Its Your Story, Own It.

“Some of us cannot receive what God is doing in our lives because we are too married to our 

expectations of what we thought God was going to do.”- Not a Hostage: Life Church Podcast

This struck a cord with me yesterday as I listened to this podcast because I have been a hostage to my own expectations more than I would like to admit. How often do we let our expectations control our joy? How many times have you been in difficult circumstances and you pray that they will change? How many times have you felt the need to be liked, the need to be skinnier, the need to be a better mom, wife or friend? How many times have you looked at what your expectations of motherhood would be like and thought, “Where did I go wrong?” lol. When instead you can look in the mirror and realize that you are already enough for the only one who matters. You are made perfectly in His image not anyone else’s on this earth, and you will never be able to fill those shoes, so stop trying. Something that was hard for me was that I spent my most of my twenties running from was my story. I let me story shame me instead of embracing it and owning it. For most of my twenties I spent thinking that what happened and how the choices I made in my life were a shame to God and to my family. I prayed that God would change everything in my life, but me. I prayed that somehow magically it would be as if none of it ever happened. My expectations of what I thought my life would turn out like are extremely different from what my life is, but it is more beautiful than I could have imagined.

“What God is more interested in changing you rather than your situation”- Life Church Podcast

This whole podcast was about the apostle Paul and how he spent his time in prison bringing glory to God. What Paul began to realize that what was happening to him was actually bringing glory to the gospel. He didn’t let his circumstances change his perspective. So what if your story is a rough one, mine is not pretty and definitely isn’t squeaky clean. So what if you did some bad things. If you draw closer to God’s truth, He will grant you His wisdom that you are searching for. If your life isn’t where you thought it would be, maybe it’s because your view point needs to change. Just because you did those things does not make you a bad person, it means that you are human.  What if your story can bring God’s love to the world? What if telling your story can help people and remind them that they are not alone. I let my story shame me for a long time, and when I finally let it out and how God has helped me in my life, you know what, I found out people are out there all over the world who need it will hear it. Every single time I have told my story I have helped someone. I pray every time that even if it’s only one person, let me bring your love to them. Every time I have reached out God has shown me His grace. Something I have learned over the last few years is this; God made each us unique, one story isn’t better than the other, everyone’s story is different, it’s how you bring honor to Him in your story that truly matters. Do not spend your life being a hostage to your expectations. Instead of being held hostage to your expectations, you need to be trusting God in the process.

“Seeking to obey God in the midst of whatever circumstance I’m facing will position 

me to work in the flow of God’s power.” – Lysa TerKeurst

Trusting God especially if your circumstances are not meeting your expectations is hard to do. Recently I shared a quote I found somewhere on social media and it’s, “There is no testimony without a test.” He wants us to be tested and our faith to be tested because that’s how we grow stronger in our faith and that’s how we grow closer to Him. We have to remember that His strength is greater than ours, His plans will far exceed our expectations if we remain close with Him. The ultimate test of true faith is trusting and believing in what you cannot see. Embrace who you are because He made you to be enough. Embrace your story and use it to bring glory to God, because He is good in everything. Something I read recently in my devotional by Lysa Terkeurst said this, “Our soul was tailor-made to be filled with God and His truth.” Seek His word and let His wisdom speak truth into your life and bring that truth out into this world.

“My feet are chained but my spirit is free.”-Life Church Podcast

XOXO