"As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority." 1 Corinthians 4:3
I'd like to say that I have grown-up and now at the ripe old age of 42, "it matters very little how I might be evaluated" by someone. I like to claim this as my truth but I can't, not yet. OK, I have grown-up a little, not completely, but progress has been made. Paul has learned the simple truth I long to claim as my own: the only opinion that matters is that of the One and Only.Most of my life has been lived in insecurity and a longing of the approval of others. The sickness went as far as to making sure everything on my person was "just so": make-up, hair, and updated fashions. I would not ever leave the house in grungies and without make-up. It went further than appearances. Because I struggled in school, I believed everyone was smarter than me. If everyone was smarter than me, surely they were better than me therefore I need not try-out for sports, cheerleading or anything else that interested me.
I lived under the umbrella of these lies until I begin to study and apply to my life the truth of God's Word. The transforming of my mind began in my early 30s. Through numerous ordained circumstances, I responded to God with a yes and began to have quiet time every morning with the Lord before He turned on the lights. Little by little God began to replace my lies with His truth. With mercy and tenderness He pointed out my shorting comings and sin. He forgave me and I accepted His forgiveness. My certain deliverance was set into motion.
I still give way too much credit to what others think of me than I should, but through Christ, progress is being made. I am learning that my confidence and competence comes from Him. I now will venture out in grungies. I even went to Bible study a few weeks ago wearing yoga pants, my husband's over-sized sweat shirt, and crocs. I have also be seen at my local Target without make-up.
It will be a great day when faced with these recurring lies that I can respectfully say, " it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority, I have the approval of my Lord Jesus Christ and in Him I stand confident, competent, and complete."
P.S. I had to throw in The Message translation of this scripture. It was too good not to share.
I lived under the umbrella of these lies until I begin to study and apply to my life the truth of God's Word. The transforming of my mind began in my early 30s. Through numerous ordained circumstances, I responded to God with a yes and began to have quiet time every morning with the Lord before He turned on the lights. Little by little God began to replace my lies with His truth. With mercy and tenderness He pointed out my shorting comings and sin. He forgave me and I accepted His forgiveness. My certain deliverance was set into motion.
I still give way too much credit to what others think of me than I should, but through Christ, progress is being made. I am learning that my confidence and competence comes from Him. I now will venture out in grungies.
It will be a great day when faced with these recurring lies that I can respectfully say, "
P.S. I had to throw in The Message translation of this scripture. It was too good not to share.
It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don't even rank myself. Comparisons in these matters are pointless. I'm not aware of anything that would disqualify me from being a good guide for you, but that doesn't mean much. The Master makes that judgment.
10 Comments:
Thank you for your transparency Wendy. I know we all suffer these same feelings of inadequacy. I know I can't claim to be free of anxiety over how others judge me. I long to be like Paul, but I am a long way from it! Pride is one of my biggest sins. God is working with me on eliminating it.
Today again was full of topics to focus on; relationships of all forms were discussed at length! But for all of you sisters (and brothers?) out there who are praying for your spouse, take heart in 1 Corinthians 7:13-14, 16!
13 And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. 14 For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy. 16 Don’t you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don’t you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you?
1 Peter 3:1-5 (NIV)
1 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4 Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.
God is faithful to work in your present circumstances, what ever they may be and however difficult they may be. He chose one person for you and you for one person. Your light will shine and they will be drawn to the Father through you.
May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus today. May each of you know the hope and the future that Christ brings into your lives.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Karen, Basel
Thank you Wendy! God is so good to draw us to Him bit by bit and then He begins that wonderful transformation stage! That daily quiet time with Him opens up the door for Him to move in us. The more we read His Word, the more His Truth permeates everywhere within us. His Words are alive and active. Many times I hear that voice inside, "Remember it's Me that you need to please!"
Karen, Those verses you mentioned are ones I've memorized. I know God has placed me in my situation to pray for Dave. It's not a coincidence that I am a believer and that his dearest friend from college had a major turn-around in his life and that he's now a believer also, praying for Dave. God has brought me a long way regarding the way I pray for my husband. From hit and miss, to thinking it was impossible, to getting mad because it wasn't happening NOW, to now,fervently and without ceasing praying daily, with joy in my heart, because I know without a doubt, he will be saved! Ahhh, the joy when it happens. The glory! It's so worth the wait!!!
