"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts become troubled or afraid." John 14:27
I've been meditating on this verse from John for many years now. When God first drew me back to himself I used to beg and plead for his peace daily. God would give it to me but I would lose it again easily as the cares and anxieties of the world set back in.
The Lord's peace... oh, how I craved this. The finger of God upon my heart always.
This is the precious gift I've longed for my entire life...this peace that surpasses all understanding. I reached for it but it kept slipping through my fingers. I could not grasp it, I leaked grace like a broken vessel. Because I was (and am) a broken vessel.
I didn't know that God especially treasures broken things. That He tossed aside his crown and came down to earth to save what was broken.
I didn't understand that He gave his peace to broken men.
God wants us to have peace during our earthly journey. When Jesus gave his peace to his disciples they were far from perfect so this peace isn't dependent on your "idea of perfection". No, this peace flows from the understanding that God loves us dearly. It's a gift to his beloved sons and daughters. He treasures each and every one of us and knows who we are and who He created us to be. In order to trust in God's picture of us, we first need to throw out all the false pictures that others have painted for us over the years. And the ones we have painted for ourselves.
Toss them out like the garbage they are.
But what if we think that others just may be correct in the way they see us?
They can't be correct because they can only see a tiny piece of who you are. Without seeing and knowing the deepest part of you they cannot have this kind of understanding of who you are.
You are not who others think you are, no one knows you but God. We become layered with other people's misconceptions of us until we cannot even see ourselves anymore. They form clouds over our hearts blocking out the full light of God's love.
Ask the Lord to reveal your true self. It may be gradual (or not), but God will show you that only His perception of you is the true one. And you are His child. Counterattack your unloving thoughts about yourself with the knowledge that He loves you. He loves you with an infinite love. Believe in this. It is total truth. Let Him love you; you were created to live in this love. This love is the firm foundation of your entire existence. Let your life flow outward from this base of love and things will run much more smoothly. We place in our path so many obstacles to receiving the clear light of the Holy Spirit and this need not be so.
Remember to treat yourself with the same mercy that God treats you with. God is incredibly merciful to us and so, we too, must treat his creation lovingly...which includes ourselves.
May the finger of God be upon you always.
O Mary, this hits me right where God has been dealing (and healing) with me for ages! "we first need to throw out all the false pictures that others have painted for us over the years. And the ones we have painted for ourselves." And yes, there's that nagging worry of "what if they're right?" Your answer to that is so spot on.
ReplyDeleteDid you ever see the Veggie Tales film "A Snoodles Tale?" It really addresses the false pictures people can impose upon us.
Thanks for a wonerful post.
'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:39.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that we find it difficult to love ourselves because of the way we see ourselves.
This is yet another excellent article Mary. Thank you.
God bless.
Hi Nancy,
ReplyDeleteI've never seen the film but the book is my all time favorite children's book. My daughter and I have read it together many times over the years and I love as much as she does. Probably more! I've always felt that it's anointed.
Hi Victor,
ReplyDeleteTrue, I think many of us don't see ourselves as God sees us and we find it difficult to love ourselves. Correcting this false idea of who we are can take a long time.
"You are not who others think you are, no one knows you but God." That is so powerful and true Mary. I need to print this up and pin it to my bulletin board :-) or perhaps I should idea as a page in the art journal I want to start making.
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing that I happened upon this spot - this article spoke volumes to me, and I thank you for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteThank you Mary.
ReplyDeleteHi Monica,
ReplyDeleteKnowing this truth not only helps correct our perception of ourselves but of others too. It helps us to understand the uniqueness of each and every person. And that's a good thing!
Hi LuAnne,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked it. Thanks for commenting!
Hi Anne,
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome :)
Great post Mary. I'll go easier on myself (for the next few minutes anyway :) )
ReplyDeleteGod Bless you.
Hi Michael,
ReplyDeleteLol! At least you're giving yourself a short break ;)
Hi Colleen,
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it!
Letting go of the ugly images of ourselves can be really difficult. I wonder why we invest so much time beating ourselves up? Is it a kind of narcissism? For sure, if I think too much about what an imperfect person I am and gaze at all the chips, cracks, and holes in my pottery, I'm not looking at Christ. But if I can rejoice in His love and mercy, I can go easier on my fellow travelers as in "Judge not lest ye be judged." Great post and thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Barb,
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point here (a few good points actually). I've often wondered the same thing. It seems to me that it IS a form of narcissism unintentional though it may be. I also think it stems from a deep confusion as to who we are - looking at ourselves without the light of Christ. We should know ourselves but not without God. I'm not sure it's even possible to know oneself without God.