The topic of character development keeps coming up in my life. First it was my hearts desire, then I felt convicted about addressing it, and now for the last week or so just about every speech or sermon Ive heard addresses the concept. Im thankful to be in a season in life and in my faith in God that Im not AS focused on overcoming old habits like my addictions, or my lust, or partying (behaviors). Those things are weighty and important, but Im thankful to be lead to go deeper and look at the source of my decisions, my actions, and my words. God literally is inviting us to unzip ourselves straight down the middle and look on the inside at what is at the heart of who we are. The exercise is strengthening because we are able to see with His guidance what is TRUE about us and who we really are, and then separate from that also the things that are not intended to be there: Anger, Frustration, Control/Critical Behaviors, Insecurity, Procrastination, Hesitation, Doubt, Co-dependency, Seeking validation and approval in others, Guilt Addiction, Comparing yourself to others/Measuring up rather than running your own race, etc. Things that we may have been over looking and just dealing with can in fact be falsehoods!! And because we havent taken the time to look at the source of what made us feel or believe those things, we live with them and operate in them. We walk in and out of our jobs, function in our marriages, deal with strangers, even the way we worship or seek God can be affected by the limits that these things place on our heart and vantage point. Im so thankful for the community I ended up in and my church home because Ive learned more about GRACE now that ever. Grace is Gods is loving acceptance of us wherever we are at. So as I literally am unzipping my midsection daily to search what is inside of me, I can take to Him in prayer all that I find (good and bad) and know that I am still essentially GOOD. I can also know that by His love and what He is able to teach me in His word, that He can replace anything that should not be there with WHAT SHOULD. Pray for my on my journey to further growth in myself and in my relationship with Him, and know that I am daily praying for the same in all of you my loved ones. XOXOX, JennyBooBear
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 17:15:13 +0000