Competition // Comparision // Community
One of the biggest lies the devil uses against us is that we are alone.
We are not designed to go through life alone. When we try to go through life alone, we fail and fall into the same sin patterns to which we are susceptible.
As a girl, from a young age, we are pitted against each other in this game of comparisons. We pick favorites and create cliques without being asked to do any of it. In elementary school the comparisons are things. In middle school, its friends. In high school, its looks. In college, its grades. After college, its success: in relationships, in careers, in hobbies. We are looking to the right and to the left of us instead of recognizing the worth of who we are. We are trying to teach young women self-esteem, but we are focusing on the outward problem.
In the past three months, I have had to tell more girls that their value is not something they have control over more times than I can count. My value and their value and your value is predetermined from before we are born. We inherently have so much value that someone died for us. Our value is so much that even if you were the only human that we to accept the gift of salvation, Jesus still would have died for you.
Yet, we play this game thinking that someone else is worth more than us. We play this game and everyone loses. We play this game where we fool ourselves into believing that others cannot hold value if we ourselves are valuable. We hold this false premise that there is a limited amount of talent and value in this world and the only way to gain any value is be tearing other people down. But the only thing that does is hurt us and hurt them. Our value is independent of our control and our actions. We have the same amount of value if we are homeless or if we are the CEO of Microsoft. You and I have the same value in God's eyes.
When we play these games with the belief that we must fight to become more valuable or talented or worthy, we lose out on one of the greatest parts of being human. We lose out on fellowship and we lose out on symbiosis. Humans are designed to live together in unity. Christians are designed to live together in unity. We all work better when we are working together.
In elementary school, I was taught that when I had an issue I was supposed to "Seek a wise person". In elementary school speak, that meant find an adult, but in real life, that means find a friend or a mentor. In real life, we are called to live in community with one another. The purpose of organized churches is to work and live together to further the Kingdom. We are healthier people and healthier Christians when we work together rather than all on our own. The sum is greater than the parts. If we are individually working at different goals and living our own lives, we can't go very far, but together we can become a part of someone's salvation in India, even though we've never left our home. Our reach is greater and we are stronger when we stand together.
Disunity causes it all to fall apart. If one person or another is not submitting to God, then the fruit is not as good. If a leader is not submitting, the fruit will die and so will the church. We are meant to support each other in every way. We are designed for order. We are designed for a purpose. If I choose not to participate in the community around me, then neither the community nor I will get as far as we would have together. God has a plan to use each of us in magnificent ways. We only have to humble ourselves before Him and listen to His plan.
Sometimes ( a lot of the time) it's easier to do our own thing. Sometimes it's easier to keep going with the same patterns we have been following since we were little even if those aren't the ones that are healthy for us because it's what we've always known and change is terrifying, but God is calling us out into the unknown. Sometimes it's easier to go and reach nations no one ever has, when we are being called to be still and face the challenges at home and in our community.
I don't know where God is calling me right now and so I sit still and I pray and I listen for that still small voice that is just a whisper in the wind. I wait patiently for the Lord to hear my cries. I know that no matter where I am called or what I am asked to do, that my value rests in the One who made me. God doesn't tell us that we will be comfortable or that things will be easy, but he does promise to give us fruit and to bless us if we follow his will. Whatever my personal emotions are, I will keep my eyes fixed on him. I will watch the fruit and not worry about where he is leading my feet.
If we are busy keeping our eyes fixed on Him, not looking to the right or to the left at what Suzzie and Sally are doing, then He will lead us to great things. He will lead us to great people. He will lead us to great challenges. He will lead us to orchards full of good fruit.
We are not designed to go through life alone. When we try to go through life alone, we fail and fall into the same sin patterns to which we are susceptible.
As a girl, from a young age, we are pitted against each other in this game of comparisons. We pick favorites and create cliques without being asked to do any of it. In elementary school the comparisons are things. In middle school, its friends. In high school, its looks. In college, its grades. After college, its success: in relationships, in careers, in hobbies. We are looking to the right and to the left of us instead of recognizing the worth of who we are. We are trying to teach young women self-esteem, but we are focusing on the outward problem.
In the past three months, I have had to tell more girls that their value is not something they have control over more times than I can count. My value and their value and your value is predetermined from before we are born. We inherently have so much value that someone died for us. Our value is so much that even if you were the only human that we to accept the gift of salvation, Jesus still would have died for you.
Yet, we play this game thinking that someone else is worth more than us. We play this game and everyone loses. We play this game where we fool ourselves into believing that others cannot hold value if we ourselves are valuable. We hold this false premise that there is a limited amount of talent and value in this world and the only way to gain any value is be tearing other people down. But the only thing that does is hurt us and hurt them. Our value is independent of our control and our actions. We have the same amount of value if we are homeless or if we are the CEO of Microsoft. You and I have the same value in God's eyes.
When we play these games with the belief that we must fight to become more valuable or talented or worthy, we lose out on one of the greatest parts of being human. We lose out on fellowship and we lose out on symbiosis. Humans are designed to live together in unity. Christians are designed to live together in unity. We all work better when we are working together.
In elementary school, I was taught that when I had an issue I was supposed to "Seek a wise person". In elementary school speak, that meant find an adult, but in real life, that means find a friend or a mentor. In real life, we are called to live in community with one another. The purpose of organized churches is to work and live together to further the Kingdom. We are healthier people and healthier Christians when we work together rather than all on our own. The sum is greater than the parts. If we are individually working at different goals and living our own lives, we can't go very far, but together we can become a part of someone's salvation in India, even though we've never left our home. Our reach is greater and we are stronger when we stand together.
Disunity causes it all to fall apart. If one person or another is not submitting to God, then the fruit is not as good. If a leader is not submitting, the fruit will die and so will the church. We are meant to support each other in every way. We are designed for order. We are designed for a purpose. If I choose not to participate in the community around me, then neither the community nor I will get as far as we would have together. God has a plan to use each of us in magnificent ways. We only have to humble ourselves before Him and listen to His plan.
Sometimes ( a lot of the time) it's easier to do our own thing. Sometimes it's easier to keep going with the same patterns we have been following since we were little even if those aren't the ones that are healthy for us because it's what we've always known and change is terrifying, but God is calling us out into the unknown. Sometimes it's easier to go and reach nations no one ever has, when we are being called to be still and face the challenges at home and in our community.
I don't know where God is calling me right now and so I sit still and I pray and I listen for that still small voice that is just a whisper in the wind. I wait patiently for the Lord to hear my cries. I know that no matter where I am called or what I am asked to do, that my value rests in the One who made me. God doesn't tell us that we will be comfortable or that things will be easy, but he does promise to give us fruit and to bless us if we follow his will. Whatever my personal emotions are, I will keep my eyes fixed on him. I will watch the fruit and not worry about where he is leading my feet.
If we are busy keeping our eyes fixed on Him, not looking to the right or to the left at what Suzzie and Sally are doing, then He will lead us to great things. He will lead us to great people. He will lead us to great challenges. He will lead us to orchards full of good fruit.
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