God Don’t Make No Junk!

Have you ever felt that you are just not "good enough?" I have that feeling fairly often and it can rob you of your joy for life. It is quite literally a feeling that suffocates you and prevents you from growing emotionally and spiritually. I am convinced that the devil is one hundred percent behind this feeling and uses it to derail you and prevent you from living your life the way God intends you to.

Have you ever been at a function and felt like the outsider, the ugly, frumpy, unwanted one and convinced yourself that your invitation was actually a mistake but that the host is just too polite to say anything? Or looked at your reflection when you're at your most vulnerable and wondered who the freak-show is in the mirror? Oh, and how about this, sat with a group of people and felt like the stupidest person in the room and that everyone is talking above your IQ level?

So how do you combat it? Well, personally, it's one of the hardest things to fight. If you mention it to others then they just brush it off as you being silly, or if you try and convince yourself that you are wrong, you always end up losing the argument! I have found that the only way to deal with this is to remind myself that God has made me in His image; that He created me to be exactly, uniquely, specifically as I am and that it's ok if I don't fit in with societies idea of 'beauty'; in addition He spent years pursuing me because He, the Creator of the Universe, loves me exactly as I am and wants a personal relationship with me! Of course, one additional thing that you can do is tell that pathetic little wimp of a demon to buzz off because you are busy and totally not interested in his stupid ramblings and comments. I personally enjoy doing that as I find it rather empowering!

As hard as it is sometimes, try and remind yourself of some of the following simple truths; you are not what you weigh; it's the size of your heart that draws people to you, not the size of your thighs! You are exactly as God wants you to be, but it's up to you to use all that He gave you to be the best you can be – you cannot be anybody else and if you were, well then who would they be? Other people can only put you down if you let them! Don't make excuses for who you are, make the most of who you are!

If anyone has any pearls of wisdom to add, please write them in the comment box.

Satan Tempts – God Tests – Do you know the difference?

 

How often do you hear people say "God is tempting me?" Quite honestly it drives me crazy because they don't seem to realize that God will never tempt us to sin. That is, after all, what temptation is. Satan will always tempt us, it is his plan to de-rail us from our walk with God, to cause us to sin and consequently feel ashamed, guilty, unworthy, anything that will make us turn our backs on God. Temptation comes in many different forms. We are all familiar with the well known ones of lust, adultery, pornography, addictions like alcohol and gambling, but there are far more subtle temptations that we have to resist. For example, to spend your tithe money on a new gadget or handbag, to spend hours playing games on the computer when you could be spending some of that time in prayer or reading your Bible. To find other "important" things to do when the Church calls for volunteers to help feed the poor, etc., etc. I am sure that everyone of you reading this can come up with some secret "pleasure" that you have that takes your attention away from God and fritters your time away on some useless pursuit.

God however, will test us. In the same way that a motor vehicle is tested for safety, endurance, reliability, so God will put us through various tests in life. The tests that God gives us may include hardships, persecution and suffering. The testing that God puts us through will refine us, strengthen us and draw us ever closer to Him. There are so many examples in the Bible of how God tested people, Job, of course being the most well known one. Put yourself in Job's shoes for a minute; would you have reacted to God's tests as he did? Or would you turn your back on God, not trusting Him with the bigger picture of your life.

We have to understand that our problems and trials are the testing ground for how God is going to use us, throughout our lives, to advance His Kingdom. We are being molded and shaped by the master potter, however, unlike clay, we have a choice as to how we are going to react to that molding and shaping. Just as a lump of clay does not know what it is going to be shaped into, but through being malleable and workable the Potter is able to turn it into a work of art that is both functional and beautiful, so we do not know what God is shaping us for. That is where faith comes in, and when we have faith we are able to be obedient and when we are obedient God uses us in amazing, life fulfilling ways that will be rewarded for all eternity.