Mind-set
An excerpt from Sandra’s book, Smile at the Future – Defy Your Eating Disorder and Discover Your True Design
Have you ever felt like God’s will and your will are at odds with each other?
Anyone who walks with God can doubt whether they’re on the same page as God. When you have an eating disorder, it goes deeper than a doubt as to if you’re on the same page with God. It’s a fact that the concern for food, weight, and appearance is different from God’s concern to make every person whole on the inside through reconciliation to Himself through His Son.
When there’s a resistance in us toward what God’s focus is, there is an invitation to lean in and be curious about what dictates our desires.
It could be that our will has become dictated and pushed down in the name of what our abusive boyfriend wants, what our parents want or even in the name of what we think God and our church wants.
We can listen to so many voices that claim what the right thing to do is, that we suddenly forget to listen to the still small voice within.
When we neglect listening to God and the desires that He has put within us, we can end up in two ditches described in the parable of the two sons. Let’s look at their different answers to the father about working in the vineyard. The father is a representation of God and the vineyard is a representation of the Kingdom of God:
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Matthew 21:28-31 NIV
On the surface, the answer of the son who says yes to his dad seems more appropriate, right? Later in the parable, we find out he ends up not doing what’s asked of him. What he’s actually full of on the inside ends up manifesting. The will to follow through on his yes ran out because it was not a wholehearted yes from the beginning. He might have said yes because of fear of conflict, people pleasing or a sense of obligation. What’s revealed nonetheless is his inner no.
As Ignatius puts it: Everything the soul does not want is temporary.
In other words, it doesn’t work to fake it. Eventually, your real opinion will come out in your attitude.
Both of the sons are divided in their responses. Their underlying responses end up leading them.
The parable ends by concluding that our Heavenly Father would rather have a no from us than a yes if that’s where we’re at. If we cannot honestly and wholeheartedly tell him yes, that’s okay. He would rather take us on a process than force, demand, expect or assume a yes from us.
Does this take the pressure off in your relationship with Jesus? I know it did for me. He wants me to be His daughter, not His slave. His companion, not His ally.
Imagine a relationship with someone in which your will is strangled and it’s only one of you who gets your will and your way. That wouldn’t be a flourishing relationship, right? But sometimes we think that is what God wants concerning an eating disorder—that He wants to strangle our will and make it a slave to His.
Rather, the parable shows us that God wants wholeheartedness. He is not afraid of our will being in process to gain an undivided heart towards Him (see Ezekiel 11:19 NIV).
He wants me to be His daughter, not His slave
An undivided heart is the goal. Jesus asks simple questions in the process: “Where do you live? Where are you? What do you want?” (see Mark 10:51; John 1:38). He is interested in what you want! He wants to locate you before He lifts you higher.
I believe that honest reflection is a great place to start. “Why do I will and want this? Why do I not want this?” If we discover through listening to our will that all we want is for the sake of being comfortable, we have to be willing to press through the resistance. We need to go from seeking comfort to being challenged: “[…]but to those who insist on getting their own way and take the path of least resistance, Fire!” (Romans 2:5-8 MSG).
In terms of an eating disorder, our preferred way would be instant deliverance from it. That’s the path of least resistance. However, God’s way is oftentimes to take us through. So many things get weeded out in the process so not only our healing and freedom is secured, but our character is strengthened also.
I’m thankful for Kingdom convictions, which beckon me to live life differently. Courageously. To not shy away from the hard and to press through resistance to get to wholeheartedness. As we labor to find out and develop what our convictions are, life becomes a bit easier to navigate when each decision has a foundation.
As I mature, we (the Lord and I) hear each other out. “Lord, what do you want my next step to be?”
As we stay in His Word, His Word will penetrate us, and our yes to Him can grow into a likewise big yes back to God and His will. Rather than pursuing our will, we surrender to His. Instead of trying to fill our lives with all that we want, we empty our lives to make a difference in the lives of others.
In conclusion, be in contact with your will. Listen to what you will in life. Be okay with your yes or your no being in a process. Be assured that God’s love will not fail you. His love holds the final victory in Jesus.
