What if your assignment is you?
Sounds weird, I know.
We feel called to love a world, but what if God is calling you to show that same love to yourself?
Maybe we’d be nicer to ourselves with our words.
Maybe we’d take a compliment.
Maybe we’d stop beating ourselves up so much.
Maybe we’d quit apologizing when there’s nothing to apologize for.
Today I want to take a little mini-break in the study, because I think this is worth talking about and I want to hear what you have to say about it.
In Come With Me, Chapter 10, we discover what it means to be rescued, how to love others, and how to let our faith be a part of our everyday life and conversations.
I meet extraordinary women all the time who do that well.
They are unique. They are courageous as heck. They have conquered hard things and they are talented. They love people BIG. They are in ministry. They are moms. They are single women or single mothers. They are older. They are young.
These women grab hold of Chapter 10 and they ask God this big question: Lord, how can I love people like you love me?
Some of those same extraordinary women – who love and care deeply — don’t even come close to showing that same love to the person in the mirror.
I get it, because that used to be me. It was deeply embedded in a lack of self-confidence. I didn’t see myself the way that God does.
We don’t have to stay in that place! No we don’t.
So, here’s a simple #ComeWithMe invitation for all of us.
Sometimes our assignment is to give compassion and mercy to the person staring back at us in the mirror.
Let’s speak truth and life to ourselves, when we need it most. Let’s offer a little mercy, for pete’s sake.
Let’s stop when we’ve run into the end of ourselves and let his words become renewed life in our bones and spirit.
So, this is your assignment.
Be nice to yourself today.
Pray about it.
Hold up your words that you speak over your heart and ask God to change them.
On page 182 of Come With Me, there’s a question that I asked and I want to tweak it just a bit today. I pray you’ll answer it here so we can talk and pray together.
5. Read Galatians 5:22–23. What does the Holy Spirit produce inside of us? Describe one way that this might show up in your relationships with those closest to you.
Here’s the revision: Read Galatians 5:22-23. What does the Holy Spirit produce inside of us. Describe one way that this might show up as you begin to see yourself the way that God does?
This is absolutely what I needed to hear tonight. Thank you.
God has been showing me this over the years but this year he really put his foot down. So I am in that process of learning to love me the way He does. I really want to and I am finally in a place where I can honestly say I believe I am worth being loved. I have never really read a blog that addressed this in this way. I love how God speaks through you Suzie! I am blessed by you and today I will practice loving me today :).
For me there is actually two: gentleness, self-control. I believe that “everything” about our lives is important to God. I am a little overweight and it affects my health, blood pressure; cholesterol; borderline diabetic, etc. I am also a carb addict. Days on end I work to lose this weight and control my carb intake, however, very often I fail as that addiction creeps in. THAT is when I lose my self-control, I demean and beat myself up for not having more control over what goes in my mouth. Consequently, all gentleness toward myself is gone.
If I saw myself the way God sees me I would experience His peace and find joy in my circumstances instead of beating myself up when I fall short in self-control and am not patient or loving or kind, or gentle or faithful or good. When I think I am failing to live out the gospel, I would see myself trying to do God’s will, struggling to hear His voice, not throwing in the towel and giving up before I finish “running the race”.
I had trouble answering question #6 at the end of Chapter 10: Who told you about Jesus? Did they tell you or show you, or both? Name one way this person influenced you to become a believer? Let me start out by saying that I have problems remembering things from my past. I have no clear memory of anyone who stands out. My parents took me to church. I went to Sunday school and Bible school. I saw them read their Bibles but I don’t remember them telling me about Jesus. I knew what they expected me to do. They had their shortcomings but they were good and generous people who loved me the best they could so I guess that was showing me about Jesus. The other part of the question asking how that influenced me to become a believer also makes me pause. Although I am 66 years old and as I’ve mentioned above, was raised in a Christian home with Christian values, I have been married for 45 years to a man who does not share my beliefs. Our sons were baptized and confirmed and I raised them in the church the way I was raised. I don’t remember doing a lot of talking about Jesus and feel like I wasn’t the best example. I am trying to do it better with my grandchildren but they don’t live close by and we don’t see them a lot so it isn’t always easy to do. The whole thing boils down to this: I question my own faith–am I really a believer? I don’t feel like I hear God’s voice calling me to ministry or anything else for that matter. I haven’t fully committed myself to the Lord, trusting Him and loving Him completely. I read First 5 each morning and have been doing P31 online Bible studies for almost 2 years in hopes of strengthening my faith. I can’t say that it has been a wasted effort or that I haven’t grown in my faith, but I also can’t declare that I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior–I would think that I would remember that! I pray every day that I will be ready to invite Him into my life and my heart and then I will be able to answer His call to follow Him. I hope this makes sense. I needed to put it into words. Thanks for the opportunity to do so.
