Let the One who created you be the One who defines you.
I was snuggled into my slightly overstuffed couch listening to my next online lesson. Our instructor had us turn from the book of Ephesians to the first chapter of Genesis. She then asked us to draw an arrow at the top of the page pointing to the left, as if something had taken place before Genesis 1:1. What on Earth (well, maybe not Earth since it was only a gigantic blueprint at this point) could have happened before Genesis 1:1? Before God turned His hand and His Word to design mode?
Our next instruction was to write our name next to the arrow, and the address Ephesians 1:4-6. (The address is a way that I refer to the Book, Chapter, and Verse I am referring to in my Bible).
“Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.”
Ephesians 1:4-6 The Message
Something was happening before Genesis 1:1! God’s mind was on you and me! Chew on that for a long moment with me. Before God ever uttered the heavens and earth out of being “a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness”1Genesis 1:1-2 The Message Translation, God had us, you and me, on His mind and settled on us as the focus of His love. Before creation, we were chosen. With the desire of God’s heart that we would be adopted into His family, and be made whole and holy. We were given an identity and purpose. We were created with significance.
Where to Start
We all arrive at this place in our lives with a story. I don’t know about your history. I have no idea what your family of background is or was like for you. I have had the great opportunity to hear personal accounts of women’s stories that range from having a loving, nurturing, life-building family who still experience a giant empty hole in their hearts that they just couldn’t seem to fill, to memories of the most brutal abusive and neglectful situations that only God knows how they survived, with different degrees in between.
We find our minds filled with nouns such as fear, failure, guilt, and shame. We’ve had adjectives hurled at us like worthless, unloved, unwanted, and stupid. These are just some of the list, which certainly doesn’t cover all that some of us have experienced, beginning at a very young age. We are all broken in some fashion.
Some spoken over us and other titles we’ve attached to ourselves because of our wrong choices and decisions.
Empty. Lacking. Fearful. Confused. Hurting. Helpless. Unlovable. Unable to change.
I have two questions:
- Whose hands are we choosing to place our value in? Parents? Guardians? Siblings? Spouse? Boss? Teachers? Friends? We have an abundance of people who are willing to speak into our lives and there is so much danger there when we allow them too much access, specifically when it doesn’t align with the One who gave you breath!
- What are we allowing to define us? Jobs? News? Social Media? Ethnicity? Our grades? Our perceived sexual preference? Do-it-yourself personality tests?
This list goes on longer than the 100-mile Yard Sale in Oklahoma. We keep adding these banners, these defining words, to our minds and our hearts and the emotional and psychological toll starts printing out in our lives like a CVS receipt.
BUT God
But, what does God say about us? The God that chose you and me before He ever spoke a word to begin the creation process. God goes on to say that we were created in His image, in His likeness (Genesis 1:26), and He shaped us first inside then out, in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13).
What if He has so much more to say about you and me? We are loved, we are forgiven, we are His masterpiece, we are adopted…
Our Design
The best place to have something repaired is by going straight to the manufacturer. God knows how He designed us, what He created us for, and our gifts, talents, and purposes that are needed at this time in this generation. Plus, you and I were created for infinity and beyond. (Buzz knew!) Created to be useful here and now, then living out the rest of our no–time–limit lives in His presence. That’s why we don’t feel at home here, kinda out of place, not fitting in. This explains why I feel like I belong to another world, a different place like. Do you feel that way too?
God is a Gentleman
At this point, the choice becomes ours. I have heard God referred to as a gentleman, not forcing himself on anyone, allowing everyone to choose Him as He has chosen us. Just as a gentleman pursues a woman, letting her know his intentions and his feelings, and allows the woman to make her determination of how this will go forward, God does that with us. He wants each and everyone one of us to choose Him and have a relationship with Him, but He won’t force it. He places the ball in our court.
Let the One who created you be the One who defines you.
Let’s start a conversation. I don’t have all the answers in life but I do know the One that does. I have questions every day, struggles that weigh me down week after week and month after month, even year after year.
I want this to be a place where we can struggle together, encourage each other with God’s Word, and help each other to believe it and act on it accordingly.
How about you?
Do you only know the battle and not the ONE who gives the victory?
If you are a woman who has yet to decide to open your door to Jesus, start in Foundations, with THE WAY. which will explain, in short, who Jesus is and why He is the only way to God the Father.
Then move on to THE WORD. It is what we Sisters in Jesus know to be truth ( Who doesn’t need some truth today?!) and base our whole lives on and you’ll learn why.
Follow that with THE WALK, what does walking with Jesus look like and how will it change the direction of your life?
THE WAR is next, because rather you believe it or not, life is a battle! With or without God. We’ve all done this without Him, let’s give Him a chance to help us win.
Finally, THE WIN because Jesus has already conquered it all!
OR
…have you been through it and can help me and others, while at the same time we help you with what you’re wrestling with? I read a quote that says:
If you are already a Sister, wandering, wondering, questioning, or/and needing answers to some of your dilemmas, the BLOG is for you. We will look at women in The Word, who have gone before us, already made the mistakes, learned the lessons, and gotten the T-shirt.
“I love when people that have been through hell walk out of the flames carrying buckets of water for those still consumed by the fire.”
Stephanie Sparkles
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I find myself still being consumed in some areas and being part of the Bucket Brigade in others. I believe you find yourself there too.
Let’s do this!
References
- 1Genesis 1:1-2 The Message Translation