Hand a little girl a mirror after telling her how beautiful she is and she will see a princess peering at her through her own reflection. Years later, hand her a mirror and she may see something entirely different. What she sees in the present moment is a reflection of her past.
Our mental ability to recreate images from the past enables us to reinterpret them. If the image is distorted, our "view" will be distorted. Our reality is based on our own perception and it will be as looking into a carnival mirror if our perception is not based on Gods truth.
Most of us remember the childhood story of The Jungle Book, about a young boy, Mowgli, who was raised by wolves in the Indian Jungle. Through a series of events, Mowgli stumbles into a human village and is adopted by a human family. But, he has a hard time adapting to the "human life." Being raised by wolves, he did not see himself as a human boy, he saw himself as a wolf. He was a human that acted like a wolf. Living with the wolves did not change who he was, it changed who he thought he was.
Do you know who you are, or are you like Mowgli? Has the past, and/or your present circumstance, distorted your view of who you really are? Call a child a wolf long enough and he will begin to believe it and act like a wolf.
Dust your mirror off and shower yourself in His Word. If you want to know who you really are, you must know He is and who you are in Him.
You are so much more than what the human eye and mind can understand. You have been fearfully and wonderfully made; created with a purpose.
Praise Him, for you are fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are His works.
Psalm 139:14
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine.
Isaiah 43:1
Have you fallen into agreement with the lies that have been spoken over you? Perhaps you have even spoken those lies yourself? The power of life and death is in our words. Begin to speak His truth.
Separate yourself from who/what tears you down. It is OK to set boundaries. It is OK to love someone from a distance. Surround yourself with people who care about you and saturate yourself in His word. Release those that have hurt you, walk in forgiveness. I know this is not always easy, but it is for your good. Forgiveness does not right a wrong, but it will free you from the bondage that holds you .
You were created for so much more. Get out of the mud and let Him break the chains that keep you bound. Only through Him will you find healing. Only in Him will you find yourself. There is no substitution.
So, when those thoughts come in, when the lies try to invade, hold it up to the truth of His Word. Begin to say, "Thus say the Lord...."
Then when you look in the mirror, you will not see the distorted image as in a carnival, you will see Him. You will see His reflection in you and you will marvel how beautiful is His creation and His creation is you.
You are His beloved.
Be Free & Stay Free
If we have not experienced the unconditional love and affection of our fathers while growing up, we may find ourselves in toxic relationships; or unsatisfying, at the most.
As little girls we yearn to be loved and protected by our fathers. If that need was not met we become women who will accept anyone (or anything) who will offer to fill that need. Often, what they offer is a counterfeit and before we realize it we are sucked into another relationship that heaps coals onto our fire of doubt, insecurity, fear and self-hatred.
This is not an issue of intelligence, but a matter of the heart.
A wounded heart that is unable to self love will struggle with boundaries. Our mind may know that a person is not right for us, but our emotional need to fill a void will tolerate almost anything.
Do you find history repeating itself? Are you giving more to a relationship than you are receiving? Is your fear of being alone greater than your courage to walk away?
I have heard women say "love has eluded me." Honestly, I admit, that I too have echoed these words. I have wondered if would ever experience love and I have found myself settling. It is not a good feeling, is it? What I have learned, and am still learning, is there is no man out there that can fill this void.
When we have not experienced the love of our fathers, we have no standard to measure the love of a man. Without this, we set our standards low, and because we do not value ourselves, we find ourselves with men who devalue us. We fall in love too easy and we are crushed when it is not reciprocated. We, unfairly, demand that a man love and value us, when we can't even love or value ourselves.
We mask our insecurities with false independence. We brush off assaults and "act" strong. We cry, we become bitter, untrusting, and then we hop into another relationship. With each new relationship we have hopes and illusion that 'this time he is the one'. We ignore red flags, we stifle our fears, we act on impulse and we become foolish women.
Do not awaken love until the time is right - Song of Solomon 2:7
When is the time right? You will know you are ready for love when you have first fallen in love with yourself. To love yourself you must first meet the true love of your Father. I am not talking about your earthly, biological father. I am talking about your Heavenly Father. Your real Father who you can cry out to as 'Abba, Father' (Galatians 4:6) He is not a man sitting in the clouds somewhere and unapproachable. He is with you right now and He cares for you.
We must first know who He is and who He created us to be. We must accept His unconditional love and receive His affections toward us.
Dear woman, you are His creation, His daughter. He does not love as man does, His love is flawless. He is faithful. He is strong. He is patient. He is kind and He sees you as beautiful and worthy.
Cultivate your relationship with Jesus before you attempt a relationship with a man. Until you fully understand how much He adores you, and trust Him, you will continue in one empty relationship after another.
You are so worth it! You are beautiful! You are the precious daughter of the King, take your position.
Be Free & Stay Free!
