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Hey Friends –
Welcome to Day 25 of 31 Days to Fire Up Your Faith!
If this is your first visit you may want to get caught up here. Let’s ask God to rekindle our faith until we are burning bright for Him!
For our last day as we discuss Key # 4 — Power — I want to share personally what hindered me for many years from living a power-filled life.
Now if you’ve spent any time around my blog — you’ve heard me share that high school was not kind to me.
Although there a few fun memories – cheering for the freshmen basketball team, our zany psychology class, late-afternoon lunch runs with my good buddy Chuck –
I’m glad I never have to go back to those four agonizing years again.
Ever.
Mostly my adolescent days were filled with intense loneliness, rejection, straining to fit in, and a bottomless longing to be acknowledged and accepted.
Am I the only one?
I’ll never forget the day I thought I finally was on my way to recognition.
A fellow classmate shared she saw something written about me in the girl’s bathroom.
Really?
Me?!
I ran to the south side of the building as quickly as my clog-wearing feet would take me. I couldn’t wait to read what someone had taken the time to share publicly and proudly about me!
I pulled open the heavy wooden door and scanned the chipped bathroom stall’s exterior. Then I spotted the seven words that would shape my life for the next two decades…
“Cindy Stille is a fat red cow.”
And on that dreadful day those seven words attached to me like a sticky, descriptive name tag.
As the years went on, I may have appeared happy and self-confident on the outside. But beneath the cheery smile and bubbly personality, was an insecure and injured young woman meticulously attempting to cover up the pain, and striving to protect herself from ever being hurt or teased…again.
I wonder if you can relate? What labels have attached to you?
- Not good enough.
- Clumsy.
- Stupid.
- Good for nothing.
- Lazy.
- Ugly.
- Fat.
- Not wanted.
“Labels are awful. They imprison us in categories that are hard to escape. Those labels start out as little threads of self-dissatisfaction but ultimately weave together into a straitjacket of self-condemnation“. – Lysa Terkeurst
Thankfully in 1996 I met Jesus (recap here). He says I am….
- Accepted.
- Beautiful – regardless of the size of my pants.
- Chosen.
- Dearly Loved.
- Enough.
And sweet friend, you are too!
In Christ, we have new, Truth-filled, life-giving labels to wear.
That’s why in my Red Hot Faith Bible Study we spend Session 6 talking about the nametags we wear. Y’all we will never live with a fired up faith until we can figure this one out.
Here’s a “sneak peek” —
Friend, what label are you wearing today?
May we all “think about what we are thinking about” and make sure we are walking about in TRUTH. On this day, I’m choosing to put on CALLED.
How about you? Please share what label of Truth YOU are putting on!
Sweet friend, we have a choice: We don’t have to live defeated any longer. We can “take off” the words that hurt us, replace them with His healing, life-changing Words, and begin to experience a full, passionate, power-filled life.
Can I get a Woo Hoo?
Sweet friend, let’s say NO MORE to lackluster, lukewarm living, and instead ask God to reignite our faith and use us as we live powerful lives!
Today’s Challenge: Day 25 of our 31 Days.
1. Grab your notebook, jot today’s date, and then, write out a prayer to God asking Him to reveal any “false nametags” that are getting in the way of your purpose. Ask God to help you get to the root. Who said that to you? Is it Truth? If it is not Truth, ask God to eradicate the lie, and replace it with His Truth!
2. If you didn’t on Day 18, please watch/listen to this awesome song by Jason Gray. (It’s sooo good! Thanks for sharing, JJ.) Any thoughts?
3. Print off this free downloadable/printable A to Z — Who I Am in Christ, and then “go up the mountain” and spend time in His Presence. Starting with the “A” verse, look up a verse or two and record what you learn about who you are in Christ.
Thanks so much for stopping by 31 Days to Fire Up Your Faith! May God remind you afresh who you are to Him, and infuse you with fresh faith as you live a life of purpose and power!
Sweet blessings
P.S. In case you don’t want to miss a day, you can like my FB page, connect with me on Twitter, or subscribe to my blog via the sidebar. There’s still a few more days of ideas, resources, and encouragement to Fire Up Your Faith to come!
My new names are Chosen and Called!
I love it! You are chosen and called, beautiful Laura! 🙂