The Messiness of Me

Today the online Bible Study I am participating in ("Limitless Life" on Proverbs31.org - check it out!) presented the question:  Do you believe you are God's masterpiece?  Do you take Him at His word? That he can take any messy life and use it to make a masterpiece?

My knee-jerk, Jesus-girl response was "YES, of COURSE I believe that!" I mean... He's GOD!  He's is big enough and powerful enough to do anything.  Right?  Right! 

But the answer didn't stop there...

Because of course it can never be that simple with me.  Can it?

I kept turning the question over and over in my mind.  Really letting it soak in for a few minutes.  Minutes when I got real honest with myself.

My heart tells me that God can take any mess and turn it into a message.  That we are all His masterpieces and He can accomplish anything using us that He plans.  I know that to be truth.

But my head... oh, that pesky, pesky head.  It just had to jump into the think process.  You know, like it tends to do.  It reminded me of all the times messiness has resulted from choices and decisions I have made.  What a mess I have been - and still am.  Of all the times I have tripped myself up trying to go my own way instead of following in God's Will.  And asking me if I really think I can ever just let go and let God lead.

And that was the place where my heart and my head fell into agreement.  A compromise of sorts.  An understanding. 

Do I believe God can use even the messy parts of my life to build a masterpiece?

YES! I really really do.  IF... I can get out of His way and let Him do His work in me.

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Enough!

I'm a quitter.

I've quit a large percentage of things I have started during my lifetime so far.  From dance classes to hobbies to college - I've quit.

And then there's the even longer list of things I never even started.

Why? Why quit?

I start off strong. Full of hope and determination.

Then the doubt creeps in.  The worry.  The need for approval and it's twin the fear of rejection. That little voice in the back of my head telling my I'm not good/smart/talented/pretty/educated/qualified/brave enough.  Whispering that I don't have enough time.  Or energy.  Maybe even making me believe I'm not needed or wanted.

(Perhaps you recognize yourself in me?)

The time has come to stop listening to the doubt and fear.  Start listening to the Truth.

The Truth reminds me that God made me enough! I am:

• Good enough         
• Smart enough         
• Talented enough     
• Strong enough        
• Courageous enough

To complete anything He wants me to do! 

I just have to say "Yes God - whatever you want" and stick with it. 

I think I just came pretty close to havng me a 'Stuart Smalley' moment there.  Anyone else remember him from old Saturday Night Live skits?

Living It

God has been showing me a lot about trusting Him lately.  Telling me to keep my eyes, and my heart, on Him and walk the path He sets before me.  To read and hear His word and act upon it.

That's really the tricky part, isn't it?  Acting on it.

Living it out in complete faith.

To walk in faith and love every step.  To fill your life with praise and worship even when the going gets tough. 

It's easy to read the Bible and various daily devotionals and feel inspired for those few minutes and maybe a short while after. But God isn't after a few minutes.  He's after every minute.  Every hour.  Every day of my life.

How do I let it become part of my very being?  How do I live so that every word I say and every deed I act reflects His love, faithfulness and grace back to the world?  To completely let go and trust in the Lord and His plan for me?

Join the Yes Girls

Through my daily Bible reading and devotionals the topic of obedience to God, as well as finding and following God's purpose for me, keeps coming up over and over again. 

Because of this, I have chosen to follow the Proverbs 31 online bible study based on the book "What Happens When Women Say Yes to God" by Lysa TerKeurst.  I recently read this book on my own and loved the things I learned about myself and my relationship with God in its pages.

Now I am looking forward to getting deeper into it (along with almost 22,000 other women from 120 countries!)

According to the Proverbs 31 Ministries website, through this online Bible study you will learn to:

• listen for His voice and discern what He is asking you
• see how wholehearted obedience honors His presence in your life
• give yourself to Him and let Him affect lives around you in amazing ways

If you are ready to say "YES" to God, I invite you to join me in this online Bible study.  It's completely free to sign up here: http://proverbs31.org/online-bible-studies/.  

All you need is a copy of the book, a notebook/journal, a pen (or two, or ten - if you're like me!), and a willing heart and mind.  This bible study is flexible to fit into your schedule! 

I'm saying "Yes"... won't you?