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Be Kind to Yourself
May 23, 2021
As I looked at some Oriental Lilies in the vase, I noticed that on one stem there were four stages of the flower opening. God spoke to me about how we all develop in different ways and at different times.
I immediately thought about how quickly we can judge others because they appear to not be where we are.
We judge people in church, because they’re not worshipping the way we worship.
We just others prayers because they’re not like our prayers.
We judge others walk with God because it’s not as deep as ours, or they don’t do mission like we do, or they don’t evangelise enough people, etc., etc..
We also judge ourselves, because we don’t measure up, we don’t do mission like others, we don’t worship like others, we’re not strong enough, not talented enough, and the list goes on. Some people actually have a false humility – where they think they’re humble, believe they’re humble, but actually it’s pride manifesting in a deformed way.
But God doesn’t want us to judge – not others, and certainly not ourselves. God wants us to see others as He sees them. God wants us to come alongside those that He puts in our lives and on our paths, and He wants us to learn and grow from the testimony of others about what they’re experiencing on their walk.
The more I thought about our reaction to others, the more Holy Spirit spoke to me about my own life – about how I’ve developed spiritually in some areas, and yet in other areas I’m still just a bud waiting to open fully. How hard am I on myself because I don’t do things the way I perceive they should be done? How much guilt do I live with because I don’t appear to be up to God’s standard? How much false humility do I walk in?
How about you? What is there in your life that you are being hard on yourself because you ‘don’t measure up’? What is there that you are beating yourself up about? What is in your life that you have seen victory in, and then feel frustrated because you don’t have victory in every area of your life? Have you checked yourself lately to see if you’re operating in false humility?
As I looked at that stem bearing the four stages of the Lily opening up, I came to see so clearly that the flowers weren’t striving to reach that glorious stage of being open, full of fragrance and beauty. They simply rested in the knowledge that they would develop at the pace that they needed to. Each bud didn’t try and outdo each other, they didn’t beat the other bud up because it was further developed than itself. Those that were fully open didn’t stand tall and proud, denouncing those buds that were still on the journey. They did what they had been created to do – grow, develop and flourish.
Let’s take our lesson from the Lily today – and be kind to ourselves as we walk with God every day.
As I encourage myself, I encourage you – take time to grow in your relationship with Him. Psalm 1:3 reminds us that in order to bear fruit, we must be firmly planted and rooted in Him. In order to grow in our relationship with God, we must be in relationship with Him. Not just attending Church once a week and thinking that’s enough, but each day spending time with God, seeking Him, learning about Him and learning from Him, and then applying that to our life. In order to bear fruit, we must be rooted in the good and nourishing soil of relationship with God, and receiving all the good that Holy Spirit pours into our lives. And when things don’t go according to plan – don’t give up, don’t go on a guilt trip, don’t compare and don’t give in to temptation. Simply try again, one step at a time. Growth sometimes happens quickly, and growth sometimes happens slowly. But keep growing.
Developing our relationship with God takes commitment. But it also takes resting in the secret place. Developing our relationship requires us to not just read the Word, but have Holy Spirit revelation of the heart of God in Scripture. Hebrews 4:9-13 [TPT] “9 So we conclude that there is still a full and complete Sabbath-rest waiting for believers to experience. 10 As we enter into God’s faith-rest life we cease from our own works, just as God celebrates his finished works and rests in them. 11 So then we must be eager to experience this faith-rest life, so that no one falls short by following the same pattern of doubt and unbelief. 12 For we have the living Word of God, which is full of energy, like a two-mouthed sword. It will even penetrate to the very core of our being where soul and spirit, bone and marrow meet! It interprets and reveals the true thoughts and secret motives of our hearts. 13 There is not one person who can hide their thoughts from God, for nothing that we do remains a secret, and nothing created is concealed, but everything is exposed and defenseless before his eyes, to whom we must render an account.” encourages us to be eager to experience God in the place of rest so that we can develop and mature in the ways of God, and get rid of the things that hinder us, allowing Holy Spirit to search us and reveal the ungodly in us, and let God minister to us through Scripture, and through the Spirit.
Finally we flourish in our walk with God. We bear the good fruit that God has prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10) because we have chosen to abide in the True Vine (John 15). We are fragrant because we are saturated with Jesus, and all who come near us will have a sense of the love of God for them (2 Corinthians 2:15, Ephesians 5:1-2). We will be beautiful, because the Beautiful One is resident in us, and we will arise and shine for the glory of the Lord is risen upon us, and the blessings that come to us will be blessings that we will share with others (Isaiah 60).
I bless you to be kind to yourself as you grow, Little Christ. I bless you to be mindful of yourself, and to not compare yourself with others. I bless you to grow in grace and compassion, and to develop into the person God has created you to be. I bless you to declare over yourself that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, that you have been created in the image of God, and that God cares for you and is mindful of you. I bless you to walk in the calling God has on your life, that you do all things through Christ who strengthens you. I bless you to be the light of Christ to the world, and to love all people with His love. I bless you to know that ALL things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. I bless you to be a blessing, and to bring beauty and fragrance and hope to everyone around you.
