Day 104 of 365 Days of Transformation

I'm running behind on my Beth Moore study, Children of the Day. So, I did two lessons today. I needed them. It helped to put into perspective some of the issues that I am going through as well as some that my friends are going through.

The bottom line is that we are all in need of a Savior. And even though I have accepted Christ as my personal Savior, I am far from perfect. I still find that I am my own biggest hindrance to my walk with God. And as I watch my friends struggle, I am bitterly reminded of how my own mentors probably watched my own struggle, neglecting to follow their wisdom and seek answers and solace in the Word and presence of God. But there is no doubt in my mind that they continued to pray despite my failure to listen to them.


Where am I going with this? I'm watching my friends struggle with different issues that I myself have gone through. And my heart breaks as I watch them make the very same mistakes that I did. The bottom line is that no one should hold anyone else responsible for his/her personal happiness. We each should strive to learn how to be content in every circumstance (Phil. 4:11). And we should each strive to accept each other exactly where we are while encouraging each other to grow and be better.

That last one has been a hard one for me. But once I realized what I needed to do, it really helped me in my own personal relationships. All of my life, all I ever wanted was to be accepted for who I was, not to be made to feel as if I was less because I failed to meet any one certain person's expectations. When I realized that this was something that I had wanted then I realized that I needed to sow that into others. Surely, I wasn't the only person out there that ever felt this way.

And I wasn't. God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, has led me to so many people who have already learned this lesson. And from them, I finally learned how to love myself in a balanced way which then enabled me to fully receive the love of my wonderful loving God. Now, I am learning how to share that love with others, loving them exactly where they are.

I understand how Paul felt in 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20. He so wanted to be with the Thessalonians, but couldn't get to them. He wanted to be with them to help them to continue to grow and expand in Jesus. As I watch my friends struggle, I witness whenever the Holy Spirit gives me something to say. And I pray. And I love. And I give thanks to God that while I am nowhere near where I need to be, I am so far from where I use to be.