27 Oct 26…love & respect
Posted at 04:02h
in
blog
by Emily Lorin
Notice: This is not a post on the book Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Edderichs. It is however, intrigued with this book for it’s subtitle.
“Love & Respect: The love she most desires. The respect he desperately needs.”
I like to think that I have the best and brightest of friends so I am going to believe that if you want to improve your relationships you will find the book and read it for yourself. Therefore, you do not need it spoon fed from me. I don’t want to talk about relationships tonight which is shocking, I know, but I do want to talk about you. You, my sweet twenty-something-year-old, wherever you are in your life.
I have discovered that while love and respect are two things we desperately need from our significant other, spouse, what have you…these are two things we must tenderly and graciously grant ourselves first.
Remember at the beginning of the month when we talked about
knowing where your identity lies? Well this is along the same lines, but it’s taking that knowledge you know to be true and believing it in your heart (The knowledge that your identity lies in Christ. That God chose you first. That God finds you worthy to love. That He finds you beautiful, magnificent, and wonderfully made to do good works for him.)
…because there is a distinct difference between head and heart knowledge.
Your life is distinctly different between the head’s acknowledgement of this and the heart’s joyful acceptance and living out of this.
This morning a song that I’ve heard hundreds of times came on the radio and it struck me…that it is probably one of my favorite songs because it relates so lovely to some of the verses that I find most powerful in the bible.
(Bear with me as I try to explain to you how this all relates…from brain…to fingers…to keys…to computer…to you…it can sometimes get tricky.)
Philippians 2: 1-8 says,
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!”
(There is a lot of theological richness in these verses. I am not a theologian and am not claiming to be. I simply desire to share with you the note they struck within me. )
These are some of my favorite verses because they call to question my every action and my reason for it. “Am I doing this with the same mindset as Christ?” More importantly it also helps me to put things in perspective. One night when I was studying my bible I read these verses and made a note in the margin: “Who am I?”
Who am I to not serve?
Who am I to be prideful?
Who am I to be bitter?
Who am I to hold a grudge?
Who am I to hold myself above others?
Who am I to try to control?
If Jesus Christ, the Savior, Son of God humbled himself being “made nothing,” who am I to not do the same?
Who am I to not believe that I am worthy?
Who am I to not love myself?
Who am I to continuously put me down?
Who am I to not treasure me?
Who am I to speak so negatively to and about myself?
If Jesus Christ, the Savior, Son of God, and God himself have deemed me worthy enough for Jesus to die, who am I to reject that?
Casting Crowns asks the same question:
Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart
Not because of who I am
But because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You’re
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
And You’ve told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours
Who Am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who Am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me
I am Yours
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
‘Cause I am Yours
I am Yours
I love the last part… “I am Yours, Father. Whom shall I fear…because I am Yours?
As important as it is to love and respect your spouse and significant other…it is even more important to love and respect yourself.
No one else can do it for you. Everyone else is too busy trying to figure out this thing called life for themselves.
Do what it takes to cultivate that within yourself. Put post-its of truth on every wall you see throughout the day. Quit your job and do something you respect. Chase God’s will for your life. Be radical. Do not be stuck in a box because “culture says” there is one great way to live life.
You are worthy.
You are loved.
You are adored.
The King is swept away by your beauty.
You are beloved.
You are unique with a very special purpose that no one else can fulfill.
Who are you to box yourself in, to look down upon your character, body, job, career, habits, mistakes failures, success, figure, hair, muscle mass, income, failures, hurts, bruises, scars and find yourself unworthy?
We are all unworthy…that’s the crazy part.
But God says, “No, I find you worthy enough to be co-heirs with Christ, the one I sent to die for you. You are my blessed child. I have cherished you so much that I have pursued you from before creation began.”
So use your twenties to learn how to love and respect yourself. Don’t put yourself down. Don’t hate your body. Don’t beat yourself up every single day with guilt and shame over mistakes God has already let go and forgiven you for. Don’t bask in your failures knowing you will never be “good enough.” Don’t be discontent in all you do.
For the person God has made and called you to be…
…because it is only then that you can truly offer these things to another.
26…love & respect…yourself
For more on the 31 day challenge check it out here…
KJM
Posted at 17:16h, 27 Octoberbrilliant….just brilliant!
EmilyLorin
Posted at 03:12h, 28 OctoberAnonymous
Posted at 08:23h, 15 MarchVery energetic post, I loved that bit. Will there <br />be a part 2?<br /><br />Have a look at my website :: <a href="http://wearegamers.asia/network/link/30864" rel="nofollow">Viagra USA</a>
Anonymous
Posted at 22:54h, 19 MarchWith the treatment you will have a resource that will aid your body in producing various elements like testosterone, aiding in overcoming any sexual problems.<br />" Following their stringent tests, the final conclusion was that Korean red ginseng can be are able of treating male men's. Then again, the tension he is sensing can shortly influence his confidence and might very easily turn
Anonymous
Posted at 00:38h, 20 MarchAging: As we grow older, our circulatory system declines and becomes <br />less effective. Penile implant is a device placed inside your penis to help obtain an erection.<br />Then again, the tension he is sensing can shortly influence his confidence and might very <br />easily turn to stress with regards to his intimate sexual contact.<br /><br /><br />Also visit my website <a href="http://
Anonymous
Posted at 00:46h, 20 MarchFor more articles and information about taking control of your life, visit:.<br />Is it really true you can reverse impotence naturally if you are 65 decades old.<br />The blood gets heavier and thus it is doesn’t moves on quickly to all body parts.<br /><br /><br />Here is my web site: <a href="http://wordpress.breathingjuice.com/?page_id=10&hl=" rel="nofollow">Buy Viagra In Budapest</a>