Put this into practice
If you’re not in contact with your will, I want to help you unlock it:
Firstly, think about an area in your life where you sense a tension where you’re unsure if it’s your desire and/or God’s will. As you think about that area of tension, listen to your body’s signals. Your emotions are connected to your body! That means that your body will tell you the truth about what’s happening in your emotions. Does your body feel tired, tense or energetic when thinking about that scenario you’re turning over in your mind? I encourage you to write out your answers to the following questions:
- How do I look at God?
- How does God look at me?
- What awakes deep joy within me?
- What awakes my resistance?
- Why don’t I want it? (the area you’re thinking about)
Endless energy
Endless energy, boundless strength (Ephesians 1:15 MSG) Doesn't that sound attractive, appealing and plain amazing?
Well, endless energy is not normally the first thing that comes to mind when describing a new mum as I am. Quite the contrary, sleep deprivation is often worn as a badge of honour!
Nevertheless, endless energy was what my husband recently spoke over me to describe what he believed God would do for me in this season. Clearly he possesses the spiritual gift of faith 😜 (he actually does) and I do want to claim that word 🙋♀️Anyone else?
Energy is defined as 'the capacity for doing work' and it's God-given:
"It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it!" 1 Corinthians 15:10 MSG.
We've all been given a portion of energy to steward and we're promised that "...your strength will equal your days" Deuteronomy 33:25 NIV.
Our spiritual, emotional and physical energy levels are affected by how we steward it. When we spiritually keep ourselves ablaze, emotionally guard our hearts and renew our minds, and physically choose well regarding diet and exercise, we reap energy. Our energy is also positively affected by passion for what we do and can be negatively affected by mental or physical illness.
I 'm not naturally an energetic person. Part of me is eager, ready for anything in God; but another part is as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire, as Eugene Peterson paraphrases Mark 14:37 in the Message Translation.
Therefore, it encourages me that any believer can be energised for good works by the power of the Holy Spirit:
"Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure" Philippians 2:12 MSG.
Imagine one believer living like this, and then imagine a body of believers living an energetic life of salvation. The passionate energy of the church can make hell run out of breath! ( like it says in Matth 16,18 MSG"... a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.")
We can be like Stephen who "... brimming with God's grace and energy, was doing wonderful things among the people, unmistakable signs that God was among them" Acts 6:8 MSG.
We can be like Jesus who felt energy discharging from him when people came to him for healing and restoration (Mark 5:30 MSG).
We can spend our energy to get along and encourage one other as the apostle Paul encourages us to (Romans 14:19 MSG).
Practically, we can choose to fill ourselves with His living Word which will fuel us: "For we have the living Word of God, which is full of energy" Hebrews 4:12 MSG.
Are you ready for a Winter full of endless energy?
Then I pray that God will make you fit for what he's called you to be, and that He'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so it all amounts to something (2 Thessalonians 1:11 MSG).
Endless energy, boundless strength (Ephesians 1:15 MSG) is your portion in Jesus' name.
Picture by Sophie Vestergård.
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Accepted
I believe 2020 has the potential to be the year you’ll internally hear and believe that you’re ACCEPTED instead of rejected! 🙋🏼♀️
“Accepted” will be the soundtrack you walk to. Roots of rejection will be uprooted as you, by faith, receive the grace to walk free from people bondage and past wounds and into your identity in Jesus of being fully accepted - enfolded into the family of God:
“And you did not receive the “spirit of religious duty,” leading you back into the fear of never being good enough. But you have received the “Spirit of full acceptance,” enfolding you into the family of God” Romans 8:14-15 TPT.
To accept means to give consent, say yes to, approve of and to welcome.
How powerful to accept (give consent to, say yes to, approve of and welcome) the Holy Spirit’s stamp on you, His life in you, His breath in you. ✨
When you know you’re accepted, you can give consent to make God stretch you beyond what you’ve currently seen without looking to the left or right for approval of your every move. When you know you’re accepted, you can say yes to who you’ve been created to be.
When you know you’re accepted, you can approve of the gifts you’ve been given and not reject or neglect using them anymore.
When you know you’re accepted, you can welcome rather than abandon yourself - that is the redeemed, renewed self. The self which Christ shines through.
