INCANDESCENT

Beautiful. Intelligent. Talented. Wanted. Loved. Needed. Healed.

Irreplaceable. Accepted. Forgiven.

    You can finish this sentence with just about anything and if what you’ve filled it with isn’t resolved to whatever is TRUE despite what’s been said or implied, it can sting a bit (or cause you to spiral into a deep, dark place) when saying or reading it.

     There are so many things that happen in life that cause us to second guess or even completely deny who God said we are, what God said we can do and where God said we can go. The lack of promotion on a job can make you feel overlooked or invaluable. The dismiss of a friend can make you feel rejected. The end of a relationship can make you feel unloved or unwanted. Even seeing someone pick up where you left off can cause you to feel replaceable…disposable.

     The fact is we are so much more than people’s opinions of us. We often let our family, friends, colleagues, mentors and leaders define us with their praise, encouragement or scolding to the point of us no longer knowing who we truly are and what we want to stand for. You may want to never marry and yet your family may tell you it’s necessary for every woman/man. You may want to abandon everything and go to a suffering country and sow your life into people that are beyond poverty but your colleagues tell you it’s ridiculous to give up all of the benefits you have to live with the poor. You may want to speak into the lives of women who have been wounded by abuse but have been told you’re not eloquent enough or have no influence. You could have the desire to lead people into worship but have been silenced by the rejection of leadership.

     No matter your story, no matter the wound, no matter the scar, go with the Word. Go with the fire that burns in your heart to go and do. Go with the vision that has been dropped in your spirit. Go with the secret talent you’re scared of sharing. Pour out the passion that is bubbling over in your soul. Step out. Be bold. Be creative. Be courageous. Be HEARD.

     There is someone out there waiting to hear you speak, waiting to hear you sing, waiting to see the beauty you can create. Waiting and may continue to wait until you decide to get out of the boat and step out onto the water. Someone’s salvation could be waiting on the words God has placed in your heart. Someone’s deliverance could be in the anointing of your song. Someone’s courage could be in the visual of seeing you be courageous. Someone’s strength could be in the telling of your overcoming.

     The truth is we are ONLY what God says we are and man either echoes what God has already proclaimed and ordained to be true or denies what He has declared and plants seeds that continue to remain at war in our souls until plucked out. So let’s get to plucking…

     We ARE beautiful and not ugly. We ARE seen and not overlooked. We ARE accepted and not cast out. We ARE talented. We ARE needed. We ARE wanted. Irreplaceable. Valuable. Cherished. Purposed.

LOVED.

      We are Salt and Light. The masterpieces of The Potter. We are not the wounds or successes of our past but we are sons and daughters of The King and we are who our Father says we are and it’s time for us to believe it, behave like it and trust it.