So many other topics in today's reading that I'd like to talk about, but I'm out of time. One short :) sentence that I did highlight: "The important thing is to keep God's commandments," I Cor 7:19). In my Kay Arther Bible Study that I'm taking we talked about, The LORD Who Sanctifies You-Jehovah-mekoddishkem. This opened up so much to me re: the commandments, particularly keeping the Sabbath. The LORD wants us to keep the Sabbath-the purpose is "that we may know that [He] is the LORD who sancifies you" Ex 31:13. This sets us apart from the world and puts us closer to Him. We are a peculiar people for God's own possession. He so wants to set us apart as we get to know Him. The church today has become weak because many people have allowed themselves to get "closer to the world," and farther away from God. Keeping the Sabbath commandment allows us to be different than the world. It is a day set aside to get closer to God. The LORD santifies us, He wants His children to know Him, to set them apart as holy, to Him.
Hope you all are having a great week! Choose to make it a great day! I Cor 7:35, "I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible." Wow, just thinking myself about the distractions that come in to play that keep me from focusing on God!
Prayer's coming your way, Lori -AZ
. . . . when those feelings of insecurity or inadequacy start welling up in me, I just remember . . . . . . I'm "accepted in the Beloved!" Amen!
Good Morning Wendy~ I have not read that scripture before in either version, loved them both and they speak volumes to perspective. I have so much going on at the moment, both positive and not-so-positive....I focus alot on I Cor 10:13 and when combined with this verse you shared today, I am at peace with facing all that comes my way today. Thank you so very much!
Wendy, thank you for showing us so much of your heart.
I also have grown up longing for the love and acceptance of others and never feeling like I quite measure up to their expectations.
It has been a long journey to get to where I can even believe that God loves me - not in a superficial way but He loves all of me. Even the parts I don't let the world see.
I really want to be like Paul and get to the point where human authority doesn't matter. Because I will be living totally for my Lord.
I'm just not there yet.
Like Karen I was pulled to the verses on relationships. I work in a secular job and so many of my co-workers are in relationship messes. It is so sad to hear about, when I know that Christ in their lives could make things better. I will keep on praying, because God wants them all to be saved.
Have a great day ladies.
I can't believe that we are having +10C temps.(that is +50 for those not on the metric system) here in November. No snow and it's warm enough to go out without a jacket. Amazing!
Your post has hit so close to home.. I still won't venture out of the home unless everything is "just so". It is a struggle for me to live by what God has said of me, over the inadequacies that I often feel.
Thanks again and God Bless!
shay
Since jumping into this study just a couple weeks ago b/c of Wendy's post on P31 (thank you, Wendy), I have been so blessed by the words and encouraging vibe of this whole group. Thank you, Joy, for blessing me with your words and the special verse. I hope to keep up with this group and continue to connect with my spiritual sisters.
One of the things I pray everyday is that the Lord protects me from myself. The words of Paul in today's reading of 1 Cor. 6:12 speak to me, "I say 'I am allowed to do anything', but not everything is good for you".
I used to be tied up in an eating disorder b/c of wanting to look perfect and live up to the world's standards of beauty, ultimately a side-effect of deeper issues that needed to be dealt with. All I can say is, by God's grace alone, am I free from the disorder today and moved through (and continue to daily) my issues with His help. His power brought me out of some dark places, but it was not easy. One of the things I had to do was to stop reading the magazines that promoted super skinny and the world's idea of perfection and gossipy garbage (you all know the ones I'm talking about at the local food mart). Every time I see a magazine like that now, I have to ask myself, "Do you really want to bring that toxic stuff into your brain again? Remember His love and sacrifice for you, Krista. He desires you to be pure and free from the world's toxicity, oh, those heavy chains... do I want to carry those again?"
Even though I feel stronger now (only b/c of coming back and staying in His word daily), I really have to keep focused on the truth that these magazines are toxic to His Spirit living inside me and an assault on who He has created me to be. I think of how much He loves me and that He has made us all in His perfection, all different shapes, and that we are a temple for His Holy Spirit. "Don't you realize your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. " 1 Cor. 6:19-20. I realize Paul is talking about sexual sin in this passage, however, I also believe there are other applications, including treating our bodies with respect and love when it comes to health and physical extremes. That's where I realized I was harming His creation, His temple, by allowing myself to treat my body with such hatred and disrespect based on the world's standards. I know it's permissible for me and any other human being to read those magazines, but is it good for me specifically? No, not me.. it's one of my red flags that can lead my mind in the wrong direction again. I am such a "sheep"! So easily influenced to follow the crowd.. this is why I ask Him for protection from myself and to watch over my wayward heart.
