You ARE Priceless....

Proverbs 31:25-26

²⁵ Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.
²⁶ She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

There have been so many sweet women who have reached out to me over the past couple of days. So many with stories of redemption, so many who could relate to walking in their wilderness, so many glorious testimonies. There are also those still in their pits, covered in mud looking for the rays of sunshine that would bring just a little hope to their day. Beautiful strong women that have allowed someone or something to determine their value, to assign them worth. 

The enemy has used people to come in to these precious lives, including my own, and raid our spirits till there is nothing but fragmented hearts and ferocious fears. I've mentioned it before but the vision I always see is living surrounded by fun house mirrors. Our image of ourselves is so distorted and yet God has never left our side. There is sunshine waiting and we keep turning around driving back through the storm of dysfunction in our lives. If we are not aware, we can subject ourselves to a life of mediocrity and shallow spirits allowing people or situations to dictate our worth to us. 

Just think of how powerful the word "worth" is. It establishes value. "The drive is so far to ----, it's just not worth it." "That house is worth every bit of the asking price." We judge worth daily to things, to events, to effort but how dare we put a price on our lives when Jesus came in the flesh and went to the cross for our lives to be full and reflect His glory. Are we giving Him glory when we make our lives so small because of other people? Are we really honoring Him when we allow a situation to steal our joy? Are we living into our gifts and sharing our spirit with others when we allow ourselves to be confined under someone's thumb? No. No we're not. Luke 12:6-7 tells us, "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God, Why, even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows." We are His creation. God loves us, He values us. Why do allow a mere person to influence what we should believe about ourselves?

Maybe we're in a toxic relationship and it has just taken the wind out of our sails. Maybe we have a prodigal child and we begin to believe we're terrible parents. Maybe we've gone through a divorce and we begin to believe the lie that somehow we're tainted. Maybe we feel abandoned by people so we wonder if we're worth fighting for? I really need you to see the lies behind those stories. I want nothing more than for you to be able to embrace the truth that you matter. I know so many of you personally and you all embody the Proverbs 31 woman, "Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." Believe those beautiful words friend because that is who you are. Say them to yourself as affirmations every morning till they go from your head to your heart.

 Here's the other thing if God's commands us to "love your neighbor as yourself" but we have a hard time loving ourselves, then how can we love our neighbor?  I honestly had not seen that until He showed it to me tonight. And who is our neighbor? It's each and every one of us that looks to the other to help us lift our heads when we can not. It is the friend in your community that consistently calls just to see if you're ok. Its the friend that calls because hearing your voice and encouragement is what is going to get her through the day. Just consider that, do you love yourself? Can you love yourself? Friends, if you could see what God thinks of you. How much He loves you. The plans He has for your life. I wonder if we could stop looking in the funhouse mirror and maybe catch a glimpse of our reflections of redemption. Begin walking toward that let Jesus words about who you are permeate your minds and filter into your hearts. Let His truth become your truth.