I bless you in Jesus’ Name
Jean
I immediately thought about how quickly we can judge others because they appear to not be where we are.
We judge people in church, because they’re not worshipping the way we worship.
We just others prayers because they’re not like our prayers.
We judge others walk with God because it’s not as deep as ours, or they don’t do mission like we do, or they don’t evangelise enough people, etc., etc..
We also judge ourselves, because we don’t measure up, we don’t do mission like others, we don’t worship like others, we’re not strong enough, not talented enough, and the list goes on. Some people actually have a false humility – where they think they’re humble, believe they’re humble, but actually it’s pride manifesting in a deformed way.
But God doesn’t want us to judge – not others, and certainly not ourselves. God wants us to see others as He sees them. God wants us to come alongside those that He puts in our lives and on our paths, and He wants us to learn and grow from the testimony of others about what they’re experiencing on their walk.
The more I thought about our reaction to others, the more Holy Spirit spoke to me about my own life – about how I’ve developed spiritually in some areas, and yet in other areas I’m still just a bud waiting to open fully. How hard am I on myself because I don’t do things the way I perceive they should be done? How much guilt do I live with because I don’t appear to be up to God’s standard? How much false humility do I walk in?
How about you? What is there in your life that you are being hard on yourself because you ‘don’t measure up’? What is there that you are beating yourself up about? What is in your life that you have seen victory in, and then feel frustrated because you don’t have victory in every area of your life? Have you checked yourself lately to see if you’re operating in false humility?
As I looked at that stem bearing the four stages of the Lily opening up, I came to see so clearly that the flowers weren’t striving to reach that glorious stage of being open, full of fragrance and beauty. They simply rested in the knowledge that they would develop at the pace that they needed to. Each bud didn’t try and outdo each other, they didn’t beat the other bud up because it was further developed than itself. Those that were fully open didn’t stand tall and proud, denouncing those buds that were still on the journey. They did what they had been created to do – grow, develop and flourish.
Let’s take our lesson from the Lily today – and be kind to ourselves as we walk with God every day.
As I encourage myself, I encourage you – take time to grow in your relationship with Him. Psalm 1:3 reminds us that in order to bear fruit, we must be firmly planted and rooted in Him. In order to grow in our relationship with God, we must be in relationship with Him. Not just attending Church once a week and thinking that’s enough, but each day spending time with God, seeking Him, learning about Him and learning from Him, and then applying that to our life. In order to bear fruit, we must be rooted in the good and nourishing soil of relationship with God, and receiving all the good that Holy Spirit pours into our lives. And when things don’t go according to plan – don’t give up, don’t go on a guilt trip, don’t compare and don’t give in to temptation. Simply try again, one step at a time. Growth sometimes happens quickly, and growth sometimes happens slowly. But keep growing.
Developing our relationship with God takes commitment. But it also takes resting in the secret place. Developing our relationship requires us to not just read the Word, but have Holy Spirit revelation of the heart of God in Scripture. Hebrews 4:9-13 [TPT] “9 So we conclude that there is still a full and complete Sabbath-rest waiting for believers to experience. 10 As we enter into God’s faith-rest life we cease from our own works, just as God celebrates his finished works and rests in them. 11 So then we must be eager to experience this faith-rest life, so that no one falls short by following the same pattern of doubt and unbelief. 12 For we have the living Word of God, which is full of energy, like a two-mouthed sword. It will even penetrate to the very core of our being where soul and spirit, bone and marrow meet! It interprets and reveals the true thoughts and secret motives of our hearts. 13 There is not one person who can hide their thoughts from God, for nothing that we do remains a secret, and nothing created is concealed, but everything is exposed and defenseless before his eyes, to whom we must render an account.” encourages us to be eager to experience God in the place of rest so that we can develop and mature in the ways of God, and get rid of the things that hinder us, allowing Holy Spirit to search us and reveal the ungodly in us, and let God minister to us through Scripture, and through the Spirit.
Finally we flourish in our walk with God. We bear the good fruit that God has prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10) because we have chosen to abide in the True Vine (John 15). We are fragrant because we are saturated with Jesus, and all who come near us will have a sense of the love of God for them (2 Corinthians 2:15, Ephesians 5:1-2). We will be beautiful, because the Beautiful One is resident in us, and we will arise and shine for the glory of the Lord is risen upon us, and the blessings that come to us will be blessings that we will share with others (Isaiah 60).
I bless you to be kind to yourself as you grow, Little Christ. I bless you to be mindful of yourself, and to not compare yourself with others. I bless you to grow in grace and compassion, and to develop into the person God has created you to be. I bless you to declare over yourself that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, that you have been created in the image of God, and that God cares for you and is mindful of you. I bless you to walk in the calling God has on your life, that you do all things through Christ who strengthens you. I bless you to be the light of Christ to the world, and to love all people with His love. I bless you to know that ALL things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. I bless you to be a blessing, and to bring beauty and fragrance and hope to everyone around you.
I bless you in Jesus’ Name
Jean