Some say the most important relationship is interpersonal but I found that an intrapersonal relationship is much more rewarding because you can only give what you have , if you do not love yourself you cannot love others.If you do not love yourself, you cannot believe in yourself.No matter how many times you are told to if you cannot get passed the barrier of embracing self,It would be a constant struggle to believe in yourself or take on anything else.
One of the major reasons why people don't believe in themselves is because many of us have compared ourselves so much to others that when you stand in the mirror, all you see is all the comparisons made out in your head. I mean If only you were as beautiful as.....,If only you had the job of.....,If only you could sing as much as ,if only you looked a lot bit like. The funny thing about it is that sometimes we already have our own thing going or are on the verge of it but because you are so concerned about comparing ourselves with others , you cannot see it and you cannot see anything about yourself to love. You cannot hear it when God says you are made in his image and likeness and that when he created you,Yes You , he said you were Good and that's what matters. I mean there is a difference when somebody else says you are good or you are beautiful and God says You are "Good". With God it is permanent.Even though' the earth be removed the word of the Lord is forevermore".I tell you, the day you realise that you don't need to compare yourselves constantly to others, is the day you begin to look inward and spend time to discover what God had deposited inside of you. In Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.Sometimes it will require plastering it on your mirror and saying it to yourself out loud so that your mind and spirit can lay hold of it.That you are not just good, you are God's masterpiece made in his image and his likeness for good works. You are not a mistake .He does not make mistakes . You were not made to simply exist or copy. There is something unique to you that only you can give .You are a light to shine in whatever field you find yourself in.
It's Funny how writing this , I had a major flashback to my childhood days, when we teased one of my cousins of how her voice wasn't anything near Mariah Carey's voice(she really loved her)lol. I mean we did this from school till we got home. The interesting thing was she would always yell back at us that 'She didn't have to be like Mariah'. Her voice was special just the way it was. On some days, she would say this out loud with tears in her eyes and that will make us remorseful for the day then we chose another day to pick on her again. She has a pretty amazing voice and I seriously do not know why we did it(Thank God for the blood of Jesus that changed our hearts)but you know what comes to mind now.
We were young quite alright but she knew that her voice was unique and regardless of the fact that there might be other people with voices better than hers , she just knew hers was special and she was not going to let us or anybody else put her down or make her see her gift as insignificant. As long as it was given to you by God then you should not see your gift as insignificant. She was a little girl but she had come to embrace her voice ,embrace her own craft, she was not chasing anyone per say but was more interested in spending time with her gift , nurturing it and investing it as she joined her school choirs, went for competitions and mehn did she sing boldly when she had competitions.
Loving you is what brings about that self confidence that no man can give.With that self confidence comes courage to stand and face obstacles that come your way. It helps you embrace your uniqueness,love it and treasure it.The truth is, it is quite frustrating trying to be somebody else or be a copy.It is only a deprivation to the enhancement of the greatness inside of you because when you are so focused on others, you loose the time to harness, realise and build on the giftings God has placed inside of you.There comes a point in your life where you have to block out all that noise and realise that your competition should be with yourself and In order to achieve anything in your life ,you have to accept that as long as you were created by him,(the manufacturer) there is a purpose for you(product).
I heard a story of a young man who had been coming to church and was trying so hard to give up his drug dealing skills .He had told his pastor that was all he knew to do and he was not like other people with degrees or amazing skills.There was nothing particularly special about him . I love the pastors reply.He told him that selling drugs was an act that required getting the word around(marketing),ensure customers are satisfied (customer service) and managing funds.Surely that can be translated into something more positive.This man had these gifts all along but could not see them because he had spent most of the time comparing himself to others thus limiting himself.
I also came across a story which hits close to home about a young lady who had an amazing voice but It was not the same as the high soprano pitch voices of some other people in her life ,so to her, it was not sufficient and was not good enough.In spite of the fact that countless people had told her to embrace her tone because it was beautiful,she tried so hard to sound like the others.She thought her voice was ok but it just did not measure up in comparison to the others. Due to this, she was prevented from growing into her own. It was not until she came to the realisation that everyone had their nitche and it was important to embrace hers that she quit chasing the shadows.
She entered into true freedom and became thankful for her gift .Soon enough,confidence came not necessarily because of what people told her, but because she knew that God gave her that gift , it may be different but it was a gift from God and she will spend time with it,develop it and gain confidence in order to become her own.
The Final aspect which I
can totally relate to, is comparing yourself to other christians. I get looking up to people however when we look up to people , to the point that it becomes the most vital thing to us and we don't know who we are following anymore whether it is Jesus or it is the person,then there is a Problem. Have we forgetten that we are changed as we behold his face from glory to glory.
And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the word of God ] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into his very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another [for this comes} from the lord [ Who is the Spirit. - 2 Cor 3 : 18.
The truth is as long as your today is better than your yesterday then you are on the right track.Everybody cannot be at the same pace, we were not all saved on the same day,our individual relationships with God is unique and thats ok.
Being concerned with how things should be ,what people expect of you, how things are supposed to be, will only hold us back from his fullness and from living a progressive life.What you need is to" breathe". You live a real life and not an act.You are in contact with a real and progressive God who changes you from glory to Glory.You need to stop trying to the job of the Potter.Let the Potter Mould you into whom he had predestined you to be. Stop focusing on others .Turn your eyes unto him.His Spirit within you is more than sufficient to show you how to will and to do of his good pleasure.
As for you the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you.But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as the anointing is real, not counterfeit -just as it has taught you, remain in him.1 John 2:27
As long as he is Lord over our lives, he will lead us. We know what to do because we are in contact with a God that is alive.Some people have gotten so carried away with what people expect from us or trying to be like others that we don't even remember the last time we spent time with ourselves,with your thoughts or just being still.Neglecting the fact that it is in the stillness that we can be attentive to what the potter is saying .Stop looking to others concerning the path you think your life should take.
My son attend to my words: Incline Thine ear unto my sayings .Let Them Not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thine heart.For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Prov 4:20 -22
Sometimes we just need to cry out and say lord you made me and you said you have given me all that pertains to life.Father Guide me lead me, I don't want to look to anyone else but you "the Way "because it is in you that I find myself .Father I choose to be thankful for the gifts you have given me, all that I am , all that I have and for your spirit that guides me and helps me every step of the way .I choose to embrace me,embrace myself in you and choose to live each day in the freedom you have given me
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