Christ in you is the hope of glory. We share in Jesus’ glory. What a grace and what a mystery. What an ACCEPTANCE.
So - welcome how Christ in you is expressed... Your personality, your gifts, your abilities, your quirks.
Challenge accepted? (no pun intended)
I know I want to receive this by faith and apply and align myself accordingly 🤗
Whether you’re carrying perceived rejection, internal self-rejection with a harsh inner critic or experienced an actual rejection in a relationship, from a job, a certain group etc., know that you can apply the Word of God to your mind. 📖
With the mind of Christ, you’ll believe you’re accepted even while being rejected on the outside.
As you accept the gift of you, you can give of yourself to others rather than neglect, abuse, despise and discard what you have to offer. ❤️
We’re accepted - in Jesus’ name. ✨
Picture by Sophie Vestergård (Instagram-handle: @sophvest)
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The road of revelation
“You are the revelation-light in my darkness, and in your brightness I can see the path ahead” Psalm 18:28 TPT.
Financial revival is in the air. That’s what my senior pastor Brian Houston has declared over the Hillsong congregation for the year of 2019.
Revival happens corporately when individuals personally experience revival.
Some synonyms of revival are advancement, comeback, improvement, upswing, restoration and resurrection!
Yes and amen. I want in on that.
The godly outcome of financial revival for believers is that it enables the church body to take care of their own families, share with their faith community, invest in good noble causes, leave an inheritance to the next generation and be generous - a blessing to the world.
Any prophetic word needs our partnership and decree to see it become our own personal reality.
For me, this word seems timely and strategic; right on point with what God is already up to in my life. It’s an echo of a voice already heard and a process already started. It rings true. Confirms and reassures. And how important to weigh a word like that. Against THE Word and your own Rhema words that are highlighted and quickened in your spirit for the season you’re in and about to step into by faith.
Let me testify to what practical partnership with a word of God can look like.
I am not naturally great with numbers nor money. I have to work at being wise and knowledgeable to steward well what God each month entrusts me to steward.
I’ve had to debunk some false beliefs around finances. One of them being that it’s selfish to take care of myself and my household. The great focus on giving in churches had me swing on the extreme pendulum of giving what I didn’t have for years! I gave out of weakness, not strength. The result was debt.
Even though the bible never calls debt a sin-issue, it is never mentioned in a positive light as the higher road, the wisdom way, either. It talks about it crippling and enslaving me though culture calls debt natural and necessary. Culture sells consumer debt as attractive to keep up with the Joneses so you can own a house, new furniture and a car at 30. But who says that’s where you need to be at? After all, mere appearances are not what we’re called to aim after. Nor to live similar lives. Rather, solid foundations and depth (not debt) manifesting from the inside out is how the upside down kingdom works. Integrity matters. Not what you have, when you have it or what it looks like to others.
Side note is, your debt spiritually speaking is paid for in full so no condemnation here if you have debt! Also, there are good and bad debt. There’s so much to say on this and nuances too I won’t go into here.
The point is, I needed a revelation of how a poverty mindset made me live in lack and neglect of my what was within my own yard to garden. I needed revelation-light to shine on the unhealthy parts of my heart that looked down on those not sacrificing in the way I did. I needed excuses to stop and false beliefs to be broken. I needed to believe I could get victory in this area. Maybe you need that too?
As my need for revelation in this area was revealed, I began to search for it and have hope that even though I’m neither a practical, detailed or math-wired person, I can learn to practically outwork the financial counsel of the bible in my life.
It’s not there to frustrate me but to free me.
As the counsel of the word and gifted people in the area of biblical finances began to guide me, divine design is beginning to protect me as the scripture below promises:
“If you choose to follow good counsel, divine design will watch over you and understanding will protect you from making poor choices” Proverbs 2:11 TPT.
A budget now makes me stay on track. Where guilt abounded with my nice-to-have spending, enjoyment now resides because nice-to-haves are planned for.
I’m aware of the temptations to rationalise emotional spending. There’s room for being spoiled once in a while but I don’t let it ruin the whole picture of the direction I’m going in my budget and ultimately what that finance empower me to do in life.
