Tag: Jesus

God

Perfectly Imperfect

meghanewhite

67F4262C-2989-4EAE-9179-EB3AD6EDA3B7

For several days I was trying to get a picture of a butterfly with no success. They would just fly right past me. I had given up and didn’t see any butterflies for weeks. Then out of nowhere this gorgeous swallowtail stopped and posed for me. I took a few pictures, turned around, and it was gone. It’s beautiful. Perfect. Or so I thought. I noticed a broken wing tip. Still beautiful, but imperfect.

Physical beauty is revered around the world. We love aesthetic. There’s nothing wrong with that in and of itself. God has made beautiful things and people. His creation is exquisite. From people, animals, mountains, oceans, stars, planets, and everything in between. I am blown away every single day at God’s creation. From my youngest son’s freckles on his cheeks to the variety of palm trees just in my backyard alone. Beautiful. Perfect.

The problem is with people. If we give a person value based on what we see, it’s wrong. Perfect hair, skin, clothes, and being thin, look good to our human eyes. Yep, that person must have no problems. They are beautiful. Perfect. Upon closer examination we will find physical imperfections. If we look deeper into their character, we will see they are actually not perfect. Just regular humans like you and me.

God made each of us perfectly imperfect. He made no mistake how you and I are made, imperfections and all.  Some of us have physical or mental disabilities, diseases, and all sorts of afflictions. We are made this way with the purpose of God shining his light through our weakness and brokenness. We need Him. We all have issues and struggles whether physical, spiritual, mental, or emotional. These issues can either tear away at our beauty or His light can shine through them and make us beautiful.

The truth is real beauty is inside of us. Not outside. What God cares about the most is our heart. He looks straight through the exterior stuff to our hearts. All throughout the Bible the heart is mentioned figuratively as the core of who we are. Our heart condition determines our attitudes and actions, and defines us. Our heart is so important that we need to guard it since life flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (NIV). 

When Samuel was sent by the Lord to anoint a new king of Israel he thought for sure, based on appearance, that Jesse’s son Eliab was the one. Eliab was Jesse’s oldest son and must have looked pretty good to Samuel. Like a king should look. Tall and strong. “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, NIV).  Ultimately the youngest son David is anointed king. Just a shepherd boy.

God cares about our hearts deeply. It’s more important than any physical attribute or deficiency. Our heart tells who we are. A heart with Jesus as Lord has hope. There is healing. Forgiveness. Grace. Peace. Joy. Love. Help. Comfort. Kindness. Mercy. (I could go on and on). And one of the most amazing things, eternal life in heaven! Let’s completely surrender our hearts to God.

1 Samuel 16:7b “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (NIV).

Love you all,

Meghan

 

 

God

It Only Looks Scary

meghanewhite

D03662DC-3176-4B92-847C-A8D3A7582E2F

I used to be a little freaked out by dragonflies. They are really loud when they fly and they are kind of creepy looking. I thought they would sting me. Dragon is in their name so they must be scary, right? Some people are fascinated by dragonflies and think they are beautiful. I’ve grown to appreciate them but I’m not a big fan of insects in general. Living in Southeast Texas I’ve seen things. Large things. Large bugs to be exact. I won’t go into that now. Another time. What I have learned about dragonflies is they actually do a lot of good. They eat bugs. Lots of them. Especially mosquitoes. And where I live, that’s important.

Sometimes events or situations can appear very scary. Like how I assumed a dragonfly might do me harm. Many times much bigger, much scarier things will paralyze us. Our mind can go right to the worst case scenario and we are gripped with fear. I call this the ‘What if….’ problem. What if the doctor says cancer? What if I lose my job? What if she leaves? What if I fail? What if I never get better? What if. What if. What if. Fill in the blank. It can go on and on. I’ve been in that place of fear many times.

Other times our fears are based on real life experiences where we’ve had bad things happen to us and we don’t want to experience that pain again. Or, we are smack dab in the middle of facing our worst fears. The job loss, the death of a loved one, disease, depression, loneliness, physical pain, and so many more. There are multiple, valid reasons that cause us to be afraid. Fear is part of our human condition. It is unavoidable. We all will experience fear.

But, and this is a big BUT, there is hope. We do not have to stay in a place of fear as Christ followers. Fear is not from God, but it will draw us to Him. There are hundreds of verses on fear in the Bible. He is the opposite of that. God promises peace, a sound mind, and His power. He will never leave us. His word says it. If His word says it, than it’s true because God does not lie (Titus 1:2).

Here are just some of the many verses on fear.

“The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8, NASB). 

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid: do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NIV).

“Peace I leave with you: my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 NIV).

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4 NIV).

If you are in the depths of fear right now don’t give up. Write these verses down and look up the many more that are in the Bible. Place them in areas where you look everyday. Say them out loud. Find one or two verses to cling to and read them over and over again when you are being gripped with fear. Pray the verses over yourself or a loved one who is struggling. Keep crying out to God. He hears your prayers and will walk with you, and carry you, and give you peace. I know it’s hard. You are not alone!

I would love to pray for you! Please leave your prayer request in the comments or you can send it to me through my contact page on my site menu.

Love you all,

Meghan