Reason #882
Some days I walk past my reflection in the mirror, I look at myself and I think, "Oh, sister... what's the deal today?" It's that little voice inside. That little condemning voice that points out all that is wrong. That voice that says, "You should change this, you should change that, you should be more fill in the blank." And sometimes, more often than I should, I believe it.
"Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” - Judges 6:11-12
I started a study over Gideon a few weeks ago, and it has not ceased to bless me abundantly. Truth be told, I know a little about Gideon but I have never taken the time to really study his story. I read over it, but I didn't read through the lines. And so I'm learning a lot about Gideon. What's more, I'm learning a lot about God.
Gideon has been hiding out, hoping to go unnoticed. Hoping to fly under the radar and be undetected. Go figure that God would choose to use him. Go figure that He would call Gideon out from hiding to the front of the battle lines for everyone to see. God shows up when Gideon least expects it, as is the usual, and look how He refers to Gideon. Mighty Hero. At this point, I certainly don't see anything heroic about Gideon. As far as I can tell, he has yet to do anything to deserve this title. And, I'm sure Gideon thought the same thing when the Lord called him that. I bet he thought, "I'm sorry, I think that you've got the wrong person." But God knew exactly who He was talking to. God knew full well that He had the right person. How, might you ask? Because God knew Gideon. And God knew deep down, below the fear and the desire to be unnoticed, was a mighty hero that was going to do great things. After all, God created Gideon. Before Gideon was born, God had placed this calling on his life. And God gave him in an inner warrior. The ability to be a mighty hero. Gideon may not have known that about himself, or even believed it for that matter, so God was telling him. "Gideon, you might think you are inferior or insufficient. You may be insecure and see yourself as the least of the least of the least. But that's not who you are. You are a mighty hero destined to do great things for my name."
God sees us for who we are, not for what we think we are. Our feelings don't dictate the way God sees us, and they don't determine what God has in store for us. God has created us in His own image, and that alone means we're pretty incredible beings. We're worthy and valuable, desirable and irreplaceable. Intentionally made for a specific calling. And maybe we don't see it right now, maybe we aren't sure how God could possibly use us, be He sees it and He knows. Don't listen to the mirror. Don't listen to that little voice that condemns, and certainly don't fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. Your purpose isn't to match other people, it's to be who God called you to be. To carry out the task that God has placed before you. It's every bit as important as the next person's and don't believe for a moment that it's not. Be who God called you to be, who He designed you to be. You are destined to do great things. Your future is full of potential. And believe that you're more than you think you are. Believe who God says you are. And when you start to feel another way, choose to live in His truth.
#882 - Because of the great things He has in store for us.
"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." - Colossians 2:7
"Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” - Judges 6:11-12
I started a study over Gideon a few weeks ago, and it has not ceased to bless me abundantly. Truth be told, I know a little about Gideon but I have never taken the time to really study his story. I read over it, but I didn't read through the lines. And so I'm learning a lot about Gideon. What's more, I'm learning a lot about God.
Gideon has been hiding out, hoping to go unnoticed. Hoping to fly under the radar and be undetected. Go figure that God would choose to use him. Go figure that He would call Gideon out from hiding to the front of the battle lines for everyone to see. God shows up when Gideon least expects it, as is the usual, and look how He refers to Gideon. Mighty Hero. At this point, I certainly don't see anything heroic about Gideon. As far as I can tell, he has yet to do anything to deserve this title. And, I'm sure Gideon thought the same thing when the Lord called him that. I bet he thought, "I'm sorry, I think that you've got the wrong person." But God knew exactly who He was talking to. God knew full well that He had the right person. How, might you ask? Because God knew Gideon. And God knew deep down, below the fear and the desire to be unnoticed, was a mighty hero that was going to do great things. After all, God created Gideon. Before Gideon was born, God had placed this calling on his life. And God gave him in an inner warrior. The ability to be a mighty hero. Gideon may not have known that about himself, or even believed it for that matter, so God was telling him. "Gideon, you might think you are inferior or insufficient. You may be insecure and see yourself as the least of the least of the least. But that's not who you are. You are a mighty hero destined to do great things for my name."
God sees us for who we are, not for what we think we are. Our feelings don't dictate the way God sees us, and they don't determine what God has in store for us. God has created us in His own image, and that alone means we're pretty incredible beings. We're worthy and valuable, desirable and irreplaceable. Intentionally made for a specific calling. And maybe we don't see it right now, maybe we aren't sure how God could possibly use us, be He sees it and He knows. Don't listen to the mirror. Don't listen to that little voice that condemns, and certainly don't fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. Your purpose isn't to match other people, it's to be who God called you to be. To carry out the task that God has placed before you. It's every bit as important as the next person's and don't believe for a moment that it's not. Be who God called you to be, who He designed you to be. You are destined to do great things. Your future is full of potential. And believe that you're more than you think you are. Believe who God says you are. And when you start to feel another way, choose to live in His truth.
#882 - Because of the great things He has in store for us.
"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." - Colossians 2:7
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