I absolutely love the verse that Karen reminded us of today, "it [your beauty] should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Pet. 3:4
Oh, how many times have I come back to this truth.. to be beautiful in His sight is my heart's desire. Thank you, Jesus.
Krista
The older I get Wendy and gals the easier it is to not care about what others think or be evaluated by others. I also think the more I stay in relationship with God the less I care about what others may think or say especially when expressing matters of faith or my personal witness to God's love and faithfulness in my journey.
I have even gone to the store with hardly any make up on or in my "grubbies". What's the worse someone could say or think...as long as I can't hear it. LOL
I remember when my Mom reached that age when she didn't care what others thought by what she said. At times I would say "Mother!, you didn't say that did you?" or If I was with her I may actually hear her comment and be embarrassed by it.
I can now understand her in hindsight as I approach that age how one feels freedom in being who they are.
But I think a difference is keeping strong in the faith so that
as you feel more and more at home with yourself we can reflect God's love in what we do and what we say...and how it is done and said. Does this make any sense?
I'm still in progress feeling totally free to be me..the me that God sees. All I can say is it just gets easier along the way.
I loved this verse today...one that I don't remember reading before and is ringing truer and truer!
May God bless!
Love from Debbie in Illinois
Well, if I was honest, I'd need to re-write that verse: "As for me it matters much how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority." I don't want it to. I know is shouldn't, but I do care far more than I'd like to admit.
My heart has gone out to any reading this passage today who struggled with the teaching on marriage/separation.
One verse in our reading today, left me questioning it's meaning. "Then you must throw this man out (aside: the man who was living in sin with his stepmother) and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns." 1 Corinthians 5:5 Anybody get the meaning of that verse?
The verse that took my attention today was, "For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God's power." 1 Corinthians 4:20
Talk is cheap. The words come easy. The doing is hard.
For those of us who like to write, the verbal finds voice effortlessly, but the follow through is often difficult.
How much of my walk is talk? I speak "Christianese" well. Immersed in this tongue since birth, the dialect is familiar. Well educated and well read, I have no problem filling in the blanks with the right answer, but it's the "fruit" that gives evidence my life is more than words.
The power of God is available to those who possess the presence of God. The presence of God always proceeds the power of God. God's power is the benefit of relationship. Am I practicing His presence?
One way to know if I am living by God's power is the degree I am experiencing hardship and opposition. My Pastor shared in a message a couple of years ago, if the enemy isn't attacking, probably nothing of God is going on in my life. When I'm moving on God's power, Satan attacks. He knows who is real in practicing His presence. When we are living in God's power, we become a threat to the prince of darkness.
Yesterday I passed up an opportunity to live by God's power. Lysa extended an invitation to her reader to join her on a crazy adventure of 37 days of kindness. My response came quickly. Words do that. But, I discovered something moments later. I want "comfortable kindness". I want to do something every day that's within a circle of ease. I mean, 'kind' doesn't have to be hard. I don't have to look outside the walls of my home to find loved ones who need to see acts of kindness.
Yesterday morning I read Lysa's invitation to 37 days of kindness. I agreed. I prayed for an opportunity. I shut down the computer and drove my son to school. On my return trip as I was almost home, I saw papers blowing all over the road. It was garbage day and obviously someones recycling bin was releasing it's contents. Then I saw a woman frantically trying to gather up the papers. My initial thought was, "pull over and help her", but as quickly as that thought came, so did the many others to counteract and convince me such an action was foolish. I pulled in the driveway moments later with an opportunity lost. As I walked into the kitchen to make breakfast the Lord brought the story of the "Good Samaritan" to my mind. I passed by. I reasoned kindness away. I didn't want to pick up garbage. It was cold out. We'd have never gathered all the papers because the wind was too strong. It would have messed my hair and I was going out for coffee with a friend shortly. It would have taken more courage than I possessed. I chose to live from my personality, not God's power.
I don't want comfortable kindness. I want the Lord to stretch me. I don't want my life to be good intentions and words. I want to live in God's power.
Humbled,
Joy
wow. i love this too.
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