Empowered is not a word I have always associated with myself. In the past I have felt defeated, overwhelmed, forgotten, unloved, unsatisfied, unworthy, and alone. I have labeled myself and then proceeded to live as if those labels were true. I have viewed myself not through God's loving eyes but through how I viewed my life experiences.
In Max Lucado's book "You Are Special" Punchinello learns that the dots placed by others don't have to stick. For much of my life I have lived with the dots of others opinion placed on my forehead. More often I have put the dots there myself. I have "hidden" my feelings by eating. I have watched my self esteem plummet and have felt like a failure. I have made excuses so that I didn't have to change my behavior. It has been a vicious cycle of shame, embarrassment, hopelessness and "feeding" those feelings of defeat with sugary treats and mindless eating. What I really needed to be doing was to believe my Maker. Because I am His, I matter to him.
I have, quite frankly, spent a lifetime dealing with unhealthy attitudes towards food. Food has been my closest friend at times as well as my greatest enemy. I have lost weight successfully following a healthy eating plan and exercising but inwardly my heart hadn't fully yielded to God. Eventually the outward changes couldn't keep up with the stagnant and stubborn inward heart.
Inwardly I didn't really believe that this time would be different. I had lost hope throughout years of feeling that I was unable to lose weight. In the past few months God has sparked a message of hope within me. He has spent the past several months preparing me because this time is different.
EMPOWERED
Empowered is a part tense verb. It means to invest someone with power, or "the power or authority to do something". Synonyms include qualify, enable, equip. This time is different because this time I have yielded my heart to God. I'm willing to give up the soda and treats that I have "secretly" held back from giving to God. This time is different because I have hope. God has given me a message of hope. It has started as a small spark deep inside of me and through his confirmation from His Word, worship and sermons it is growing. This time is different because God has given me the power, through the blood of Christ. He has equipped me with resources and support. He has qualified me to "Loose the chains of injustice that have bound me" Isaidh 58:6 to a limited life. Instead of continuing in the limited life that I am leading, i can live a limitless life in Christ. My past mistakes, hurts that have happened to me, reasons that I have stuffed my emotions through food no longer matter. I am empowered to live my life celebrating being a beautiful, beloved daughter of the Most High King. Wherever you are at in your life you can live a limitless life empowered by the precious blood of Christ and through Him who gives you strength and equips you for the task!
"You are precious in His sight"
Oh WOW thank you so much for sharing. I honestly felt like I was reading my life...I have been through the same journey of achieving results, but without the heart change, the results didn't stick. I've also labelled myself over the years, and during A Confident Heart, I went through a healing process of removing them.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you highlighted the past-tense of the word #empowered...I have never thought about that...God HAS empowered me...it's happened! I just need to embrace that truth for myself and allow God's truth to lift and carry me forward in my journey to victory.
Thank you for your insight :)
Sarah Travis (OBS Volunteer)
Thank you Sarah! A Confident Heart and many of the OBS have really been the vehicle through which God has changed my heart. I'm a work in progress.. as are we all!
DeleteWonderful post.I think empowered is a word that can sometimes be misused and so we don't always feel like we connect with the word. Wonderful to feel empowered through God. This Bible study has been great so far! Looking forward to more of your post for the blog hop. www.fortheirtenderhearts.com/
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree that it is wonderful to feel empowered through God! The world tries to tell us that we can do it on our own. Thanks for your encouraging words.
DeleteWow! Wow! and Wow! I am so inspired by your post. I will read it often. My name could be at the top next to yours only I haven't made it as far on my journey. You are an inspiration to me!
ReplyDeleteAwww.. Thanks Wendy! I'm so glad that God is speaking to you through my post. It's been a long time coming for me to truly yield my heart and be willing to give God the control. He patiently waits for us and that is awesome. What an amazing God we have, isn't He?
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