daily devotional

How much of you have you held back worried others may not accept you? How much have you settled because the real you may be too much? How little have you played because little is easy to overlook and you would rather not be singled out?

We dress to impress, but it’s not to impress our husband … it’s to impress some chick we think we may be in competition with. We put on some fake face for acceptance, then when we are accepted we wrestle with knowing who they accepted wasn’t really us.

Oh what dark, lonely corners we create as we obsess over being liked.

The value and worth of my children’s generation is based upon the number of likes, comments and shares. But hasn’t it creeped into ours as well? If your page, podcast, post or photo went viral, you would feel validated, like your voice was heard and you did something majorly right. Oh but girl, let me tell you what comes with these new levels, ALL NEW DEVILS! Read through the comments of any viral post and you will find hate, criticism, and harsh words. It’s the name of the game. These new devils will eat you up and spit you out and leave you questioning your worth more than ever before.

Not everyone will like you. You can twist and contort yourself into someone you’re not, and there will always be a critique that tells you it’s not good enough.

Many years ago there was a newspaper article that came out featuring my story of being a stroke victim who couldn’t walk, and becoming a survivor running a marathon. It was a nice article and of course my grandma saved the clippings like all good grandmas do. But one day I made the mistake of reading the article on the newspaper website where anonymous online comments could be posted. I’m sure there were many positive comments, but I couldn’t tell you what a single one of the positive comments said. The only one I remember is the person who commented the article should be removed because I was a horrible role model to their daughter because I never went to college.

I was crushed and I was embarrassed. I wanted to hide. What if others read this and felt the same way?

It took me a really long time, yeah probably like until I was today years old, to be able to say, I NEVER STEPPED FOOT IN A COLLEGE CLASS, AND I’M OKAY WITH THAT.

I mentor women who have their doctorate, or are in the process of obtaining their doctorate, and I hope they’re okay with my high school diploma and a genuine heart who is excited for their success, because that’s all I have to offer.

I’ve found the enemy picks away at our insecurities and he’s the ultimate author of hate mail and harsh comments. He loves to sideline us and keep us off the field in our own lives.

Has he done that to you? Has he picked at your flaws until they’re bleeding wounds? Has he convinced you there’s something wrong with you? Told you you’re not good enough, and now you’ve accepted it as your truth?

So, let’s access here … the devil doesn’t like you. He’s playing a nasty game against you. He insults you and throws punches below the belt. THAT’S WHAT HE’S SUPPOSED TO DO! He’s doing his job.

If he likes you, then it’s because you’re no longer a threat to his nasty plans of little life living in defeat.

How much of your authentic, true self has been held back because of worry over what others will think? When God created you, he created a masterpiece. He formed you just the way he wanted you and placed you perfectly in this world for his purpose. Should a masterpiece be sidelined because of a naysayer, a rock thrower, or a different opinion?

Let me just say it so you understand it …. WHY ARE YOU HOLDING BACK?

I mean the real you … why has she been benched and this other version of you shows up to live your life?

Who is it you so desperately want to like you?

Honey, not everyone will like you. Jesus was without flaw … he was PERFECTION … and he still had haters.

Jesus said in John 15:18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

I’m certainly glad Jesus didn’t allow the naysayers to hold him back. I’m so grateful he stayed grounded in his truth and kept walking in his purpose. My life is forever changed because he didn’t allow the hate hurled at him to get inside of him.

You have work to do here sister. There’s a path for you to walk and an impact for you to make. Hell and all it’s demons will rise up in an attempt to keep you off that path. To distract you and lure you away from your purpose. To delay you from your destiny. Will they be successful?

Will you spend your time scrolling, posing, posting, and responding … then hiding, hurting and questioning? Will your thoughts be consumed by the opinions of others and your actions be driven by the acceptance of a crowd you were never called to impress?

Or will you rise up with a focus on LIVING THIS ONE LIFE YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN to MAX CAPACITY with MAXIMUM IMPACT FOR THE GOOD WORKS YOU HAVE BEEN CREATED FOR?

Remember, we were told about that in Ephesians 2:10 “We are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Hold nothing back here sister. This is your time.

If there’s a painful comment or message, give yourself the gift of DELETE. Just delete it. Don’t return to reread for the 10th time. If there’s a conversation or interaction you keep replaying in your head, feeling the hurt all over again, DELETE IT. Turn it off. You have that power! Why relive it again?

How do you delete without returning again? You REPLACE it with good. And I’ll tell you from experience it will take 10 times the good to replace the bad, but it’s available to you. Start seeking the good.

This is your precious life and the enemy wins when you spend priceless moments stewing over stupid crap.

Jesus wasn’t derailed by the opinion of others … be like Jesus.

Jesus wasn’t trying to get everyone to like him … be like Jesus.

Jesus wasn’t fearful of being too little … be like Jesus.

Jesus wasn’t worried about being too much … be like Jesus.

Jesus wasn’t consumed by thoughts of failure … be like Jesus.

Jesus didn’t try to please everyone … be like Jesus.

He offered love. He offered grace. He offered mercy. He was intentional, he was focused, he was present, and he was on a mission to fulfill his purpose. BE LIKE JESUS!

He didn’t find his worth in what others thought of him, remember he was crucified on a cross between 2 thieves yet he was perfect. He found his worth in what God thought of him. Be like Jesus.