On Our Hearts: People Pleaser Pitfall

Is my hair just right? Do these shoes go with my outfit? Am I standing in the right spot? Did I say the right thing? What are they going to think if I do that? How many times have these type of thoughts passed through your mind? Every time you leave the house you probably check your make-up or your outfit in the mirror at least once. If you've ever walked into a crowded room you've probably wondered how you were going to be received and what others were thinking. It's hard not to care about what others think of us. Society tells us that we need to have the whitest teeth, the trendiest purse, and the perfect body.

But do you care what God thinks about you? Are your attitudes and actions pleasing to Him? If you're a Believer in Christ you know that Jesus is our redeemer and we don't need to be perfect for Him to love us. But what if we spent less time trying to please strangers and more time trying to please God?

Dear Father God,

Thank you for creating us perfect in your eyes. On this earth we are imperfect and often fail in how we act, how we dress, and in what we say. Thank you for loving us just where we are. We ask that you help us to keep our focus on you. When we start to look to the world for validation, remind us that we have a King in heaven who doesn't require our clothing to be immaculate, You clothe us in Your garment of salvation. When we fuss about not having the right talent or skill, remind us that we are expertly made in Your sight. And if we stumble and reveal all of our flaws, give us Your grace and humbleness to cover our blemishes.

Amen

"As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2

On Our Hearts: Perfection With a Purpose

Have you ever looked at the underside of a quilt before the backing was put on? You don't have to look close to see that all those pieces that look so perfect on the front are not exactly perfect underneath. There are jagged edges, frayed fabric, and cuts throughout. Thankfully a quilter hides that jumbled mess by adding some batting and a soft backing so when it is laid on a bed one only sees the beautiful artwork on top. This is how God sees you. He knows you're a jumbled mess on the inside. You are full of frays, cuts and bruises but to Him you are a beautiful masterpiece. A carefully crafted child of God that He has designed for a purpose. Do you think of yourself in the same way? Are you spending all your time trying to cover up the mess underneath instead of letting God take care of that for you? No matter how messed up you are on the inside God still loves you and sees the potential He's put in you.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you so much for loving us just where we are. We are not perfect but Your design is. You see each one of us as beautiful inside and out and we want to see it too. Help us to realize the potential You have put in each of us. You have accurately stitched us to be without blemish in Your eyes, let us not fret over the superficial flaws. We ask that you daily remind us of Your unconditional love for us. We thank You for picking us up when we fall, for tending our wounds, and for healing our scars. Like batting in a carefully constructed quilt we soften the imperfections with Your word and back them with faith. We praise You Lord for the work You have done in us and for the work that is still yet to be done.

Amen

"You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt. Nothing about me is hidden from you! I was secretly woven together deep in the earth below, but with your own eyes you saw my body being formed. Even before I was born you had written in your book everything I would do." Psalm 139:13-16

On our Hearts: Insecurities

Father

Why do we worry what others think about us? Why is it so hard to accept others opinions or critiques about us? Ultimately You made us, You love us, we should be confident in ourselves. Whether it is our physical appearance- hair, nails, clothes, or our personalities, our attitude, our approach, our faith. We often worry if we will fit in, be good enough. Am I ‘that’ mom that all the other mom’s look at and scratch their heads at? Father this is just our insecurities.

Father we pray that we stop worrying what others think. Remind us that these are just the outward things, they mean nothing. What brand of clothes we buy, where we get our nails done, what vehicle we drive, how big our house is, or how successful our husbands are. In the end none of this will matter, the only thing that matters is our belief in You. We pray that we, as mothers, can direct our efforts to teach our children the true focus of life and not get so caught up in the madness of it all.

Amen

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

On Our Hearts: True Beauty

Heavenly Father,

There are times when we just can't help but feel inferior. We look in the mirror and all we can see are our faults. My legs are too short, my nose is too long, there's too much gray in my hair - the list goes on and on. Why must we constantly compare ourselves to others? Forgive us for thinking the worst when the pretty young thing stood behind us at the checkout. We were so busy counting our own flaws that it is no wonder that we looked so unfriendly to her.

Lord, please show each and every one of us the beauty that You see. We need help looking past all the imperfections and seeing how perfect You have made us to be. Let us not compare our bodies to others, but to Your standard. The Bible tells us that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made". Lord, we ask that whenever we look in the mirror we see that true beauty that You have sculpted together with Your mighty hands.

Amen

"Charm can be deceiving, and beauty fades away, but a woman who honors the LORD deserves to be praised." Proverbs 31:30