While I don’t always exemplify each of those fruits as I should, I know they are there. And if I’m allowing myself to be truthful, they manifest a lot more than I give myself credit for (even saying that felt conceited; we women are tough on ourselves!). I know that God sees me as His beautiful daughter. When I try to wrap my mind around that, it does make me strive more to become who He made me. When I begin to realize that these traits are a part of who I am, I begin to realize that I’ve been beating myself up for no reason. And on the days when I fail to set an example in these ways, I need to remember that His beautiful grace is for me, too.
Such encouraging words today; thank you, Suzie!
Thank you, Suzie. I needed to hear this-I’ve been internalizing rejection from others and interpreting it through my own eyes and not God’s. I’ve felt like I am unlikeable, not worth someone’s time, forgotten but the truth is I am none of those. I am a loving, gentle, kind, joyful, peaceful, faithful child of God that needs some more help from God with forbearance and self control. God doesn’t reject me, he loves me and is always here for me. Just as I’ve missed God’s voice when he has prompted me to do something in the past I think others miss his voice too. It’s not about me or them it’s all about Jesus. Love you sweet friend!
Having a heart of gratitude, especially for ourselves helps in this area. Yes, grateful for all the amazing things God has created in us. Many women live their lives in a way that shows others confidence, strength and courage, yet it is there deep within. I loved Chapter 10! Thank you for all your hard work in this study.
I would have to say I really need to love myself more! I will be honest, I am selfish in some things which I am so not proud of but I definitely do NOT love myself as God does! I believe I’ve made peace with the mistakes I’ve made but I must not have truly if I can’t love myself as I should! One of the main reasons right now is because of my weight and the way I view myself! However God is dealing with me on this as well on helping me heal from things in my past so I can be the woman He has created me to be!!! I want to help others feel loved by God and to find their identity in Him as well!! I believe that is what God is preparing me for in my current season!!! Suzie, I love you even though we haven’t met! You some to my heart through this book and I could hear your voice as I read each word! Thank you for being a willing vessel for God to impart such an important message through!! You are an amazing woman of God and I joyfully wait for the day when I can meet you in person whether it’s here or in heaven!!
I need to work on self-control with eating especially. The Holy Spirit produces this in me so I know that I can do it. I am so glad you had us read this tonight. Thank you so much
I need to understand that I have many capabilities. I am strong with God’s help. I can follow a healthy eating plan, which is sadly off the tracks at the moment, I am traveling and food options are in front of me daily that are unhealthy. Yes, it is the trend in this country to eat many starches. Salads are no where in sight at the majority of eating places. This will pass and I have a new understanding of a healthy lifestyle. God is training me.
For me I think it would be joy. All the time giggling at the thought that God loves me so much. Joyful in praise, joyful when I speak of my Savior. Joyful no matter what. Looking in the mirror…I want to giggle because I am created in His Image. Oh and not only joy…but unspeakable, overflowing joy. Hope I am not sounding selfish….but if God has this for me, I want it!!!
The Holy Spirit is in me, therefore I am filled with love. Enough for others and plenty leftover for me….because it’s in me. I should be joyful about myself and be at peace with who I am and where God has me. I will be showing myself kindness, because God has placed kindness in me. As well as goodness. I cannot deny these fruits or I am denying the Holy Spirits gifting and His place in me. I will show myself patience, because I’m filled with it. I cannot deny that I am faithful beyond beyond. Not just to God, not just to others but a heart that will let faith override anxiousness and worry. And self control? Why my thoughts, my words, my actions will come under His rulings in my heart and mind. Lastly, sweetie, be gentle with yourself, because it’s a harsh world out there, and a gentle tended garden in your soul will prepare you to love others with out losing yourself.