Replacing Rejection With Worth...

Do you ever feel like God is speaking directly to you? As though He wants you to grasp something so badly that He continually pushes a point until you relinquish control and accept His promise? I feel as though that’s exactly how He’s been communicating with me lately… like it’s a final big push to let go of the things that I’ve been carrying around and lay them down for Him – from conversations with different people, to my devotional, His word, and yes, even today’s sermon. It humbles me that He knows my heart so completely, that He knows the things I’ve hidden away and tried to forget, and that He wants those to be offered as a sacrifice with everything else.

I’ve learned that the people we believe we can place our trust in may let us down and hurt us; That God will place the right people in your life during the seasons when you will need them the most; and that after accepting Christ, you will NEVER walk alone. I’ve learned that carrying the burden of your pain alone is not conducive to letting it go, and that tremendous relief follows after sharing your scars with someone close to you. God did not intend for us to shoulder our sin for all of eternity… He chose to take it for us that we may walk lighter, and share of His unending grace and mercy. So why do we hold onto it? Letting it go doesn’t forgive it, but it gives one the freedom to move forward and grow from the experiences, to learn how to lean into God and find shelter under his mighty wings.

Psalms 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” I can attest to the fact that He indeed heals those who are brokenhearted… when you feel as though you don’t have the strength to take another breath or go through another day, He will carry you! And as we allow Him to heal the broken places, He will begin a work in our hearts and start to build us up in Him. The words spoken that have hung like shackles around you will begin to loosen, and God’s Words will be put in place of them. Only God can change the way we think and feel… with the small stipulation that we have to let Him.

I seem to struggle with is my true worth… having the confidence to do things because it’s for Him and not for people. I have allowed others’ words hurt me, kept them buried deep inside, and allowed them to direct my path. When I want to step out and try something new, they rise up and stop me. When I sense rejection on the horizon, I believe that I’m just not good enough, or that I can’t love enough. I received so much love growing up… words of encouragement and praise. And yet the negative things I heard seem to trump the good, leaving me doubtful of my abilities and my self esteem diminished. In Jesus: 90 Days with the One and Only, Beth Moore writes, “When we accept our real value to God, we don’t have anything left to prove. We can be real because we are of great value to the only True Judge. Believing our great value to God frees us from unnecessary fear.” Could it be that it truly doesn’t matter what other people think? That God’s acceptance alone is the only thing worth striving for? I am learning that if someone really loves me, they are going to love me for who I am, not who I pretend to be. I will be received for the things that I can offer, not those I can’t, and that even if I’m not accepted by someone, I have worth and value because I belong to Him. This is a time of growth for me…. And I know that when I come out of the Refiner’s Fire, I’m going to be stronger and more confident. I’m thankful for the other paths that have crossed mine, for the special friends that I can share with, and for God’s patience while I work toward walking in real freedom. Our God is so good. My prayer is that each of us sees our true worth and value… how He sees us and not as we view ourselves. We’re priceless and precious to Him, let’s live like it!