struggled with "the idea of self" for as long as I can remember, I did not know it would ever be possible for me to feel this way -- completely content in who I have been created to be.  

But alas, in Christ, all things are possible.  Amen. 

First and foremost, you must be able to see yourself as your Heavenly Father sees you -- fearfully and wonderfully made, with a specific purpose to use what He has given you for the greater glory of His Kingdom.  Your confidence, love, self-worth, and value should be completely satisfied by His thoughts toward you, to give you a future and a hope.  

Until then, you will never allow anyone else to fully appreciate exactly who you have been created to be -- which you most certainly deserve.  How can you?  We bring ourselves to such a point of dependency in others and what they think is important that we take whatever we can get, which I can guarantee is far less than what you are worth.

And I only say all of this with such confidence because I know -- I have been there, I am there.  It is an incredible transformation to undertake, but a necessary one at that.  I realized that I constantly, both internally and externally, beat myself up about my "imperfections" or the things in which I do not see as worthy of love or appreciation.  I was simply (and unfortunately can still be) embarrassed  of myself, desperately wishing I could be something that I am not -- Oh, how this makes my heart hurt.   

But the Lord continually proves to be so gracious, time and time again as promised -- as fall on my face before Him, humbling myself daily, desperately pleading for Him to purge my heart and mind of such destructive and hopeless thoughts, which are certainly not of Him.  And in that moment when my soul is released, nothing else matters except the thoughts and affections of Him, of how I can be the best version of myself in His image.  Simply glorious.  

And as a result of this, the Lord has been able to place people into my life who serve this very purpose, who love me and genuinely appreciate my whole self that I am, which often takes my breath away or even brings me to tears -- because it demonstrates the unconditional love that my Heavenly Father truly has for me in such an overwhelming and beautiful fashion.   

So let us rid ourselves of all the excuses and lies that we convince ourselves of, that we are not enough.  And let us rather be exactly who we have been intended to be, which I guarantee looks far better than anything we muster up as desirable or worthy of cause.  Find the people in life who encourage you to be just that, and nothing else.  The Lord has put them there for reason, as a direct reflection of His perfect love for you.

It is truly a wonderful thing, indeed.  

"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well."

Psalm 139: 14