To the Girl Who Has Had a Tough Week

This post was originally written for Delight Ministries' Blog. 

Can I be real with you all for a second? This week I cried a lot of overwhelmed, stressed-out, feeling-like-I’m-not-good-enough tears. It was just one of those weeks where I was feeling discouraged, beat-down, and broken. Don’t we all have those weeks every once in a while? The ones where we realize just how human we really are? I sure do. God has been showing me some cool things this week, so, sweet friend; let me share them with you.

We need to allow ourselves to be human!

Gals, I fully believe that our humanity is as much of a blessing as it is a curse. The fact of the matter is that we will have some JUNK in our lives on this side of eternity. All of us will - it’s unavoidable. God actually promised us that in His word. Let me tell you girls – that promise of struggle is REALLY frustrating to me. I keep waiting for it to end – I was sure that once I got to college most of my insecurities would be left in the dust. Well, that didn’t happen. I still struggle. As I grow up, I just realize more and more that I am nowhere near perfect, not even close! When I find myself being SUPER frustrated with my anxiousness and worry and any other not-from-God feeling in my life, I turn myself to some sweet scripture in 2 Corinthians 12. In this passage, Paul literally looks at God and says he will BOAST in his weaknesses because he knows God’s glory will be revealed in it.

In my life, this means believing that these hard and messy things I face have been filtered through Gods hands and allowed into my life with the ultimate purpose of driving me into a deeper and more intimate dependence upon Him. It means believing that even on the toughest days, when I literally pray 100+ times just to get through a class without crying, my dependence upon Him is sweet, NOT bitter. Honestly girls, it is FREEING to come to terms with this. It will completely change your perspective in the stuff that’s un-comfy. This dependence has freed me to accept that life is hard, embrace my humanity and allow myself to feel sadness or brokenness or disappointment – because that’s when I’m reminded of my constant need for Him. And really, I think that’s what God is after. Not our perfection or put-togetherness, but our hearts. All the realness, all the junk. He wants our dependence, our full and desperate attention. And let me tell you, I know I am fully His when I acknowledge and accept my humanity and desperately depend on Him.

Preach truth to yourself daily. 

It’s really easy for me to look at my friends and preach truth to them. You’re going through a hard week? GIRL, God’s got you – He is good at taking care of His kids. You’re feeling discouraged? Seriously, even those who faithfully walk with Christ go through deserts – hold onto the victory you have in Him! This is only a season. But, let me be really real with you – I am SO quick to exclude myself from these promises. I can look at God, recognize that He faithfully and lovingly lavishes grace on His kids – but somehow I consider myself exempt from that.

This week I started walking up to the mirror and preaching to myself. I know that sounds SO CHEESY – but it works. I look myself in the eyes in my bathroom mirror and start reminding myself of the big picture truth of the Gospel. That a perfect and loving God came down from His nice and lavish heavenly kingdom and literally went to HELL AND BACK because He loved ME that much. I remind myself that – as messy my life feels- nothing can change that truth. That same Savior – the one who walked out of the tomb – is drawing my heart nearer and nearer to Him daily.

All of that to say, I pray you ladies remember the hope we have in Christ. I pray that even in your deepest pits, you would remember that you are not for one second walking (or crawling) alone - and that even when you cannot see it, you serve a righteous, loving and powerful God who is fighting for you as you sit still in His presence.