I was recently watching a television show from the late 90's about kids at summer camp. Don't ask me why, but I found myself watching Bug Juice. Immediately my mind went to that time in my life (maybe 8th or 9th grade) and the angst of being a teenager. I say angst because that's where it all started. I think it would be the same for you. That's when we looked around and realized we were different than everyone else. Instead of embracing the different and uniqueness, I've tried my best to fit in with the crowd - the trends, the catchphrases, catching the eye of the boy. It started there and has continued on. I thought about how much I worried about my size even in high school. I drank lots of water and hid myself behind a towel at the beach. I wanted to be like everyone else. I wanted to be beautiful - the model, the skinny girl from TV, the one all the boys were after. I was empty.
And somehow in the middle of that, I lost the concept of who I was created to be. I was empty. Oh how thankful I am that a selfie wasn't around then! A battle that still rages on but at the same time is quieting down. That's why I wanted to start this little series. I hope to learn and share what being fully you is supposed to look like.
The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life,
and have it to the full. John 10:10 NIV
A thief never has a "good" motive. He wants to steal and grab whatever he can get his hands on. In our case, the thief is satan. (I refuse to give him a capital S.) The thief wants to take away. The thief wants to steal our joy, kill our confidence, and destroy our value. I was thinking through this last night. How often do we say the following things: I'm not good enough. I don't think I can do that. I just want to be happy. I am not _______. I feel like you are probably nodding your heads with me (maybe even an amen.) Do you see this is wrong? If you're like me, maybe you became numb to your "fallings of short". You were not going to measure up because that's just life and that's how it's going to be. You say "ok" and move on.
But - That's not it! That's not how it is supposed to be. Is that a relief? It is to me! Before we can live to the full, we have to know how we are living on the empty.
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created them.
male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27
We were created in God's image. - beautiful, lovely, magnificent. That was damaged at the fall, and we are being restored. So were you created to think you were not enough? NO! Were you made to believe you can't ever be happy? NO! You were made for so much more.
Though he has stolen our joy, there is someone who will give us greater joy.
Though he has killed our confidence, there is someone who is restoring that - not in ourselves but in Him.
Though he has destroyed our value, there is someone who sees us of the greatest value.
Y'all I can't tell you how much that girl in junior high and high school and college wanted to be liked by the guys so badly. She wanted to be seen as beautiful. And though her family loved her, she missed that true love. She was empty because she was looking to the opinions of others and herself for confidence and value. She missed realizing the love the Lord has for her. And she's realizing it. .. and it's lovely.
PS- During the course of this writing, I have definitely learned how to spell thief.
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