Living below my means does mean that my life no longer looks like I am somewhere in life I am not. I can no longer support all the causes I did beforehand. I live in a cheaper apartment and I go on holidays only if I can afford it.
Because I now have a long-term vision for what I want to spend my money on, I can better welcome sacrifice in my present.
Telling my money where to go is intentional, creates freedom and builds into my long term goals and dreams.
Life in the faith lane is beautiful. There are never-ending layers of revelation to tap into. Each layer gives new light to walk out life with wisdom.
“The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together” Psalm 19:7 MSG.
So, revival is in the air.
Where do you need to AWAKE to new revelation?
If it’s in the area of finances as it was for me, I declare and decree blessing over you that’ll cause ripple effects of momentum for the body of Christ all over. When Jesus’ body on the earth is strengthened financially, it can’t help but cause His light to shine brighter. As we lend our strength through our open hands, we’re reaching those who are still walking in darkness.
Let’s pray with King David… “Teach me how to make good decisions, and give me revelation-light, for I believe in your commands” Psalm 119:68 TPT.
Also, how good is mercy? We get what we don't deserve. As you start walking in your new revelation and abandon your old ways, I believe God declares over your former:
"Her debt of sin is paid for, and she will not be treated as guilty. Prophesy to her that she has received from the hand of Yahweh twice as many blessings as all her sins" Isaiah 40:2 TPT.
Let it be your portion. Bless you.
Picture by Sophie Vestergård (Instagram-handle: @sophvest)
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No doubt about it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv_8e8fSMNg
To watch the message, click above⬆
To read the message, continue below ⬇
Have you ever entertained doubt in your mind? Doubt about the future, doubt about your abilities (self-doubt), doubt about your relationships, doubt about your direction? Doubt can show up everywhere and it can be debilitating.
Doubt comes up for me, especially in waiting seasons. Big dreams and vision are awesome and without them, we perish. But in the in-between-space of dream becoming reality, our minds can easily spin into, 'Did God really say?', 'How will this come about?' and 'Have I missed anything since it has not happened yet?'
Rarely will these kind of questions do our heart any good. We'll start reason our way into a downward spiral, jumping to conclusions on how our future will become reality and we'll afflict our life with self-doubt about the seeming gaps in our lives.
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I think Jesus wants to ask some of us: "Faint-heart, what got into you?" Jesus asked this question to Peter as he started to doubt and sink down into the water he just so bravely walked out on to follow Jesus.
So sweet, amazing faint-of-heart-you, what got into you?
No matter what kind of doubt has taken hold of you, it's a gift for us that the topic of doubt is covered many times in the bible!
Let's look on three keys that can help us combat doubt when it starts to damage our day:
1. Simple trust
In this story below, Jesus is appearing for the first time to the disciples after His resurrection. Despite the disciples' doubt, Jesus had been true to His word. He was teaching them simple trust:
"While they were saying all this, Jesus appeared to them and said, “Peace be with you.” They thought they were seeing a ghost and were scared half to death. He continued with them, “Don’t be upset, and don’t let all these doubting questions take over. Look at my hands; look at my feet—it’s really me. Touch me. Look me over from head to toe (Luke 24).
When doubt arises, instead of acting on our doubt, let's wait and watch how God will come through. We might not see the bigger picture right now, but that's where we got to trust God's timing. A delay does not mean denial. Mark 9 tells us that there are no ‘ifs’ among believers. Anything can happen. Therefore, watch in expectation what He will do.
Wait and watch for God - with God's arrival comes love, with God's arrival comes generous redemption. No doubt about it - He'll redeem you, He has bought you back from captivity to sin. (See Psalm 130:7)
3. Ask for help
Let the walls fall
Have you ever thought you were smart, later to find out what you have done has been silly and had the total opposite effect of what you actually pursued? I've tried this many times when it comes to creative processes. When I embark to paint something (which rarely happens), this is my experience. I'm thinking what I'm up to will turn out exactly as I envisions in my mind, and because of using the wrong painting tools and not having the regular practise, it ends up looking silly in comparison to what I pursued!
