The Truth Is...

When I was in 6th or 7th grade, I realized I was getting bigger and taller than many of the other girls (and even some of the boys). I was so disappointed! I wanted to be cute and petite but was feeling big and awkward. My body was not cooperating! 

But since then I’ve accepted the truth: I was meant to be tall with wide shoulders. I’ve been able to appreciate and even enjoy it, most of the time. 

Just about every woman I meet wishes she could change one of her physical attributes – height, body structure, eye color or maybe hair texture. At some point, though, we need to acknowledge that God has chosen otherwise for us. 

Along with accepting our physical attributes, God asks us to accept His control, reflect His purposes, and be a conduit of His love. That can be a tall order when we realize our weaknesses and selfishness. Altering these attitudes and behaviors can be much more difficult to embrace than even accepting some physical attributes we don’t like!

Accept His Control

I’d love to be in control of my life – calling the shots, orchestrating all the moves, picking the “trials” I thought were necessary and skipping the ones that look particularly awful. 

But God has another plan – He’s in charge. And if I’m truthful, I’m very thankful…for God knows me better than myself. 

Verses from Psalm 139 tell us: O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

God knows that when I assert control, demand my way, and push for people to do what I want, I mess things up – relationships, choices, circumstances. The truth is…I cannot see what is best for me so I need to leave control of my life in God’s hands. 

Reflect His Purposes
It’s not that I don’t want God to work in me or through me to bless and encourage others. But there are moments – “truth” moments – when I recognize that I enjoy pursuing my own purposes and selfish desires. Moments when I sense God’s guidance and actually resist Him. 

When this occurs, if I look within my heart, I can see how my agenda too is often intertwined with “self”; with my wants. The truth is…I need to offer my wants to God’s transforming power so I can reflect His heart and purposes.

Be a Conduit of His Love
One of the great obstacles to expressing God’s love is the issue of self-preservation. At one level, this is a good thing; we naturally want to protect ourselves from harm or hurt. Years ago when I had shoulder surgery, I was protective of that arm, sometimes turning my body away from people to be sure I did not experience further hurt. 

I can be the same way regarding my heart and it’s response to others. If I’ve been hurt, criticized or disregarded, I can feel like I’d rather distance myself, or put up an invisible shell around myself to keep out the other person and any potential from further pain. 

And yet, God asks something else of me. The truth is…I need to allow Him to transform me. To
transform what happens in and through me, so I can be a conduit of His love. Even if the other person has hurt me in the past. 

It really is true: God invites us to accept his control in our lives, to reflect his purposes, and to be a conduit of his love. Why? Because that’s the pathway to the abundant Christ-filled life. 

Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Will you join me in praying this prayer?