Loving YOUrself!

Hello Beloved,

There is a lesson that I've had to learn the hard way recently. There are many times that we will be in situations where people's expectations, their views or beliefs about you mirror what you expect, view and believe about yourself. Sometimes that mirror isn't always comforting or reassuring.

I tend to have a very high expectation of myself, one that I almost never reach up to, but I keep striving in that direction. I used to have that same expectation of other people around and learned quickly that people cannot meet those expectations. If they do, it's because I have spent time with them coaching and mentoring them. It's never automatic. It requires much grace, love and patience to coach and mentor people. We learn, I've learned, how to extend that grace and love and patience to everybody else but ourselves.

The scripture says that we are to forgive quickly, but how many times do we forgive OURSELVES quickly. We hold on to things, we wonder how we could've missed it, and constantly going back and replaying that mistake. Satan loves this, because he desires to see you down and out. He wants you to keep dwelling on your mistakes and thinking negatively about yourself because it is in that defeated state that you miss God's plan for your life. It's in that defeated state you end up making decisions that are detrimental to your destiny and the call on your life. You give up and give in. The enemy will make sure that there are people around you who would speak negative about you and hold things against you as well, people who will magnify your mistakes because he can't afford to see you rise up to who God has called you.

I say this to you and to me, LET IT GO! God has not called you a failure, He does not magnify your mistakes, He's not dwelling on what you did wrong. Remember that love keeps no record of wrongs, when you love yourself you will not keep a record of your wrongs. There is so much in you that God has put there--magnify those things. NO ONE and I mean NO ONE can call you anything other than what God has called you, and that includes YOU. Love yourself fiercely, forgive yourself quickly, increase your patience towards yourself. It's worth it to have God's eyes for you. You have to see yourself the way He sees you, because if that is not in the right focus you will not be able to see others the way He sees them either.

You are so loved, so forgiven, and swimming in an abundance of grace and favor! (speaking to myself as well) :)