Archives for July 2016

We are Daughters: Our Identity Rescued

07.26.2016 by Erin Thompson //

I always felt like the fat girl. Like King Kong amid the skyline of New York City, I imagined myself gigantic in comparison to my other high school friends. Prom only heightened the issue. As I posed for group photos, I would try to tuck myself behind the other girls. I did my best to suck in and shrink down.

In my twenties, I looked back at those group photos. Guess what? I looked just like all the other girls. I was not nine feet tall and five feet wide. This moment of revelation proved that how I saw myself was not reality. I had a false sense of self.

Questions began stirring in my soul, and I began a personal journey. What is true? How does God see me? Who am I to him? Am I beautiful? Does my life have worth? Am I accepted? Am I secure? Am I a failure? What has happened to my identity? Did it get lost or was it stolen? If so, how could what was taken from me be restored?

So that is where the journey began—the journey to rescue my identity in Christ and recover my value as a daughter of the King.

I cannot expound on all that God has transformed in my identity, but the central theme is experiencing the reality that I am a child of God.

His daughter.

His.

We might sing of it in church or think a thought in our heads. But do we know—not just with our head but with all of our heart—that we belong to the Maker of the universe and the Master-craftsman of our souls.

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

The right.

The right!

The right to become children of God was given to us upon believing and receiving God’s forgiveness and leadership in our lives.

Has something distracted us from that right?

Maybe an emotion or an experience. Maybe a sin or a situation.

If we have asked Jesus to be our Savior and our King, no emotion or experience, sin or situation, is capable of removing that right given to us. For nothing is more powerful than his Spirit sealed within us by his shed blood.

But beyond the right to be God’s child, we receive a Father.

“And I will by your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:18)

Sadly, the mention of the “F” word up there might surface pain, regret, fear, anger, or anxiety for you. And your picture of God as a good Father could be blurred by the shadow of an earthly example. I am so sorry. I pray that healing and hope, protection and provision, would be yours in the days and months to come.

But when my vision is blurry and my emotions hazy, I try to seek the light of Truth to reveal the true picture.

Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you…
because you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you. (Isaiah 43:1-2, 4)

For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. (Psalm 56:8, emphasis mine)

Read these verses again. Slowly. Let each word sink into your soul and start to shed light on the type of Dad God desires to be to You.

Protecting.

Providing.

Present.

Powerful.

Passionate.

Yours.

You are his, and he is yours.

You have a Dad.

We have a Dad. Our good, loving, present Father. It is our right to be his!

Father, take the broken and rebuild it. Take the separated and renew it. Take the pilfered and replace it. Rescue our identity. Restore our value. Lead us out of the darkness of doubt into the light that you are our good, present, loving Father.

~Love, Your Daughters

When the Shadow of Fear Looms

07.19.2016 by Kim Findlay //

This month we’ve been answering the question “how has God changed my perspective about an issue”. Tracy and Jen shared their stories earlier this month. You do not want to miss them so click on their names and check out how God shifted their perspective on two very personal issues.

I have lived much of my life battling one thing: fear.

When I was little, fear took the shape of typical childhood distress. Fear of the dark. Fear of being lost. Fear of losing my mom or dad.

As I grew, some of those fears remained in my childhood while others shifted into the shadows, lurking close enough to incite anxiety but far enough to remain elusive, unidentifiable.

I didn’t always know I struggled with fear. Early on it wore different faces: moving cross-country; making new friends; starting new schools; the darkness of our basement; moving out of my parents’ home with a newborn baby; uncertainty and distress after the Oklahoma City bombings; blending a family of five after a debilitating stroke struck my first husband; adding a sixth member to our floundering family.

During those years I rationalized my feelings and disregarded their strength. Fear lurked in every corner of my heart, threatened any sense of peace and security yet I was convinced if I just tried harder, served God more, and did all the right things, those feelings would dissipate in absolute trust. After all, doesn’t the Bible tell us not to be afraid, supposedly offering one verse for every day of the year? So if I felt afraid, if I allowed fear to dig its roots into my soul, did I not trust God? Had I lost my faith?

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious righthand.” Isaiah 41:10, NLT

I believe Scripture is true. All of it. I believe when God tells us not to be afraid, we’re not to be afraid. But what I struggled to understand, what I’m still wrestling through: what happens when I do feel afraid? When fear steps creeps out of the shadows and looms large? Because it happens. A lot.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7, NLT

March 2, 2005. My greatest nightmare, my biggest fear, became my most devastating reality as fire destroyed our home and death snatch away the life one of my children. Fear no longer lurked in the shadows but became as real as the air I breathed.

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before the. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:6, NLT

I could no longer pretend fear had not been a constant companion. I could no longer deny its existence. I watched its shadow creep over the precious face of my little girl as I stood on the brink of allowing fear to consume me, erasing any existence of God, any truth I thought I believed.

Yet as I stared at my greatest fear, as I look it square in its eye and grabbed it by its shoulders, a greater truth began to take shape. A truth I had heard but was only beginning to understand.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12, NLT

Fear is a feeling, a very real and legitimate feeling given to us as a means of protection. As I stood on my driveway as my house burned, the fear I felt was real and appropriate.

But sometimes it seems bigger and feels even stronger because the unseen world twists and corrupts. That’s the goal, after all: to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10a). The battle is real and fear can be an effective weapon.

Fears are distorted into the what-if’s and what-might-be’s. What if fire strikes again? What if my spouse chooses to leave me? What if something happens to my child? What if I can’t make the bills this month? Scripture calls those fears “worry” and challenges us to determine their usefulness (Matthew 6:27-30). All they do is snatch away our joy, our peace, and sometimes even our relationships.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7, NLT

What do we do when fear creeps in? How can we respond?

