SECURITY ALERT

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Growing up below the poverty line fed feelings of inadequacy in my life early on. Our family struggled to buy toilet paper, let alone new clothes. Many teased me when I wore hand-me-downs. I remember feeling embarrassed to wear my knock-off Keds and stone washed jeans, hoping no one would notice they weren't the real deal.

Early on I learned I was not as good as everyone else, particularly girls. You know, I didn't fit in with the "in crowd" or the popular ones. My family didn't have the right house or drive the right car or have the right jobs. These experiences as a young girl made me feel inferior to those around me.

These feelings followed me into my young adult life. Conversations took place in my mind. I wondered what others thought of me (too much). Sometimes I contrasted my life with other girl's lives, wishing mine was different. Wow, she has it all together. My clothes are frumpy compared to hers. I'm not as attractive as her. Does she ever fail? I wonder what life would be like to be her? Her complexion is perfect. Entertaining these thoughts only led to more feelings of inferiority.

Inferior feelings lead to insecurity. This is a lonely place to be. Been there? I've been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Insecurity has reared its ugly head in my life when I have compared myself to others, valued the wrong things, measured myself by the wrong standards, and forgotten who I am in Christ. Recognizing this has helped me overcome insecurity.

Comparing ourselves to others happens periodically and even innocently. Hearing a friend talk about her success with potty training may make you question if you are doing the right thing. Watching other friends shop till they drop may cause you to wish your aging wardrobe would magically be replaced. Sometimes our comparisons are based on the external. It would sure be nice to have a body like her. If only my hair was that pretty. I wish I had half of her creative talent. I wish my kids were well behaved like hers so I looked like Mother-of-the-Year.

The problem with comparing ourselves with others is that "others" are the wrong standard. Our measuring stick is Jesus. We should compare ourselves to Him and how we should live according to His desire for us. Comparing ourselves to others is a trap sure to leave us robbed of our true value. When we care more what God thinks about us, the temptation to play the comparison game will diminish.

Insecurity follows a progression. What we value is what we will pursue. What we pursue is what we think will make us secure. If we value beauty, thinness, fashion etc. then we will pursue them. And, most likely we will compare our lives to those who have the things we value, whatever they are. As I shared last week, for many years I valued my body more than my Beloved. I placed security in the wrong thing. All the while I looked at skinny girls wishing I was them.

Security alert: Remembering who we are in Christ Jesus is the foundation for establishing security in our lives. We are a child of the most High God, daughters of a King. If we value what God thinks of us, then we will look to Him to give us worth and security. He is the ultimate Value Giver. He gives us value because He made us. Secondly, He bought us with His blood. He expressed love to us beyond comprehension. By dying for our sin He opened the door for us to experience a relationship with Him that gives us more security than any other.

It is not who we are, it is whose we are. We are His workmanship or handiwork. This is what makes us so special. Ephesians 2:10 declares, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." We all have a design. We were designed with a purpose in mind. We shouldn't all be the same. It is this uniqueness in Christ that sets us apart and gives us a sense of identity. This type of identity rooted in Christ brings about security. When you know whose you are, along with who you are, it doesn't matter what the world says, it only matters what God thinks.

We live in a harsh world that makes distinctions based on wrong ideals and misplaced values. The enemy would like nothing more than for Christians to live insecure lives, forgetting who they are in Christ. Believing our value is in Him is one thing, but really accepting and living it is entirely different.

When we accept it, we won't strive for man's approval. When we live it, the opinions of others diminish. When our security and significance is truly in Christ, the compulsion to live up to the world's standards becomes less important. This is when our values start to match His. Forcing ourselves to not base our security in these wrong ideals will help us overcome insecurity.

As an adult woman I can honestly look back on my childhood regardless of the cards I was dealt, and not be insecure. In truth, it helped shape me into the woman I am today. Quite frankly, I happen to like hand-me-downs. I embrace my upbringing with confidence and thank God for who He has made me in Him. Thank you for replacing my insecurity with security in you, Lord. My value and worth in your eyes is more important to me than what others think. I can walk confidently in whose I am. You fulfill me. You sustain me. You complete me. Amen.

