In Christ Alone

"In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song"

It's incredibly easy to get caught up in the world. The world tells us women that our worth is found in our relationship status, job title, GPA, pant size, our clothes or are outward beauty. As a sorority mentor for years and a Bible study leader I've witnessed many girls that struggle with self-worth, a subject I personally have struggled with and I know many others have too. 

In my morning devotional (Jesus Calling) it said: 

"My children make a pastime of judging one another and themselves. But I am the only capable Judge, and I have acquitted you through My own blood. Your acquittal came at the price of My unparalleled sacrifice. That is why I am highly offended when I hear My children judge one another or indulge in self-hatred. 

If you live close to Me and absorb My Word, the Holy Spirit will guide and correct you as needed. There is no condemnation for those who belong to Me."

Luke 6:37; 2 Timothy 4:8; Titus 3:4 & Romans 8:1

What a humbling reminder that when we are so hard on ourselves, judging and picking at every little thing, it literally makes His heart ache. Someone once explained it like this once: if you were an artist and put your whole heart into a masterpiece you were so proud of and then you put it out into the art world. Then people start picking it apart ruthlessly and tirelessly. Here you have made this perfect piece of artwork and people ridicule your heart and soul. God loves us just the way we are because He made us in His image, even though that is hard for us to comprehend sometimes. 

I am the worst culprit of this myself! I am highly self-critical, nit-picky, judgmental and hard on myself. It is a daily conscious effort to choose to be loving, accepting and not so critical on yourself, an effort that takes time to consciously choose. 

Once you understand that your worth is not tied up in your job, your boyfriend, your behavior, the friends you choose to hang out with, your number on the scale, or your clothes, you become free in Christ. Your worth is greater than gold, more precious than the finest jewels, and more lovely than you understand. Your worth is found in Christ.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

Who You Are

These words are not my own. They are a transcript of the truth; the truth that is sometimes impossible to believe. This video was posted on Facebook tonight and I opened it. These words are not my own. These words are His words, spoken into broken hearts, tired minds, strained and desperate souls. These are His words.

You are beautiful. You are smart. You are funny. You are kind. You are unique. You are worthy of love and affection. You are never too much, and you are always enough. You are precious. You are a diamond, a rose, a pearl, the most stunning of all God's creation. You are worth more than you could ever imagine. More than numbers on a scale or the hair products you use or the shoes that you wear. More than how many girls wish they were you or the number of guys who wish they had you. More than the price tags on your clothes or the percentage at the top of your math test or even the number of followers you have on Twitter. Your worth surpasses all earthly things because in the eyes of the Lord God you are loved, and you are worth dying for. 

Regardless of who you think you are, whether you model in a magazine or you model pottery with grandma, whether you're on the hot list or the not list, whether you're a head cheerleader or a high school drop out. Whether you're miss popular or you've never had anyone you can call a friend. Whether you love yourself and love your life or you can't stand to look in the mirror and you feel as if everything in your life is falling apart. Whether you're such a winner or you feel like the worlds biggest failure...regardless of who you think you are, the reality is YOU DESERVE someone who would give up their life for you, because you are powerful, strong, capable. Read about the women in the Bible: Esther, Ruth, Martha, Mary; these women changed the world FOREVER. And inside of you, each and every one of you is a woman with that same power, that same strength, and that same world changing capability. Your responsibility is to find that woman and to set that woman FREE. This is WHO YOU ARE. Any voices in your mind that try to tell you otherwise is from the enemy. So the next time you hear these voices, you say "No, not me Satan. I am a daughter of the living God: cherished, loved, adored, above all things, by the Creator of all things, for the glory of Him, who is greater than all things. I AM AWESOME.

God has such incredible ways to speak to us. Please check out the Anima Series on Youtube.

DISCLAIMER: This is a transcript of his video, not my own words but spoken into my heart.