God tells us our value to Him is in being, not doing. Your identity is not predicated on your performance, but in who you are in Christ.
But that’s not what the world would have us believe, is it? Here is what God is offering, if we stop chasing the world’s approval long enough to hear Him.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10
Jesus wasn’t referring to a life of too-busy, too-anxious, or too-guilty. Living with the SuperGal Syndrome isn’t living the life Jesus died to give us—it’s merely surviving.
The world likes to show us things that keep us lost in illusions and lies—things that appear to be good but are contrary to God’s Word. Look behind the curtain of those pretty lies and you’ll find Satan producing the smoke and mirrors.
If you haven’t discovered this already, you soon will: What the world tells us, and this includes media outlets, Facebook and Twitter, and non-believing friends and family, and our politically-correct society usually won’t line up with Scripture! We are responsible to know the difference!
But how can we possibly know the Truth when all we hear and see is the world’s version of our story? We have to know, for ourselves, what God is telling us.
“Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.” 1 John 2:15-17
We have to demonstrate our trust that God can change our feelings of impatience by acting as though He already has! We don’t have to feel patient to act patiently.
“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Do not be quick in spirit to be angry or vexed, for anger and vexation lodge in the bosom of fools.” ~ Ecclesiastes 7:8-9 (Amp)
Trust God for today TODAY and for tomorrow TOMORROW. Study His promises, and believe that God never breaks His promises.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 (NIV)
Shout your praise to God for His promises right now! Then wait for the walls to fall.
“And the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. ~ Joshua 6:16
I love waking in the morning anticipating a sweet, special time communing with the Lord. The soul-quietness and peace that await me.
As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You.] ~ Psalm 17:15
3) And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasure. 10) Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.
James 4: 3, 10 (Good News)
Somewhere along the way to serving God, I started to snatch bits of glory for myself. I let E.G.O. (Edging God Out) get in my way. Watch carefully your motivation when you claim to serve the Lord, and give God all the glory!
Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Proverbs 3: 5-6 (AMP)
“What’s wrong with me? Why do I feel pressed for time every single moment of my life? I can’t possibly be that much busier than everyone else!” I asked, so God answered. Thankfully, I heard His answer. “It’s not your list of chores. It’s you, and your need to control everything. The day. The future. Instead of trusting Me for your day.”
There. I’d forgotten again. I’d forgotten to have simple faith and just trust God. Forgotten that God was more than capable of empowering me to live each day joyfully.
That I needed to ask Him what to do that day. Every day.
Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass. Psalm 37:5 (AMP)
How much time and effort do you spend trying to control situations in your life, only to end up frustrated?
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~ Romans 12:2 (NIV)
. . .let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us. ~ Hebrews 12:1 (The Amplified Bible)
But how exactly do we do that? Ask God.
Ask God to remove your chains. To show you all the SuperGal areas of your life where your links grow ever longer. God is waiting to lift these heavy burdens from your shoulders.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ~Ephesians 6:10-1113 (NIV)
So how to weather these storms? What to do? I stand firm. Resolute. I remember that I need not fear Satan and his slimy schemes if I am wearing the armor of God.
I remember that God is well more than capable of calming my storms. And yours. I remember He already has the sunshine waiting in the wings behind these clouds.
So every ten minutes this day I will remind myself—out loud—that today my feelings are not fact. Today I will not fear. Today I will trust. And stand firm.
