A letter to the woman who’s been through…
Dear sis,
Pride causes you to refuse to be yourself. Shame causes you to hide yourself. Both cause you to lose yourself. We were fearfully and wonderfully made. Fearfully and wonderfully made—what does this actually mean when everything you see is telling you something different? Fearfully and wonderfully made—yet the people who are loved, accepted, and acknowledged never look, act, or talk like you. Fearfully and wonderfully made— yet you constantly feel disposable, unwanted, insignificant.
Forgiven, yet the mistakes of your past haunt you constantly. Forgiven, but there’s no restitution. No way to fix the harm. Lost because of the schism in your heart. Want to do what God wants, but also still want validation and acceptance from people.
But a still, small voice. “My presence,” He says. “My presence changes everything. It changes how you view yourself. It defeats pride, fear, inadequacy, and shame. It helps you to have humility, boldness, abundance, and dignity”.
Once you get real with yourself, once you stop running from your enemies and learn to confront them, everything will change. God has already given you the victory—the power is already within you. The key is to trust that He is always with you. I know, I know, it’s hard to trust when you barely trust yourself. But you are a new creation. Stop reverting to the old you.
When you forget, when you feel defeated, remember His sacrifice. Remember Jesus. Remember the cross. He suffered for you. He laid down His life for you. He bled for you. He was beaten for you. He was crucified for you. He rose again for you. He was devoted. But not just for you, for His plan. His glory.
The you that He created is the only you that can bring Him glory. Stop hiding and be. You are most powerful when you allow yourself to be. To be, you have to restore your vigor in seeking God with all your heart, mind, and strength. Learn to wait well by following His instructions minute by minute, day by day. Do not change or compromise what He says; obey His word fully.
Next, you have to build your confidence. You can’t do this on your own. You need the Holy Spirit’s help to reveal who you are and to give you the POWER to walk in that truth. First and foremost, you are a child of God. That is your most salient identity. Understanding who you are will help you live from a place of victory; it will change your perspective on why you've been through everything you’ve been through.
To be, you must be bold and have the audacity to stand on God’s truth. Speak when He tells you to because there is nothing they can do to you. He has your back!
Have the audacity to dream again. He will not disappoint you. He only wants the best for you.
Lastly, to be, you must learn how to quiet your mind. Cast down every thought that is not of Him and learn how to receive only from the Holy Spirit. This takes practice and discipline, which brings me to my next point.
To be requires wholeness—mind, body, spirit. We spoke about mind and spirit, but the body matters too. Make sure you are eating a balanced diet. Seek God with what you should eat, and don’t go overboard with trying to be healthy. God knows all, including what you need to eat. Let Him give you the instruction, and when He does, listen. Also, get active. Find a form of exercise that works for you and do it consistently. Trauma and stress get stuck in the body; exercise helps release them and teaches your body how to breathe again. Breathing deeply is so important. In your prayer time, pay attention to your breath.
God has called you to be a woman of boldness. To fulfill His assignment, you must be whole. Do not despise the preparation period. The wait is for your benefit. To much is given, much is required. The purification period is hot because the glory will be bright through you. Remember the sacrifice of Jesus. Get back to the basics. The basics is the gospel —the good news. That alone will propel you to obey, trust, and have faith in Him.
Most importantly, when you feel weak, forsaken even, remember that He loves you. That is the good news! He LOVES you! His love transcends everything you feel, everything you see, everything you’ve been through. Allow His love to set your heart on fire.
Love you!
“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.”