I think this goes for our hearts too sometimes. It's my heart experience at least. 🙋
For years, my heart was surrounded by thick walls built of destructive bricks. Bricks of insecurity, self hatred, control, perfectionism, people pleasing, unforgiveness, bitterness, and that's even only to name a few.
Sin, like these bricks are, always promises us satisfaction and safety, but ends up stealing from us. I thought each brick would build a wall of protection from getting hurt, but instead I built a destructive prison of isolation. What I envisioned would be good for my heart turned out to be silly, even traumatic. Just like my painting efforts.
My heart result was a numb, masked and superficial life filled with addiction. A life lived in denial about the real condition of my heart. I would pretend to be completely fine while I was dying from the inside; isolated in the shame of wrong thoughts which led to lots of negative emotions! Thank God our heart is not static but is ever shaped into His likeness.
So, how do we let the walls fall? How do we let light in?
My experience is we allow ourselves to feel it to heal it, we let Christ take over and be strong for us, and we bring others with us - holding the torch lighting the way for them to be set free as well! ⬇️⬇️
- Allow yourself to feel it to heal it
An important step in my healing process was to allow myself to feel again after years of suppressing my emotions. For a season I would write to my mentor every day and simply put into words how I was feeling.
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It was an exercise in being aware. Waking up. Not faking it for myself or others anymore. Coming out of denial. I began to express instead of living to impress.
It was a tough and humbling process to acknowledge my own weakness and not pretend to be strong when I was actually hurt. Daring to ask for help. Smashing pride in the face. Receiving grace. Letting the walls fall.
My mess was met with love and no sense of condemnation. It was so incredibly healing to realize that emotions are not a curse. They are gifts that make life colourful.
As I submitted my emotions to the authority of the wonderful word of God, the great exchange happened. An exchange of what was momentarily true about me for that which is the ultimate, forever truth about who I am in Him! He lowered my walls brick by brick so I could receive His steadfast love that melts lies away.
2. Let Christ take over and be strong for you!
As my walls came down, I began to come in contact with my own fragility and weakness, which is rarely a fun experience for anyone! It’s humbling for sure! But, I keep practising to just let Christ take over. And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. (2 Corinthians 12:10 MSG)
What a crazy thought! The weaker we get, the stronger we become. This kingdom we are part of is truly upside down!
That’s why we especially as leaders as well need to lead upside down. I once heard someone say: “Before I trust you as a leader, show me your scars.”
How profound. Jesus, our perfect leader, modeled this when He showed his scars to Thomas after His death and resurrection.
When Jesus let Thomas touch His scars, doubt was turned into belief. Jesus showed that His leadership was trustworthy because He could sympathise with humanity. He knew pain. He knew humiliation. He knew weakness. And conquered it all!
May we be people who dare to do show others our scars so that Jesus’ strength can shine forth and be revealed in our human weakness.
3. Bring others with you - hold the torch!
We cannot take people where we have not been ourselves. When we allow the Lord to do the amazing work of wall breaking in us, we become carriers of the freedom and restoration we have received ourselves. We become lighthouses.
Figuratively speaking, we become like the Statue of Liberty; holding a torch of freedom in our hand that lights the way for others to follow.
Free in Jesus, we become people not focused on building walls to protect ourselves but rather people focused on building bridges to reach the lost!
God wants to bring our strongholds to ruin. (Psalm 89:40 NIV) With Him it’s safe to let the walls fall and let LOVE rush in.
So the question is: What do you want gracious Jesus to do for you? Will you dare to lower your wall brick by brick?
He is eagerly waiting for your request. He wants to break through for you.
Trust your heart ❤ to the One who sees hearts like we see faces, who hears ache like we hear voices, and who touches wounds like we touch skin. (Ann Voskamp)
Love you and it it together,
Sandra.
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R.E.S.P.E.C.T. – find out what it means to me. 🎵
This well-known song from Aretha Franklin popped into my head as I thought about being intentional about showing respect for one another in relationships.
Respect is key for maintaining healthy relationships. It is about considering others' feelings and treating people the way we want to be treated ourselves. It applies to the small interactions in everyday life as well as to respecting someone's dreams, desires and needs. Scenarios of disrespect are honestly countless. It can appear everywhere.
