Sunday Inspiration: Remember

Why Google Makes Me Feel Bad About Myself

Every morning without fail, my Google calendar feels the need to send me an email.  Just to let me know that I have no appointments planned that day.

Every.  Single.  Day. As if it's important to let me know I have no plans again that day.

Sometimes I get to the point where I feel as if it's mocking me.

"Hey... just in case your forgot.  You got nothing going on today.  No where to go.  Nothing to do.  No friends to have lunch with or meet for coffee.  No book club or crochet group. No woman's Bible Study to attend.  Nope. Nothing at all.  Again.  Just so you know..."

I'm not writing this because I want you to feel sorry for me.  It's not as if I look at my email every morning and feel bad about the lack of items on my calendar.  Most days I delete the email and don't think twice about it.  

But - if I'm being honest here - there are days it rubs me the wrong way.  You know those kind of days.  The ones when I'm all hormonal, or tired, or just feeling a little down on myself.  On those days Google calendar makes me feel bad about myself.

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

Fear and Insecurity

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~ Joshua 1:9

 Is insecurity, fear, and self-doubt its own form of sin?

When we believe we aren't _____ enough for whatever is placed before us to do - we are doubting God's wisdom and His power.

We are essentially saying to Him:

"You are not enough."

"You have made a mistake"

"You are wrong"

"You might let me down"

It's time to let go of the fear.  Let go of the insecurities.  Let go of the self-doubt.

Turn to God's truth when thoughts full of fear and insecurity come creeping in.

He promises that His grace is enough.  (2 Corinthians 12:9)

He promises that He has plans to prosper us.  To give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)

He promises to complete a good work in us (Philippians 1:6)

He promises that He created each of us to do the work He prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10)

He promises that He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Take your courage from the Lord.  Trust Him.

 You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

Treasures in Darkness

"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." ~ Isaiah 45:3

photo credit: www.nasa.gov

In the struggles, the difficulty, the hard times, the trials, the pain, the loneliness, the moments of self doubt and self deprecation - even there.  The places we might never think to look for it. The secret places.

Even in the darkest places God has treasure for us.

Buried somewhere in that darkness are nuggets of truth and wisdom. Lessons to be learned.  Leading us to where he stands calling our name and waiting to shower us with the riches of His love and peace.

This gives us a choice.  In our darkest moments.  We can lose ourselves to the darkness... or we can listen for His voice calling our name and seek the treasures.

Outside My Comfort Zone

Insecurity.

Self doubt.

I don't like to fail.  You could probably say I have a "fear of failure".  In fact, I try to avoid it when ever possible.  To the point that if I think I might fail at something, I either a) give it up quickly or b) never try to begin with.

I have thought "Oh, I could never do that!" about so many things in my life.

Staying safely tucked into my comfort zone.  Making excuses.

"I could never do that!" 

But scripture tells us: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" ~ Philippians 4:13

What's the old saying?  About how if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it?

If God calls me to do something - I can do it!  He gives me the strength of Christ to help me through anything he sets before me. 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose. ~ Romans 8:28

God never sets us up for failure!  I need to stop doubting myself.  And start trusting God.

Reading the Labels

Labels.  I keep reading about labels.  Labels we put on other people.  Labels we put on ourselves.

First it was Lysa TerKeurst's new book Unglued reminding me that labels can "imprison us in categories that are hard to escape".   This morning it was Upward Not Inward talking about the self inflicted labels and how "they are hard to ignore because deep down you know they are true, at least partially".  Even my recent post  Measuring Up deals indirectly with labels - comparing those we place on someone else with those we've put to ourselves and feeling as if we come up short.

Don't kid yourself.  That old childhood chant about sticks and stones breaking bones, it's wrong.  Words can hurt.  They can leave marks that last days, years, or even a lifetime.

Worthless.

That's the very worst of the worst.  It's the one we most often place on ourselves.  Because, in the end, that's where so many of the other labels are headed.

When we tell ourselves:

I'm stupid.

I'm ugly.

I'm a mess.

I'm a push over.

I'm disorganized.

I'm a bad mother.

I'm always late.

I'm a hypocrite.

I'm lonely.

I'm an addict.

I'm a nerd.

I'm no good at (fill in the blank)

.. at some point those thoughts are likely to arrive at "worthless". 

Even though God tells us over and over again in His word how valuable we are! As Lysa says in Unglued: "Those labels start out as little threads of self-dissatisfaction but ultimately weave together into a straitjacket of self-condemnation."

Even though God tells us over and over again in His word how valuable we are!  Scripture tells us that we are His workmanship, his masterpieces.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~ Ephesians 2:10

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

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. ~ Luke 12: 6-7

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us ~ Romans 5:8

Did you catch that? 

Wonderfully made.  With a purpose.  Loved.  Full of worth!

Now, how do you like those labels?

Measuring Up

We've probably all played the game in our heads at one time, in one form or another. 

The pre-game starts like this:

You come rushing into whatever meeting/volunteering/bible study/ playgroup/etc at the last moment.  Or even a few minutes late.  You feel flustered.  Frazzled.  Discombobulated.  You hope you have everything you were supposed to bring with you.  And that you don't have a big coffee stain on your shirt and that the shoes you slipped your feet into on the way out the door actually are a matched pair.

There "She" sits.   Hair perfectly styled.  Makeup complete.  A cute outfit on her tiny little body.  Adorable child, wearing perfectly matched clothing without a spot of dirt.  They are both smiling and giggling over something. 

And we have kick off ... The Measuring Up Game. 

"She" doesn't even realize she's taking part in this mental game of yours.  But in your head she has become the opposing team and the competition is tough inside that brain of yours.   The internal monologue goes something like this:

How does she do it?  I could never be that perfect.  Never.  She must get up at midnight to start getting herself and all those perfect kids ready.  Maybe she doesn't sleep at all.  I need my sleep.  I couldn't get up any earlier than I already do.  How does she manage it?  Maybe she's on some crazy diet pills that keep her awake at night and give her all that energy. That would explain it.  That would also explain how she stays so skinny.  I could never be that skinny.  She had 3 kids?  I only had 2 and look at how out of shape and disgusting I am.

As you try to suck in your stomach all the way to your spine, and ponder joining Weight Watchers or Curves - you over hear her telling a story about how "just as I finished cooking breakfast and was washing up the dishes, he came in and said the funniest thing..."  Feeling guilty as you consider the coffee and cold cereal your own husband and kids had for breakfast, the voice in you head continues...

Yeh... I can never be that good.  Never have.  Never will.  Why can't I be more like her?  What is wrong with me?  My kids deserve better than cold cereal or frozen waffles.  I'll bet her house is clean also.  Spotless.  My house is a mess.  It's so embarrassing.  I'm a terrible housekeeper. 

And on it goes.  Feeling more and more worthless as the game continues.  Maybe it's not that perfect mom you compare yourself with.  Maybe it's a woman at the office. Maybe it's your neighbor.  Maybe it's your sister.  But I can make a good guess that at some point in time, some woman has come along who had you playing the Measuring Up Game.  Beating yourself up for not being like someone else.  Comparing yourself. 

That's the thing about the Measuring Up game.  You're really playing against yourself.  And you can never win.