Fears - we all have them. So, how do we navigate life on a daily basis in spite of our fears? I would like to challenge you to think about how you think. Take a minute and think about how you talk to yourself over the course of the day. Are you speaking words of life or death over yourself? I like to think about my children when they get into a challenging situation. My kids will say “I can’t do it!” and they say it with quite a bit of emphasis. But, as their mom I typically won’t take “I can’t,” as a valid response. Why is it with other people we encourage and validate but with ourselves we tear down?
Each and every day we can give ourselves the gift of life. We can say, “I can and I will.” We can have the courage to push through resistance and not worry what other people might think of us. I think the beauty of making mistakes is that they teach us so many beautiful lessons. And, when you are able to see the process of another individual you are able to see that the climb isn’t as steep as you think.
I remember when God first asked me to show people my process and parts of my life that seemed too messy to expose (at least to me.) So often we want to show the final product to people, but learning does not take place from seeing just the final product. People need to also see how you got there!
This is something I think about often, because these moments of realness and authenticity that we can offer to others will help them get free of the need to be “perfect.” We should always offer our best to God, but we also need to leave room for his best.
So don’t be afraid to make mistakes or to fail. Give your best efforts, but also hold yourself to a standard of grace! Give yourself the space to live life joyfully, without the pressure of always having to be right or perfect. Give yourself the gift of courage, give yourself the gift of encouragement, give yourself the gift of compassion, and give yourself the gift of kindness. Because when we can give these gifts freely to ourselves, we can then turn around and give them to others!
What gift do you need to give yourself this week?
Be sure to really take some time and listen to the way you talk to yourself. If you don’t like what you hear, decide today to speak life. For as God's word reminds us “…the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” - Luke 6:45 (NIV)
