Mirror

Shame, I don’t need you anymore!

Instead of shame there shall be a double portion;

Instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore, in their land they shall possess a double portion: they shall have everlasting joy.

Isaiah 61:7 ESV

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see what God sees?

I know what I see and I don’t like it. This is what shame says to me…. “You’re an old gray haired overweight woman.  I know what you did in your past. You are so ugly. You are not good for anything. You’re worthless and good for nothing, Who do you think you are to lead women? You are stupid.”

My shame list could go on and on! 

So, where does those thoughts come from? The father of lies – Satan.

See, he does not want us to influence anyone for Christ – not your family, friends, people in line with you at Walmart! Satan would like nothing more than to render us useless for God. He takes great joy in seeing us wallow in our shame and self-pity – totally unproductive – to keep us isolated from others and God.

How do we get through these times?

First: We need to take captive every thought! 2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ESV

Second: Tell Satan to go. Not today Satan! (Matthew 17:18 Jesus rebuked a demon) As Christ followers, we have the power to do this in Jesus’ name.

Third: Get into the truth of Whose you are. PRAY and ask God to show you who you truly are! As Christ-followers, we are His daughters, loved by the Almighty God & Father. Jesus died for us so that we can be free from sin, free from our past. And to have a relationship with God Himself through Christ. The One that truly loves us. Psalm 86:15 But You, O Lord, are a God of mercy and grace, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Four: Ask God what He wants you to learn from your pain? Notice I said, “pain”? Because shame is painful. It can be very painful to think about our past. It causes us emotional pain/hurt, depression, anxiety. God knows all about us and He still wants and yearns for us to come to Him with all of it.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalms 34:18 NIV

There are no circumstances in our lives that escape His Fatherly awareness and care. God knows us and our troubles. One of His names is EL ROI – The God Who Sees Me. “You are the God who sees me” Genesis 16:13b NIV

HE is the God that NEVER leaves us! Yahweh-Shammah – The Lord who is present. He never leaves you, nor forsakes you. He is with you forever.

Let’s get a couple of myths out of the way!

One of the most damaging statements one could say to anyone is… “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” Those words are not in the Bible. Don’t get me started on that! 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 NLT We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.

Or another myth… “We won’t have troubles in this life once you become a Christian.”

This is what the Bible says – Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  John 16:33 I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

No matter what someone else says or what you think about yourself, God sees us differently. And I’m so glad He does!

Now if I am honest, I have to say that I tend to look back at my past. Or I let the enemy fill my head with lies. BUT when I stop to realize where the voice in my head is coming from, I know I can take hold of what is Truth.  Bible says, Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus Romans 8:1a NIV

So much of life drags us down and our past can rear its ugly head. God sees you. He knows your pain, your fears and disappointments. He knows everything about you. He wants to meet you there to rid you of the pain.

But now thus says the Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

YES YOU!! He has called you by name!

He wants you to see yourself as He sees you! You need to remember WHOSE you are.

Your past nor present circumstances DO NOT define who you are!

We allow so much in this world to define us. It’s time that we let Jesus define who we are.

God sees you and you are His!

Girls, I wish I could tell you that I have it altogether, but I don’t. I’m still learning.  But here is one thing I do know…. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

Father,

Thank You for never leaving us alone and for showing us a better way. Thank You for Your love. Help us to learn to lean on and Trust You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Read Psalms 139

 

Deb Cool is passionate about Jesus and women’s ministry. She currently leads a women’s small group through her church, LCBC Waynesboro.

Deb has been married for 43 years to the love of her life, Rodney. They have awesome sons whom have beautiful wives. And they are blessed with nine amazing grandchildren.