Momentum For Monday, May 29th 2023
“I will offer You my grateful heart, for I am Your unique creation, filled with wonder and awe. You have approached even the smallest details with excellence; Your works are wonderful; I carry this knowledge deep within my soul.” (Psalm 139:14)
There are so many things in my life that have left me jarred in every capacity possible. While life can have joys and wonderful moments, the reality is that this world is full of hardships, tragedies, and pain. We never wish for them, but it's a given that they will occur at some point. So, how do we live without becoming casualties to the trauma? How do we not take on all the pain and suffering like a boat with a hole in it that eventually gets swallowed up in the water?
The key to this is identity. In order to not be overtaken by any issue or opposition in life, it is utterly important to know who you are. For me, knowing who God has made me to be and being anchored in what His word says has been life-changing.
Don't get me wrong, I've wrestled God many times over the decades (for most of them actually). However, It has become unswervingly deniable to me that what He has said is true and comes from a pure place. That's how I can lean into the Bible. That's how I keep from become overly cynical and depressed in this life. It's how I guard my head and heart.
I've faced hatred. I've faced harsh criticism and judgment. I've struggled through some pretty strong lingering emotions (as I'm sure you have too). As difficult or painful as it was, none of it could stick because I went back to Scripture every time.
The truth is, you are not your failures. You are not your emotions, no matter how intense or how convincing those feelings are. You are not your temptations.
At the core of it all, you are deeply loved. You are radically loved. You are not tolerated by God. He doesn't just put up with you. He likes you, so much so, that his son endured the cross.
Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
(Ephesians 3:17-18)