Not today, Satan, I've got my God-swagger on.

Want to feel like a kid again? Want to experience that carefree wonder just one more time?

One of the things I love about flying is its ability to bring out the inner child in me. When I look out into a sea of clouds, I can’t help but imagine bouncing around in them or relaxing in the puffy down-like never-ending billows. In my mind, there’s absolutely no chance I’d hurl through them and fall towards the earth faster than my latte for breakfast would allow me to. I feel exactly the same today looking out that small airplane window as I did when my knees weren’t even close to the seat in front of me. I ALWAYS pick a window seat, or the Wonder Seat, as I affectionately moniker it.

Wonder...I used the perfect word. Go, me! I think the sense of wonder is what I miss most about my childhood innocence. It’s long since been replaced by the wounds of life experiences, by the day-to-day monotony I sometimes let myself fall into because it is safe, and by the lies I tell myself about my true value everyday. These things are wonder-blockers.

Wounds. Life is meant to be felt. We were intelligently designed to be feeling creatures. What a gift! Our feelings bring us together, create new ideas, embolden us to discover new things, drive us to intimacy, and so much more. They make this life journey an amazing and thoroughly adventurous experience. But...wounds. For every positive emotion there is a correlating negative emotion. How would we comprehend the light if we had never experienced the dark? How would we ever be compelled to change our paths? The negative emotions of life are necessary and, dare I say, should be cherished, but within them lies the ability to be wounded.

I’m going to get vulnerable here. One of the big lies I let dictate my life for too long is that I am alone. If I need something, I am dependent on myself to make it happen because nobody else cares about me enough to help. Where did this absolute lie come from? Where did the devil get this stronghold on my life? How did I let this lie affect every choice, every thought I have, and every relationship in my life?

When I was a vulnerable child, there was a wound. The way I was treated by those dear to me ripped a hole in my heart. For the sake of survival, I learned to do by myself, otherwise it wasn’t going to happen. Because that hole in my heart wasn’t filled with the truths of God about how valuable I truly am and that I am never alone, not even for a second, the hole remained empty, and an empty hole is a direct invitation to our adversary. He is all too happy to fill our holes with lies about our worth. Those lies pull us away from God, which is the devil’s first crafty trick. He wants me to think I am alone, unloved, and worthless. A worthless person is not a very good candidate for spreading the love of Jesus, now is she?

Wounds in and of themselves are not bad. Hear me out. If we never felt the sting of rejection, what would propel us to put our big-girl panties on, change our approach, and try again? If we never felt the sadness of losing something or someone we love, what would compel us to hold tight onto and truly value the relationships we have and the things we have been blessed with in life? If we never felt the pain of being alone, when would we run to our Father God for true comfort? No, the wound itself is not the enemy, the lies that fill that void are.

When the truth of God is living and bubbling inside use, a wound is immediately filled with His truth. I love you. You are more precious to me than anything. You are designed for a purpose. You are never alone. When our wounds are filled with truth, there is absolutely no room for a lie. No vacancy at the inn. When those wounds are filled with truth, we are able to use those experiences to propel ourselves forward in a positive direction. Most importantly, when those wounds are filled with truth, God is glorified in them. He shines brightly for the world to see in our redeemed pain.

Guess what? I am not alone! YOU are not alone. No more lies. We have a true companion with us through thick and thin. I am valuable because the God who made me, on purpose, says I am. If the God of the universe created me exactly as I am for a reason, how can I argue that His workmanship is faulty? How can I argue that nobody cares about my needs when He promised to give me a partner in life that becomes one with me? I refute this now, for both myself and for YOU.

We are not alone. We are valuable. We are daughters of the one true King, so adjust your crown and step out in confidence like the princess you are. Not today, Satan, I’ve got my God-swagger on.

Now go break those bonds and live unbound!

#UnboundBethany

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#Faith #Identity