Hello BeautifulSample

Amazingly You

Pssst . . . pull up a chair, I have a secret to share. You better lean in close for this one. Ready? You don’t have to do more, be more or have more to be amazing. You have extraordinary potential in fulfilling your life with anything and everything you want. But it won't always be easy. It takes hard work. It takes knowing who you are and planning where you want to go and being courageous enough to give your dreams and yourself a chance. Here’s another secret: Truth is not just facts we store in our minds. Truth is a Person we seek with our hearts. That’s your cue to shout…. Jesus! You’re probably familiar with the lyrics of the well-known hymn “Amazing Grace.” It’s so hopeful to think of God’s grace saving “a wretch like me.” For years I lived as though the lyrics were actually “God, help me be so amazing that I won’t need grace.” It was as if I secretly hoped that if I were amazing enough, I could avoid being the broken, messed-up wretch I knew I really was. It wasn’t until I heard a minister’s teaching on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount that I finally realized I could never be good enough. I could never jump high enough or perform well enough not to need His grace.

I discovered that being amazing won’t save us- and this is good news. Up until that discovery in my life, I spent a lot of time and energy trying to do and be the best. I struggled under the weight of both internal and external expectations. Always striving to perform well. Whether it’s how I presented myself on social media platforms, what I want my church community to think about me, or what I do in my everyday interactions with friends and family, the pressure to do more crept in. Before I knew it, I put my hope in being amazing myself rather than being amazed by God’s grace that saves me from my wretchedness or the modern-day term 'ratchetness'.

You may have been wounded by lies, but you have not lost the battle. We have been promised victory. You will defeat discouragement, banish fear and break free from all that’s been keeping you from embracing who you are and becoming all God created you to be! When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance. As the hymn tells us, His amazing grace accomplishes the impossible. It redeems us from sin, restores us to the newness of life, and makes us fit for God’s holy presence forever. And when you have God in your life, you're nothing short of being absolutely amazing. Psalm 139:14 declares, “I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way.” Recognizing the truth about who we are leads to praise, not pride. Honoring our Maker is the ultimate goal of what we’re doing together. When we believe in God’s amazing power, we can rest assured that all things, yes all things are possible. Don’t allow anything to make you think that miracles and blessings don’t exist. If God is in your life, you’re absolutely, unapologetically amazing Sis! Don’t let anyone tell you anything less.

Prayer

God, help me to accept myself for who I am. Free me from the desire to copy others and please everyone else. I want to be a better me. Show me what’s really mine. My faults, my flaws, and my virtues. Mold me, oh Lord, shape me and make me confident as Your child. And may it all manifest in acts of kindness, mercy, and love. Let my life glorify You and bring more souls to Your heavenly banquet. In Jesus' name, Amen.