The real Me

Who is it you see when you look in the mirror? Which me do you see?

You may be reading that thinking, what is she talking about, but stay with me. How many times do we let the me that others want us to be crowd out the me God designed for us to be?  That is a question, I took to long to find the answer too. Only when I found the answer, did I realize it has been there all along, sometimes we just don't want to see it. We have gone on a search for our talents and gifts, only to find that we are the ones who buried them. We listen to what others have planned for us, we say yes to too much only because we want to make someone else happy, and we run around doing way too much and none of it well.

We have become good at hiding behind the mask and becoming the me that others want us to be, but at the same time inside we are stressed, lack focus, and just down right not happy. In short we are busy, not fruitful. Life is not about only doing for yourself, that is not how God planned it, BUT...he also didn't plan for us to run around doing way too much and taking care of everyone but ourselves. He never planned for us to see the gift He has given us, open it up and look at it, and then take and bury it to fit into someone else's box. God gave each one of us talents, gifts, and abilities that only we can do. There are steps only we can take, a voice only we can have, and a difference only we can make. That in short is what Jeremiah 29:11 says. It says His plans, purpose are for our good and not to harm us, that means the steps He planned for us to take, not the ones someone else laid out. (Think about that for a minute). We get ourselves in a lot of trouble by playing the people pleasing roll and forgetting about pleasing God. We work hard at stepping where others have laid out for us, having the voice they tell us to have, and making the difference they want to see us make. We forget about the me He created us to be.

I wish I could tell you I'm completely on the other side of this question, but I'm not just yet. I am however a LOT closer to where I should be than where I used to be. I still have days when I fail miserably at this. Days when I compare myself with others way too much, when I let what someone else thinks be the words I play back in my head over and over, when I follow someone else's plan instead of listening to my own heart, days when I just go with the flow. In the world we live in today, Christians have spent too long going with the flow and we need to get off of the fence. God has things planned that only you can do, people that only you can reach, mountains that only you can move....if you aren't doing it, then who is? Rest assure God's plan will always prevail, so if you wait too long, you may miss out on something.

In the parable of the talents, the one that went and buried his talent was worried what his master would think, so he wanted to play it safe. The other went and found a way to make a difference and invested the talent. What have you done with your talents/gifts today? (Think about that really...are you playing the part that someone else has designed for you or the one He has?). Look at your schedule, weed out what isn't bearing fruit, and allow God to put in some things that only you were meant to do. If you stay so busy doing only good things, you'll never be able to do God things.

One last point/thing, quit apologizing for who you are. I think we hurt God's feelings when we look at our weaknesses/flaws as something being wrong with us. He made us just the way we are, strengths and weaknesses the same. If we were nothing but strengths, how would we ever get to see God show out? Quit thinking your weakness is your fault and instead give it to Him and ask for His help. Trust me, it's a mountain He can move.

On those days when you can't see the you He made you to be, those days when the world has told you over and over again what they think of you(and trust me the devil will push repeat on those comments if you let him), on those days when  you just want to cry.....run to His lap and let the tears fall. Let Him push delete on what the world has said and remind you what He says.

Walk into 2013 being the you He made you to be! The world needs the you that only you can be.

Until next time,
Melissa