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If you came over from Encouragement for Today, welcome. I’m so glad you are here.

What if people saw the inside of us first?

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Weird question, I know.

Yet it’s who we truly are.

What if someone walked up to us and instantly saw our heart for the oppressed? Or the anger that we hold close and nurture like a new born babe?

What if they knew that we are insecure or that our temper rages just below the surface? What if they saw the child like delight of our faith or the depression we hold at bay?

Some of those are character traits and some of these are temporary emotions, and to be honest a lot of these are seen.

We just don’t realize it.

While I’m grateful that you can’t see every emotion or struggle that is on the inside of me, I love that God can.

There’s never a time that I feel that I have to walk into the presence of God in my Sunday best. I can walk into his presence inside out — hurting because of the news of this past weekend, or frustrated, or so hungry spiritually that I can’t see straight.

I can walk in when deadlines make me tired. I can stand in his presence joyful. I can invite him in to those moments where simple happiness fills my heart.

We talk a lot about cleaning up the outside, even in Christian circles. What might happen if we worried less about what people saw on the outside and placed that emphasis on the inside instead?

What would they see then?

This is my prayer for the inside-out version of Suzie.

Lord, help me be honest always

Father, carve deep wells of kindness in my heart

Teach me what to do with unresolved frustration

Give me patience in the areas I need it most

I desire to speak honestly, always. I don’t ever misconstrue my words but sometimes I hold them back, not because I’m trying to be sensitive, but because we live in a world where anyone can say what they want to about you.

It’s easier to be quiet, but I sense God asking me to be a little braver in that area.

I’m asking God to make my heart kinder. To think kindly before jumping into frustration.

And patience? Well, that’s an area he’s still working on and I welcome it.

None of us have it all together on the inside.

create in me

David wrote this verse, a flawed man loved by God deeply. The word “clean” doesn’t mean pure, but the essence of his heart.

Lord, let the essence of my heart reflect you. 

What a beautiful way to live inside out.

Suzie

comewithmeI promised a free gift today.

It’s a printable journal to use while reading Come With Me: Discovering the Beauty of Following Where He Leads.  Download it free.

While you are at it, if you desire to read Chapter One and the Foreword and Introduction of Come With Me, I’d love to give that to you as well.

We love to be invited. We want to be included. We long for more. Only Jesus can truly offer all of that to us–and he does. Suzie’s encouragement and insights give us what we need to say the most life-changing, soul-freeing yes our hearts will ever utter.

Holley Gerth, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of You’re Already Amazing