I’m learning to bring my fear to Him. Every. Single. One. I’m learning that He doesn’t taunt me or ridicule me. He won’t condemn or make fun of me. As those feelings creep up my spine and grip my heart, I’m learning to cry out and invite Him in, to call on His name and be reminded of His power, power that is stronger than any fear.

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.” 1 John 4:18a, NLT

He’s changing my perceptive. He’s opening my eyes to see His true character, who He is and how He cares for me, the truth that He loves me and knows everything about me (Psalm 139), including each fear I face.

The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14:14, NLT

I’m learning that while fear lurks in the shadows of this broken and fallen world, I don’t have to face it on my own. Nor do you. We can safely and confidently press in to the One who loves us so much that He fought death on our behalf . . . and won.

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be strong and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14, NLT

“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17, NLT

What issue do you believe God is wanting to shift for you? Join the conversation and share in the comments or over on our Facebook page.

Perspective Shift: Shame

07.12.2016 by Jennifer Howe //

I (Jennifer) am not afraid to say, “I’ve got issues.” This week, I’m thinking about how God is shifting my perspective on one close to my heart in this season.

Shame. What I say, think, and do has cause and effect, benefit and consequence. Somewhere down deep my soul is hardwired to recognize the impact I make on my own life and others’. Shame can be highlighted in relationship to others as they respond to my flaws. This is a relational issue, so I want to identify the relational problems and sort them out. In my best moments I communicate well, leaning in or establishing healthy boundaries to strengthen my resolve to make new choices. Honestly, worse moments end in a private downward spiral.

It all started when…
The origin and nature of shame is the inheritance I never wanted but can’t turn down or dismiss, initially. Shame originates with sin.

Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate [it]; she also gave [some] to her husband, [who was] with her, and he ate [it]. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. Genesis 3:6-7 CSB

When the first couple made in the image of God rebelled, their thoughts, words, and actions missed perfection (the intentional choice was sin). In a moment, they saw it—purity, innocence, and complete transparency before the Father exchanged for nakedness and shame. Their choice changed everything. Their relationship to God was altered. Immediately they were ashamed of their appearance and their decision. Maybe they feared punishment, or they hoped to cover their shame and remain in relationship with the God they loved at the expense of the other. Adam and Eve landed in the blame game. (I’m no different in hoping to avoid blame or shame sometimes.)

But God…
The God they loved was loving in spite of their rebellion.

The Lord God made clothing out of skins for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them. Genesis 3:21

He met his people in their shame, removed their flimsy fig leaf solution, and sacrificed animals’ lives (ones He created) to cover their nakedness. There are consequences to sin. Always.

Because God loved them, He refused to allow a second opportunity that could leave all of mankind in an eternal state of sin.

The Lord God said, “Since man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, and also take from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. Genesis 3:22-23

He removed them from Eden.

The damage was done.
The extent of the problem was far worse than a change in relationship and the mind. The result of rebellion against Holy God permeated the mind, body, and soul of all mankind and all of the environment.

I have a friend, Peter, who often says, “Cheer up, you’re worse than you think you are!” And he’s probably right. When I get gut-level honest about my sin, it can be worse than I want to admit. But a very good friend will remind me sin is not a line I cross in what I say, think, or do. It’s woven through every cell of my being—sin and its wages, death, entangles every strand of my DNA.

Where’s the perspective shift?
There has to be one, or it gets depressing.

The big change in my perspective was realizing my emotional-relational response stemming from a misunderstanding of sin. I began to grasp that sin was less about avoiding some line or slaving at a behavior modification program. The solution to all sin and shame was Christ nailed to a cross. Jesus took the punishment I deserved. He died to liberate me and every one of us from sin-wrecked DNA and every wrong choice. His blood paid for (covered) all sin for all people for all time.

Some know, embrace, and celebrate their freedom every day. Some have no idea freedom waits. Some pray a prayer of repentance, ask for eternal security, and continue to strive every moment as if God never hears and nothing changes. They mistakenly believe their efforts add value to the timbers, nails, and Jesus’ blood. But nothing can be added to Christ’s sacrifice; it’s final and enough.

Take that in.

It’s a process…
I am yet to be completely transformed by this truth.

My life with God has been characterized by many ideas. I’ve believed in a “one and done prayer,” but it’s not exactly that. A season was flooded with terrible concern and fear of the lines I hopped like double-dutch ropes. Exhausted and staring at a list of failures (wallowing in shame), I have settled, given up, or stopped caring about knee-jerk responses to circumstances and people. But God is loving and reveals life patterns that don’t break. What do I do when I see them and feel overwhelmed?

Remember the gospel!

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounding you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24

A child can grasp it, but we complicate it, or worse, warp the whole thing. There is no “excellent” human flesh or behavior this side of eternity in light of God’s perfection. We have been vandalized by sin to the DNA level. God is holy and can’t be in the presence of anything less, so our sin-ridden condition places us in the best world we could possibly live in (temporarily): this marred universe with residual beauty and blessing. He put us here to wait for the single sacrifice that would be enough—enough for all sin for all people for all time. Mine. Yours. Everybody’s!

It’s simply this:

Place trust in Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross. Add nothing more.
Celebrate your new identity and liberated life here and now.
Because He loved you, let every choice flow out of your love for Him.
Remember the promise of eternity with the One who spared you.

Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Also through Him, we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:2

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— Ephesians 2:8

Thanks for reading, friends. Has this been helpful? Share it. Better yet, let’s chat below or on our Facebook page.