In our key relationships I think it takes a bit of exploring to find out how the other person feels respected as it is also captured in the song line: “R.E.S.P.E.C.T – find out what it means to me.” It is in the seemingly insignificant, small moments and details of the hustle and bustle of everyday life we find out how can show our respect or lack thereof.
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When respect is lacking, whether because of busyness, indifference or ignorance, (or another reason) little foxes start creeping in that can hinder our relationship with each other.
Song of Songs describes this perfectly:
“Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming.” (Song of Songs 2,15 ESV)
The Passion Translation commentaries to this verse talks about how these “foxes” are the compromises that are hidden deep in our hearts. These are areas of our lives where we have not yet allowed the victory of Christ to shine into. The foxes keep the fruit of his Spirit from growing within us.
The scripture suggests that an otherwise blossoming relationship (whether with God or man) can be ruined if all these little foxes are allowed to mess with what has been planted of beautiful seeds in our garden of love.
If you have felt the convicting voice of the Holy Spirit about an attitude to confront within yourself towards someone, whether it be a one time event or more of a festered attitude that has crept in, below are a few suggestions that might help you practically take steps towards showing and having respect for someone.
- Ask the person a question every day
A question shows interest and a willingness to hear the person’s point of view. Ask the person a question every day for a few weeks about something you have wondered about in the bible, about cooking, technology or whatever area that person is good at or where you might have shut their voice down previously. The person might shy away from the question the first days if there has been a pattern of you not listening and showing respect beforehand. Just keep asking their help with humility until he/she gains the confidence to step into that area and trust you are listening and respecting their point of view. By doing this, you will empower and encourage the person to gain confidence in what they are good at. Return the favour and ask how you can help them too.
- Give thanks for the differences
It is simple and yet powerful when we start giving thanks in prayer and in person for the different strengths another person has. At first we might give thanks begrudgingly, but with time our view will change and we will start seeing the differences as strength. This is definitely a continual exercise.
- Hope for the future
Whether you have discerned there is someone you need to forgive in your heart, confront in love or work on respecting by asking questions and giving thanks, believe there is hope for the future! There is hope for you! There is hope for you to grow in forgiveness and grace. There is hope for you to grow in asking and listening as a way of showing respect. There is hope for you to be thankful in all things. There is hope for you to discern what is the right application for your situation.
I believe in you, so does Jesus!
Love,
Sandra.
(To clarify: When talking about respect, I am not talking about empowering bad or sinful behavior. In those cases I believe respect looks like either confronting the truth of the hurtful behaviour wrapped in love, or it is to bear over and forgive. Sometimes we will need outside help from a trusted pastor, mentor or counselor to do this. We might not get it right every time, but I believe we can grow in dealing with these cases in a healthy way by God’s grace.)
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Gold in the gaps
Lack of sleep has sent me to the sofa. The night is pitch dark and silent. Slowly and soundless, I pick up a book. Trying not to cause the silence to cease. Maximising the sleepless moment by reading truth and taking in a special moment.
Ten minutes go by and I decide that it is time again to try falling asleep. A 50 kroner note lies on the table and I pick it up to use it as a book mark in the book.
As I stand up from the couch to go to bed, my 50 kroner note bookmark falls out and lands and gets stuck in the couch gap. As it landed there, the Holy Spirit spoke to me about gold & gaps.
Gaps rarely feel golden... It seems hard and rare to find "50 kroner notes" in our gaps. Whether it's a gap of finances, relationships or meaning in our lives, a gap seems to scream for our attention! "Hey, look at this! This is not enough, you are not enough, this is empty, not developed, not yet filled...."
In gaps and cracks, things can get stuck and dirt can easily snuck in. It can do so in a physical gap and it can do so in an emotional or spiritual one too. It is like the natural and the spiritual in life never fail to reveal something about 'each other'.
When I experience a gap, I know I am vulnerable to attack. I need to have guards up to protect my gap from making my mindset muddy!
But gold can also be found in the gaps if we pay attention. It could have been easy to miss the 50 kroner in my sofa gap!
Gold & gaps are probably more intertwined than I might have realized.
