I think for many of us, loving ourselves is a hard work. Our internal dialogue has its way with more “not enough” statements than we care to count. We lose our focus. We lose our way.

These last few days have been a struggle to bravely love me. It’s a busy ministry time right now. I’ve just finished speaking seven times in nine days. That’s a lot for me. And I’m weary. Loving brave and well can be challenging on a good day, but on a weary day it’s even harder.

So what do I do? I’ve learned to make time for quiet and rest. I know all of the excuses why that can’t work. But it can. And it does. Jesus is our perfect example.

[Jesus] withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Matthew 14:13

We need to find our own solitary place. I’m not talking hours or days. That would be lovely though… You may have to get creative to find some moments of quiet, but I promise you they can be found. If Jesus needed time away, how much more do we?

Next I open my Bible to Ephesians. Oh, how I love that book! When I need to be reminded where my identity lies, Ephesians is the place.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8-10

Loving ourselves brave is only possible because Jesus loves us first and most and perfectly. We are His and that’s where the love and the brave come from.

I’d love to hear about your solitary place.

This is day 7 of 31 days of Living Bravely. To see a list of all the posts, just click here.

This month of 31 Days to Living Bravely I’ll be sharing on Sundays the verses I have come to cling to, rely on, believe in on this journey. Find some index cards and start your own list of go to verses. They have been life changers for me.

 

This is day 6 of 31 Days to Living Bravely. If you’d like to catch up on the series, just click here.

We’ve been talking about steps of bravery this week. This song by Matt Redman keeps coming to mind. Powerful words. Powerful truth. Take a listen…

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did you leave us on our own
You are faithful
God, You are faithful
Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we are breathing out Your praise
You are faithful
God, You are faithful

 

 

Missed a day? You can just click here to get to the index.

 

 

 

Yesterday was about what brave is not. (here it is) So what’s next?

“Do the thing afraid” has become my mantra. It’s something I whisper, mostly shout, to myself daily. At first I thought it was the decision and action of taking that first brave step. But for me it turns out that bravery doesn’t begin with a step, it starts by taking a knee.

Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,
for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
the flock under his care. Ps 95:6-7

To kneel means to bow one’s self. When I choose to kneel, I lay down all that I’m not and believe in all that He is. It’s not running away from the brave thing. It’s a surrender knowing I cannot even begin to take a first step without bowing, worshiping, taking my rightful place under His care. Then, and only then, am I ready to take the first brave step.

My prayer for you and me today…

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! Ephesians 3:14-21

Thank you for joining me on this journey to living bravely.

Missed a day? You can just click here to get to the index.