Consume me from the inside out Lord

"A glad heart makes a cheerful face" -Proverbs 15:13

A glad heart (inside) makes a cheerful face (outside).

So much of the time we believe that in order to change the inside, we must change the outside first. -ex. makeovers, plastic surgery, make-up, weight loss, hair cut/color, tan skin etc. We have been tricked into thinking that if we could fix these things on the outside that it would result in long lasting inner happiness and satisfaction. For example, we might think things like "oh if I would just loose twenty pounds, then I will have more confidence and wont struggle with the things that I do now."

The world is all about extreme makeovers home edition and people edition, what not to wear, my super sweet sixteens, beauty pageants, ALL which focus on a renovation of the outside. From the magazines on the checkout isle at the grocery store to the one liners on the beauty products, this illusion of guaranteed happiness from superficial things is all around us. Its interesting to me, because most beauty pageants advertise bringing confidence to girls of all ages through cakey makeup, tan skin, perfect teeth, slim bodies, and beautiful gowns.

The kingdom of the world says, "do all of this and it will bring you this promised confidence".

When I would see pictures of girls in beauty pageants or fashion shows I would immediately start comparing myself to them. Before long, my mind would be in the jail of insecurity utterly dissatisfied with who I was, and I would have a long mental list of all the things I could do to change who I was to become like the image or person that I saw.

We need to recognize the captive mindset that this is and look at what our Heavenly Father says about our image and confidence.

The kingdom of God says, no no. Your confidence comes from knowing who you are in me. Something that you don't have to put on, make tanner, make whiter, or hairspray on you. It's solely rooted in knowing who you are in me and walking in that identity.

May your soul be at rest knowing your identity is in Christ. Recognizing that there is nothing that you can do to make that identity worth more and nothing to make that identity worth less. Your identity rests in Him, you are His.  He holds you at the apple of eye. (Zechariah 2:8) He sees you as fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) You are made in the image after the God that spoke and light existed (Genesis 1:27).

So everyday may we choose to live in this identity, allowing the God of the universe to consume us first from the inside, so it overflows to the outside.

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. - Psalm 34:5

Be filled with My joy

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones"
-Proverbs 17:22

What kind of heart do you have as you do ministry? I was thinking about the life of Jesus and He never did ministry because "that's what the Father had on the schedule to do that day." He did it from the love he had from knowing and worshiping the Father. He did it out of gratitude.

He did it out of joy.

Likewise, I believe the same applies with us. When we go feed the homeless, care for our sick family member, serve our community, or go on a mission trip overseas, do we find joy in what we are doing or are we just doing it out of obligation or because "that's what the church had planned that day"?

God wants us to serve Him with JOY. This joy talked about in the bible is so powerful that it has the ability to strengthens us. ("the joy of the Lord is our strength"- Nehemiah 8:10). I believe one of the greatest things that I have learned about joy is that so much of the time the enemy wants to steal our joy because he knows that the joy of the Lord is our strength. The enemy wants to weaken us so he goes after our strength and attempts to cut off the source of that strength which would be our joy.

So guard your joy, for from it flows your strength. And ask yourself today, whatever you may be doing, how will I show joy?

Father, I want to be good medicine.

Waking in victory

So much of the time when I am tired I find myself asking God "God please give me the strength to go do _____". But I'm finding that God doesn't necessarily provide the strength right then and there. He waits and anticipates our action and our willingness to push through our immediate feelings right then and there. Then, once I fight against everything my flesh does not want to do and am obedient to what He is calling me to do, I then find the strength that I was asking for. Not only that, but I asked for strength and I realized He gave me victory.

The battle is real, will you choose to walk in victory?

Experiencing the nearness of God

You alone are faithful
You alone are true
You alone are life
which darkness cannot break through
You alone are savior
yes You set me free
when I'm tired and broken
it's you alone I need
my circumstances will change
and my comforts will fail me
my expectations will let me down
but your nearness is always
it's as smooth as the morning sea
yes when I'm tired and broken
it's your nearness that I need to see.