"I Have Called You by Name" ---- { Day 142 }

Earlier this week, I started writing about some really raw things and I was going to put it in my blog post but decided against it.  You know how you can regret saying it out loud or putting it all out there and then you can’t take it back.  

I will say that writing it always helps me process the situation and somehow makes me feel better.  So, while I’m not going to put it all out there I am going to touch on some of it.  Because I feel like I should.

I’m amazed at how quickly I can go from one emotion to the next.  How quickly I can feel so sure of myself and God’s love for me – to feeling so alone and unwanted.  There are times that I have a firm hold of my identity as a child of God that nothing can bring me down. Then there is this time…social media has its good days and bad days.  

I’m so thankful that social media was not around when I was a kid…and I’m a little scared for my children with it.  There are a lot of things that I like about social media…I’m in contact with my “real” friends, family that I don’t get to see often, and I’m an assistant group leader for Proverbs 31 Online Bible Studies.  These are the positives.  

It becomes bad when you begin to define yourself or give all of your attention to it.  If we put the same amount of attention into picking up our Bibles than the “smart phone” – we’d know who’s we are and not question our self-worth. 

 

“Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you.” Isaiah 43:4

I miss the simplicity of life.  It’s so much easier for people to be “brave” behind a computer screen and say or post whatever they want not thinking about what it might do to someone else.  Or not caring what it will do to that person.  It is so much easier to post something than it is to look someone in the eyes and speak it.  It’s so much easier to type away to a computer screen than to look at the soul standing right in front of you. 

God says, “I have called you by name, you are mine.”

  

It’s so important…in my mind….to have like minded friends.  Do I have 200 and some friends?  No.  I have a handful of “true” friends.  And these people will be with me no matter what.  True friends stay…true friends love…true friends support.  If I were to start social media all over again – I would be very careful who I let on my friends list.  If I could have a redo I would.  So whenever my kids are old enough for social media that will be my advice to them.  Don’t just allow whoever to be your “friend” because life on social media can be hard.  It can be stressful and that is sad.  So how do you deal with it?

*Remember that only God defines you.  

*Be Christ-like to all.

*Staying on God’s “page” and knowing your true identity as a child of God will keep negative thoughts at bay. 

*When the negative thoughts start to creep in…open His Word and read real TRUTH.  

*Forgive – for yourself.  

*God loves you.

 

"In God’s economy, people don’t stand on opposing sides of the conflict scale. People stand on one side and Satan stands on the other.

When we dump hurt into one another’s lives, we aren’t leveling the conflict scale. We are just weighing down the people side of the scale and elevating the Satan side of the scale. Satan loves it when we do his work by dumping on each other.

The secret to healthy conflict resolution isn’t taking a you-against-me stance, but realizing it’s all of us against Satan — he’s the real enemy."
Lysa TerKeurst, Unglued

  

 

Life is changing fast and we have to go along with the ride…but God never changes.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  His love is not fickle and He will never hurt you. 

Believe in His promises.  Believe what He says about you.  Rest in Him.

Because really…in the end it doesn’t matter what’s being said, done, or spewed on social media…what matters is your relationship with Jesus.  See yourself as He sees you. Grace.

He asks for us to be light dwellers…go and SHINE.