Strength

A Quote by Contemporary Christian Artist Mandissa:

 

"Yesterday I tweeted this Taylor Swift quote: “If you go too far down the rabbit hole of what people think about you, it can change everything about who you are”. Earlier today, as I tried to find this link to my NPR interview, I ran across a couple of comments. One guy said I sound like a nice woman but that my "music is disgusting...over-produced...fatuous...slick and tacky". Ouch! Earlier this week, on this very Facebook page, I was pretty insulted by a few comments as well. I have to be honest...it hurts. Typically I am incredibly encouraged by most of what I see, but I am thankful for the lesson that God is teaching me right now. My value (and yours, too) must come from what God says. Listening and believing what others think about you will drive you crazy. It is easy to become prideful when you hear good and discouraged when you hear bad. I believe that God can get our attention, edify, bring conviction, and correction through others, but defining ourselves by what others think is dangerous. I just thought I'd share what God has been speaking to me about this week. You should know that while I value what you have to say in response, I won't define myself by it. ;-) -Mandissa" 

This morning I read this post on Facebook by Mandissa.  Oh how I admire that woman!  She has been in the spotlight for her weight struggles, comments made to her while  on American Idol by Simon Cowell and of course, from the above post, from people who don't like her music. I admire her strength and her boldness in sharing. 

 

 I pray for that strength. 

 

God has been showing me that my strength is not something I can muster up on my own in a time of need but from Him and in Him alone.  Now, before you roll your eyes and say "duh, everyone knows that"  My response to that is this:  being able to quote it , know it and do it are different things. When you go through a tough time, nine times out of ten you will try and figure it out on your own, call a friend and talk it out, or these days Tweet it or make it your Face Book status. Not too often in our humaness is our response to go straight to the Lord.  I'm finding out that being me is important to God.  The gifts He has given me, He desires to be used. The strengths He gave me , He desires to shine, The words and actions He brings to my mind, He desires to be spoken and shown. When I dwell on those truths, that I am important to God and how He created me is important, I find strength and with it comes the fruit of the Spirit. Think about that.... When you rest in the truths that You are important to God, that He loves you the way you are, when you rest in that, the outcome is blessing others with the fruit of the Spirit and having that inner strength to not allow others to define you, change you or decide your value.

 

Your faithfulness grows, your gentleness increases and your self control blooms.

 

May God touch your heart today with His love for you.

 

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who ^[k]belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" NASB