The accuser: be aware

Hi blog friends! How are the each of you doing? Life for me over here in graduate school is going well, just stay busy and trusting God in all my circumstances! He is good, my friends.

Lately I have really been struggling with accusation from the enemy. The enemy is always right there waiting for me to make a mistake, so then he can start throwing out lies at me about how I am such a failure and there is no hope for my future. Although these lies sound irrational and are highly unbelievable , I still find myself believing them when the enemy spits them out at me. 

I was reading my devotional by Renee Swope this morning, and it matched exactly up to how I have been feeling lately. She talked about how one of the enemy's goals is to get us to believe lies that leave us feeling inadequate and unsure of ourselves, which is exactly what he did with Eve in the garden. Once Eve ate the forbidden fruit, her eyes were opened, along with her husbands eyes, who also ate the fruit as well. They suddenly became aware of their nakedness, or their inadequacy, and they made coverings for themselves. God then steps in, and asks them who told them they were naked. Or in other words God says: "Who told you that something is wrong with you?" {Genesis 3:11}

Renee then talks about in her devotional about how God wants us to be aware of our enemy, who continuously tries to whisper lies into our hearts and tries to get us to move away from God and from each other. She quotes: "God also wants us to be aware that we have an enemy who is constantly trying to convince us that we're inadequate and that something is wrong with us."

The sad part is that often we go along we Satan's lies, and believe them, as Renee Swope continues to talk about in her devotional. She quotes : "Rarely do we stop to ask: Who is saying these things? Who is causing me to doubt myself? Is it me? Is there something from my past that led me to believe this? Or is it the enemy of my soul disguising his voice as my own?

Today my friends, I encourage to no longer give into believing the lies that Satan whispers to us about ourselves. I pray that we each would stand firm in our faith today, and that we would reflect on the voice of truth in all of our thoughts. Let us remember that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. {Romans 8:37}

If your looking for a new devotional, I strongly suggest that you look into the devotional I featured today on my blog. Click HERE to check out Renee Swope's "A Confident Heart" devotional!

I love you guys!

Love always, Jess 

Jesus is always GREATER.

Your new boyfriend?

....Jesus is greater.

That vacation your going on?

...Jesus is greater.

Your best friend?

...Jesus is greater.

That scholarship you just got?

...Jesus is greater.

The college you just got into?

...Jesus is greater

Let us not forget my lovely friends, that Jesus is greater than ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. I thank God everyday that He brought me to a place on my knees a few years ago in desperate need of His love and grace. It was in that place of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness where God began to pursue a relationship with me. Because of that hard time, I realize more than ever now that God satisfies my heart in all areas, and in ways the things of this world never can.

 

The Lord will guide you continually,
    giving you water when you are dry
    and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like an ever-flowing spring.

Isaiah 58:11

Do you guys struggle with believing that God can really satisfy EVERY desire in your heart? Do you believe that He actually wants to pursue a relationship with you? HE DOES!! Email me if you'd like to know more :)

xoxo love you guys

Love, Jess 

Living up to others expectations

Hi blog friends! How are the each of you?? I've been good, just enjoying my last few days of winter break. It's been a blessing having so much time to relax lately.

However, I feel that God has put on my heart more than ever lately just how much I measure myself based on other people's expectations of me. Whether I am thinking about how many "likes" I am getting on an Instagram post, or wondering if others around me happen to notice the new type of clothing that I am wearing...it seems that I am always comparing myself to others perspective's of me. This isn't how it should be, and I really feel like God is trying to make it clear to me right now in my life that He wants me to simply focus on who I am in Him. That's all that matters anyway.

"When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise."

2 Corinthians 10:12

Why is it so amazingly easy to take our focus off of who we are in Christ, and become concerned with how others see us? I think its because thats the way the enemy gets in our heads and tells us to think. He whispers lies to us like "your defined by how others see you" or "it doesn't matter who you are in Christ." It's all a bunch of lies, and we need to tell the enemy to back off! God calls us to STAND OUT and not think like this world anyway. In Him, we are called to develop a very unique, yet extremely powerful thinking pattern.

"Don't copy the behaviors and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

Romans 12:2

So my friends, I encourage you to be bold today and have a Christ-like mind. Stand firm against the enemy, and pray that the Lord would give you discernment and strength to think of yourself only based off of who you are in Christ.

Is it easy for you to give into thinking of yourself based on how the world defines you? Do you often forget who you are in Christ? Do you get caught up in impressing others or living up to others expectations like I often do?

I love you guys!
Love always, Jess