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Japanese artists literally repair broken things with gold in their art tradition kintsugi. The idea that broken things and adversity can make something and someone more beautiful is actually mind-blowing. It makes pottery and people alike into stunning, unique masterpieces.
In the gaps and cracks, there are beautiful treasures to look for.
Beautiful treasures of patient endurance and reminding ourselves of promises like these:
"Even the strong and wealthy grow weak and hungry, but those who passionately pursue the Lord will never lack any good thing." Psalms 34,10 TPT.
"The lovers of God will have more than enough" Prov.13,25 TPT.
God is remaking us into a people invincible. (Micah 4,13 MSG) A people incapable of being conquered, defeated or subdued! A people that is ever transformed in the Potter's hands, ever filled with His abundance in our gaps.
Therefore, endure in the gap. Be patient with yourself in the gap. It is working well-formed maturity in you. Fill the gaps with His word and friends' empowering truth over you.
It is not as it seems. His power is made perfect in our weakness. You will bend but not break.
Dare to believe, there is gold in the gaps.
Heaven is near & Jesus of abundance is here.
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Let the walls fall
For years, my <3 was surrounded by thick walls built of destructive bricks.
Bricks of insecurity. Self hatred. Control. Perfectionism. People pleasing. Unforgiveness. Bitterness. Just to mention a few. Sin always promises us satisfaction but ends up stealing from us.
Same with these bricks. I thought they would be means of protection but they ended up destroying me instead.
The result?
A numb, masked and superficial life filled with addiction. A life lived in denial about the real condition of my heart. I would pretend to be completely fine while I was dying from the inside; isolated in the shame of wrong thoughts which led to lots of negative emotions!
An important step in my healing process was therefore to allow myself to feel again after years of suppressing my emotions.
For a season I would write to my mentor everyday and simply put into words how I was feeling.
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It was an exercise in being aware. Waking up. Not faking it for myself or others anymore. Coming out of denial. I began to express instead of living to impress.
It was a tough and humbling process to acknowledge my own weakness and not pretend to be strong when I was actually hurt. Daring to ask for help. Smashing pride in the face. Receiving grace. Letting the walls fall.
My mess was met with love and no sense of condemnation. It was so incredibly healing to realize that emotions are not a curse. They are gifts that make life colourful.
As I submitted my emotions to the authority of the wonderful word of God, the great exchange happened. An exchange of what was momentarily true about me for that which is the ultimate, forever truth about who I am in Him! He lowered my walls brick by brick so I could receive His steadfast love that melts lies away.
As my walls came down, I began to come in contact with my own fragility and weakness, which is rarely a fun experience for anyone! It's humbling for sure! But, I keep practising to just let Christ take over. And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. (2 Corinthians 12,10 MSG)
What a crazy thought! The weaker we get, the stronger we become. This kingdom we are part of is truly upside down!
That's why we especially as leaders as well need to lead upside down. I once heard someone say:
“Before I trust you as a leader, show me your scars.”
How profound.
Jesus, our perfect leader, modeled this when He showed his scars to Thomas after His death and resurrection.
When Jesus let Thomas touch His scars, doubt was turned into belief. Jesus showed that His leadership was trustworthy because He could sympathise with humanity. He knew pain. He knew humiliation. He knew weakness. And conquered it all!
May we be people who dare to do show others our scars so that Jesus’ strength can shine forth and be revealed in our human weakness.
'Cause we cannot take people where we have not been ourselves. When we allow the Lord to do the amazing work of wall breaking in us, we become carriers of the freedom and restoration we have received ourselves. We become lighthouses.
Figuratively speaking, we become like the Statue of Liberty; holding a torch of freedom in our hand that lights the way for others to follow.
Free in Jesus, we become people not focused on building walls to protect ourselves but rather people focused on building bridges to reach the lost!
God wants to bring our strongholds to ruin. (Psalm 89, 40 NIV) With Him it's safe to let the walls fall and let LOVE rush in.
So the question is: What do you want gracious Jesus to do for you?
He is eagerly waiting for your request. He wants to break through for you.
Trust your <3 to the One who sees hearts like we see faces, who hears ache like we hear voices, and who touches wounds like we touch skin. (Ann Voskamp)
He is our God.
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