Psalm 139:14 says, “I Praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” What does that mean? In the world, I find myself daily comparing myself with others. I find myself judging others whether it be because of their skills or their own physical appearance-“If I could just have that body or if I could pray like that person, etc.” I find myself getting discouraged easily and always trying to work hard on being just like the next person I see and want a quality they possess thinking that if I was like that, I would be satisfied.
Wake up Jesslyn! God created every hair on my head. He knit me in my mother’s womb and has created me so uniquely special. God desires me to just be ME! He sees me as beautiful, cleansed and lovely. If I could just realize this and believe it when fears and lies creep in my head. Thankfully, God has given us the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
Today, I am choosing to meditate and recite Psalm 139:14 every time I find myself comparing. I will praise God for creating the person that I am comparing with and also praising Him for creating me the way He did. God has given us an offensive weapon against Satan. The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. It pierces through joint and marrow, of soul and spirit and discerns the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. (Heb 4:12).
God has given each of us incredible qualities; believe it and walk in the freedom of knowing you are right where you need to be just as you are. You are loved by God alone and are created for Him and His purposes!
Post by: Jesslyn Adams
2010-03-24 16:01:13
Let’s face it, our culture and society isn’t getting more and more in line with what would please God. So I can ask myself two questions. Am I going to go with the flow and do what our culture says is “cool”? Or, am I going to swim the upstream battle and go against our culture so that I can look my heavenly Father in the eye at the end of the day and believe I put a smile on His face?
When I really think about those questions, I can easily say that I want to swim the upstream battle and please God. I would hope that most Christ-followers would choose that way of life. But, reality is, it gets hard and the pressures and temptations of life are very real. Sure, if we’ve asked Christ into our lives, His Holy Spirit lives in us, but without a group of peers that are willing to take the hard road and say, “no” to the demands of peer pressure and a “cool” life, I’m not sure we could swim the upstream battle alone. In fact, I know I couldn’t.
We need to understand the importance of surrounding ourselves with others who will “spur me on to love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24) I see Christian college freshmen every fall semester slip away from what they know is right and what pleases God, and then there is the group that continues to make the right choices. What is the mark that makes the difference? It’s who they surround themselves with on a regular basis. People need to be in community. We long for it. I had one freshman Christian sorority girl tell me once that she was going to go with whichever crowd snagged her first because she just wanted to have friends. We do need to be very intentional about who we choose to get in close community with.
What is the choice you are faced with: getting drunk with your buds on the weekends, maybe it’s buying alcohol for a minor, or looking at pornographic websites while no one is home, or going too far with your boyfriend or girlfriend physically, or wanting to cheat on a test or assignment, or you fill in the blank? We’re all faced with temptations. I’ve realized that I have to have good friends in my life that want to say, “no” with me to temptations. I’ve learned to ask friends to ask me the hard questions and I’ve learned to ask my close friends the questions no one else is asking.
As believers, we need to make a choice to go against our culture and what they are saying is acceptable. We must run things through the grid of, “What would please the Lord in this situation?” I think if we asked ourselves that question, we’d be swimming an upstream battle, but at least we’d lay our head on the pillow at night and know God was pleased. Are you willing to be the one that is standing alone in a difficult situation, but standing with the approval of Christ? After all, “We are not trying to please men but God.” 1 Thessalonians 2:4
Living for Him,
Ali Enos
Post by: Ali Enos
2010-03-01 13:49:45
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