Stripped down and filled up! Continuously shedding layers, and putting on LOVE...
Rag tag, that's me! The longer I know Jesus, the more lovely and freeing that term is to me! I am a self proclaimed nerd when it comes to fashion. To me a great summer wardrobe is 7 v-neck t-shirts in 7 different colors and one or two solid capris and a pair of flip flops! Also, I'm not much of a gourmet chef when it comes to cooking. I could eat the same thing every day for the rest of my life and be happy! Recipes take vision and desire for cooking, which I lack! And decorating?! While others love to get on Pinterest and "change-up" their home decor, I am just happy for a fresh coat of pain in a slightly different shade! I married and educator and I really don't enjoy reading books! In fact, we took one college class together when we were engaged, an easy one, and he made two letter grades higher than me. I was so embarrassed! I run slow, I don't have a green thumb, in fact I'll be lucky to keep alive the one tomato plant a friend gave to me last week! The problem comes when we compare ourselves to others, and discern that "most" people are of more value because of their colorful interests or abilities.
God has spent years stripping away my desire to measure up to others and love who He made me, rag tag and all! In fact His greatest act of love has been showing me that my "only" worth is in Him. He loves me so much that He gave His perfect record to me and took on my complete imperfection and sin on the cross. Romans 5:6-11 says,
"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
When you allow yourself to live a majority of your life feeling, "less than" for all the wrong reasons, it is a relief to learn that in relationship with Jesus we will always be "less than." That is why His love for us is so amazing! In fact, if we start to feel like we are "something" apart from Him, it is a warning sign! We were created in His image, Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
It doesn't mean we go slinking around with our head down. It means we REJOICE in the way he has crafted our being. What makes us all unique is His Divine creativity. What makes us all the same, is our desperate need for Him. When we can rest in the beauty of those two statements we are set free to love anyone and everyone with His Divine love, and pray that they might be set free to walk in relationship with the Creator and find relief in humility! When we share this freedom, we share LIFE the way Jesus does, and we give Him the glory that only He deserves.
So who are we when all is stripped away? I know that I am rag tag, and I love it that He designed me that way! He made me just the way He wanted to make me. Psalm 139 tells us that He knit us together in the womb. Ephesians chapter 1 tells us who we are no matter what our unique characteristics are! The one thing we must do is lay it all down at the cross. Then repent and take on His purity. Layer His purity over who He made you to be: loved, blessed, redeemed, accepted, adopted, forgiven, chosen! That is who we are! 1 John 3:1 says, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" When we know this, we love well.
So this self proclaimed rag tag plain Jane, has learned the most important thing. Rag tag is just the unique qualities that God has given me. He can use those qualities to set others free. It's OK to be different, excel in any or all of the things I have mentioned! You have the unique opportunity to love well in that realm! 1 John 4:17-19 says,
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us."
Lord help us to love well. Help us to live as though all the measurable differences are stripped away. Please help us to see that when we stop feeling "less than" others and only "less than God" we are in the perfect position to love with pure joy and excitement! We are then so happy that our qualities don't define our worth, they just accent the only worthy thing about us, our total acceptance by a perfect God! Help us be happy about that! Let that love be contagious in us! God may your Kingdom advance today, and may good overcome evil. Help us to reflect your glory and only yours! LET US LOVE WITH SELF-ABANDON! LET US LIVE WITH SELF-ABANDON!
In Over My Head, Jen Johnson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv3-TDdD1pM
That. is. where. "walls". come. from.
God has spent years stripping away my desire to measure up to others and love who He made me, rag tag and all! In fact His greatest act of love has been showing me that my "only" worth is in Him. He loves me so much that He gave His perfect record to me and took on my complete imperfection and sin on the cross. Romans 5:6-11 says,
"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
When you allow yourself to live a majority of your life feeling, "less than" for all the wrong reasons, it is a relief to learn that in relationship with Jesus we will always be "less than." That is why His love for us is so amazing! In fact, if we start to feel like we are "something" apart from Him, it is a warning sign! We were created in His image, Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
It doesn't mean we go slinking around with our head down. It means we REJOICE in the way he has crafted our being. What makes us all unique is His Divine creativity. What makes us all the same, is our desperate need for Him. When we can rest in the beauty of those two statements we are set free to love anyone and everyone with His Divine love, and pray that they might be set free to walk in relationship with the Creator and find relief in humility! When we share this freedom, we share LIFE the way Jesus does, and we give Him the glory that only He deserves.
So who are we when all is stripped away? I know that I am rag tag, and I love it that He designed me that way! He made me just the way He wanted to make me. Psalm 139 tells us that He knit us together in the womb. Ephesians chapter 1 tells us who we are no matter what our unique characteristics are! The one thing we must do is lay it all down at the cross. Then repent and take on His purity. Layer His purity over who He made you to be: loved, blessed, redeemed, accepted, adopted, forgiven, chosen! That is who we are! 1 John 3:1 says, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" When we know this, we love well.
So this self proclaimed rag tag plain Jane, has learned the most important thing. Rag tag is just the unique qualities that God has given me. He can use those qualities to set others free. It's OK to be different, excel in any or all of the things I have mentioned! You have the unique opportunity to love well in that realm! 1 John 4:17-19 says,
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us."
Lord help us to love well. Help us to live as though all the measurable differences are stripped away. Please help us to see that when we stop feeling "less than" others and only "less than God" we are in the perfect position to love with pure joy and excitement! We are then so happy that our qualities don't define our worth, they just accent the only worthy thing about us, our total acceptance by a perfect God! Help us be happy about that! Let that love be contagious in us! God may your Kingdom advance today, and may good overcome evil. Help us to reflect your glory and only yours! LET US LOVE WITH SELF-ABANDON! LET US LIVE WITH SELF-ABANDON!
In Over My Head, Jen Johnson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv3-TDdD1pM
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