Permission to Live FreeSample

A lot of us begin life so sure of ourselves. We were born an authentic, raw, choice treasure, fashioned by the hand of God. The prophet Isaiah announces, “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8). It’s so amazing that when we were young, most of us were so daring. We learned that our voice made noise, and we made the loudest noise we could. We found out that walking wasn’t as hard as we thought, so we dared to start running! We sang without regard for who was listening. We loved in a way that was pure and genuine. We believed in others with such faith that it caused others to believe in themselves. . . .

Before we learn to be concerned with other people’s opinions of us, we are free. We are not void of the innate desire to make our parental figures proud, but our whole life is not dictated by what someone else is thinking. And while you may not remember it, there was a precious time in your life when you did not care one bit about what others thought of you—but not in an unhealthy or limiting way. . . .

As you grew, though, you became aware that you were separate from your caregivers. As you began to experience your first episodes with emotional hurt, it turned your eyes outward. And—just like everyone else—you began looking to the world for affirmation. But this is always a losing game. The world will never give us unconditional love. The world will scream that we’re less than we really are. It will convince us to act as if we’re more than we really are. And it will even woo us into playing charades as we imitate who we want to be. But the world will never give us permission to be the person that God created us to be.

Prayer

Father, please help me keep my focus on You. I want to find my confidence in You, not in the world. Amen.