There’s a change that happens when you go through long periods of crises. No matter how seasoned or devout in your walk with God, your mind starts playing with you. Whether it’s one long, drawn-out struggle, or perhaps life giving you just one hit after another, the enemy gets in your head. There’s a quote that says, “If someone tells you something long enough, you start to believe it.” When you go through hard times, the enemy sends unconscious thoughts that act as Job’s friends – accusing, shaming, lying about you and to you. Even though you stand up under pressure day after day, the message goes from “You are weary” to “You are weak.” Or “I’m tired of this” to “You can’t do this anymore.” You do what it takes to survive until one day you wake up and you don’t even recognize yourself. As with people in the Bible, there has been a big transition: there is now a warrior, who used to be a farmer; a judge who was a stay at home mom; a queen who was an orphan; a King of the world who used to be a slave. The way life molded you to have to survive your battles sometimes makes you not even recognize yourself anymore. You find yourself crying out to God to replace your heart of stone with a heart of flesh again. Tired of all the inner turmoil, you turn to your Father. In weeping, heartfelt plea, you recognize the irony when you find yourself praying, “I know who you are, but who do you say that I am?”
I have noticed some things in life: There always seems to be a nugget of truth in the arrows that the enemy hurls. And many times, it can be used against him and his message.
Yes, you are tired. Yes, you are weak. Yes, you are not as swift, or as strong, or as “with it” as you used to be. But the deception lies in the distraction of the word he uses: you.
Yes, you are tired, and weary, and weak, and sinful, and dirty, and not perfect, and not worthy.
So what?
All of that is true, but it is OK.
But why?
Because it’s not about you. And it’s not totally up to you, or only on your back, or in your hands. The truth is, you are weak and selfish and sinful and fall short, but you have a Father who is strong, quick, mighty, and long suffering, who does not grow weary or faint in the face of trials of the enemy, but stands around you guarding, protecting, and providing for you because He remembers you are “but dust,” and His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses. You are weary, but not weak; confused, but not shaken; scared, but brave; wounded, but continuing; disenchanted, but surrendered; sinful, but repentant; guilty, but forgiven. You are not the mistakes of your past; you have a hope and a future, promised and planned and provided by a God who cannot lie, and whose promises last forever.
Tired of the lies of the enemy that always remind you of what you are not, you ask the Lord, “What am I? Who do you say that I am?” And you hear the voice of truth say:
You are precious, loved, treasured;
valuable, wanted, capable and able;
perfect and blameless: robed in grace and made holy thru the blood of the only worthy One –
Saved.
Not condemed: holy, w/o blemish, innocent and unstained,
A new creation: an adopted descendant into a royal priesthood, an heir of the Promise.
You are my handiwork and masterpiece, created for the works that I prepared for you,
My ambassador: a reflection of my message a mouthpiece to the nations, and a light of hope to others.
You are my child, my beloved, my bride – a walking, talking, breathing testament of my promises.
You are mine.
You are tired but renewed; weary but prepared; disenchanted but ready; slower but accurate; hesitant but wise; sinful but repentant; guilty but forgiven, saved, and unashamed.
You are not what the enemy has said you are, you are more.
You are more than your past, your failures, and mistakes. You are actually more than conquerors in the fight, equipped to trample on snakes and scorpions, and the lion, cobra, and serpent – speaking truth to darkness, and bringing hope to the oppressed.
Oh, my child, you are not worthless, or a loser, or a mistake.
You are so. much. more.
Sweet Mimosa 