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Devotional

Today I wanted to encourage you.

It is so easy to look at ourselves in defect and shame when an ongoing affliction rises up in our life. To forfeit our purpose and live in this constant pit of “something is wrong with me”.

But I want to reassure you that this anxiety has not canceled God’s plan over your life. Your struggle has been no surprise to God. He is not taken off-guard by your fears and insecurities. He’s not waiting for some future version of you to show up. He delights in you, His child, right now. In fact, He gets the glory shining through our broken cracks.

His power is made perfect in your weakness.

What does that mean?

It means that despite your flaws, when God meets them, you become the perfect match. So be proud that He is at work in your life. It was never up to you to get this whole thing right.

What you’re going through now and the work God is doing in your life is all specifically tailored to the calling He has on your life. These vulnerabilities are a part of your story. They are how you will connect with the world around you from a real place of humanity and compassion. They are how you will be able to speak the language of the hurting and the broken and show them the light of Christ.

I’m a witness.

This series exists because of my weakness.

Remember when Jesus and the disciples came across a blind man and they asked Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus said, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:2-3)

Many times these struggles aren’t because of something we did. It isn’t because we’re any less Christian or because God has decided to turn His back on us.

We live in a fallen world, disrupted by sin, where being broken is inevitable. Some things God allows so that we may witness His restorative power and He will show His glory to others. So I want you to rebuke shame and condemnation.

God can turn our pain into a purpose and we have to trust His love in the process. And to be completely honest, while I hope these 7 days have encouraged you with the tools and edification to let go of anxiety, that doesn’t mean it won’t try to pop up again. It will.

On my weakest days, it still tries to have its way with me. But because of the combination of my understanding of how anxiety works, loved ones I can turn to as needed and personal accountability to take my thoughts captive, I have learned how to face it.

Renewing and sustaining our minds is a daily practice.

 

Action Steps:

Start seeking out accountability and don’t be afraid to reach out for the help you need to manage and develop more skills for combatting anxiety.

 

Today’s Prayer: Lord I know I’m not perfect but I trust that in spite of myself you are still faithful to see me through the trials of this life. Because of this, I will continue to have hope.