Heart Work:

Ask the Lord to help you overcome any areas of insecurity in your life. Consistently pray that He will replace your insecurity with security in Him.

When tempted to compare yourself to others, measure yourself by the wrong standard, or value the wrong things, seek the Lord's help in living beyond these wrong ideals.

Heart Exam:

When does insecurity rear its ugly head in your life? Who do you compare yourself to? What standard do you use to measure yourself? How do you value the wrong things?

How can your life reveal that your security and significance is truly found in Jesus Christ? How will your actions and perceptions of others change as a result of this?

Heart Changing Word:

Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV) "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

John 1:12 "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

Galatians 1:10 "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Galatians 6:3-4 "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else."

Copyright 2011 by Hester Christensen. All rights reserved.

LESS THAN - MORE THAN

1 Samuel 16:7b (NIV) "But the Lord said to Samuel, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

My heart sank as my second born shared his troubles. Last week he had difficulty with friends and classmates questioning him about the birthmark on his face. This wasn't the first time nor will it be the last. His port wine stain covers half of his cheek, his chin and flows down to his neck. The pigment is not scarlet, but bright enough to be noticed by a nine-year-old boy trying to understand his identity. He tells me he thinks it looks weird and he doesn't want to be teased.

We live in a culture obsessed with our external packaging. Everywhere we look the world propagates an ideal to attain. Our world defines a person's value by what lies on the outside. The problem is, these expectations stem from a culture that values the wrong things.

The worldly recognition for youthfulness and perfection push individuals to have the right look, wear the right clothes, cover all the blemishes etc. The relentless pursuit of thinness drives people to lose more and more weight. Be the right number and wear the right size are the voices poured into our mind from the media.

Many strain to obtain these only to be left discouraged and feeling less than. Less than the air-brushed model in the magazine. Less than what Macy's offers. Less than what the day spa promotes. Less than the 'perfect' woman on the treadmill at the gym.

The temptation to look a certain way is enticing. It is easy to become fixated over physical appearance. As Christian women, God wants more for us than what the world offers. Our passage in 1 Samuel 16:7 shows us how to become more than in a less than world. It reinforces our understanding that the condition of our heart is more important to God than the condition of our hips. He cares about our faith more than our face. He's interested in our walk more than our wardrobe. He wants our maturity more than a makeover.

The prophet Samuel has arrived in Bethlehem to anoint the next King of Israel, one of Jesse's sons. Samuel sees Eliab, Jesse's oldest son, and thinks for sure he must be the one God has chosen. Listen closely to the Lord's response to Samuel's thought, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Did you catch that? "...but the Lord looks at the heart." Why the heart? God values the heart because it is the consummation of who a person is. It envelopes the eternal essence of each individual. God identifies us by what is on the inside, while the world tends to recognize us only by what is on the outside. If God values our heart more importantly than our exterior, then we should too. When our heart is rightly aligned with God, the expectation to live up to the world's standards fade away.

Sadly, I gave into worldly pressures and influence as a young teen and college woman. My heart was preoccupied with fat grams and calories, the number on the scale, my pant size, and how much exercise I could squeeze into one day. This obsession with physical appearance resulted in a seven year struggle with anorexia and bulimia.

I thought the pursuit of "perfection" would boost my self-esteem when in fact, it robbed my self-esteem and left me with a misplaced identity. Not only was I physically anorexic, I was also spiritually anorexic. I focused on my body more than my Beloved. I starved myself spiritually by being consumed with my appearance and not with my Lord.

God radically opened my heart and enabled me to see what I was missing: a fulfillment only found in Him. The nourishment my heart needed was met with a deep passion for God and a hunger for His Word. This eye opening experience shifted my priorities. I realized if I would exert as much energy toward God and His Word as I had toward exercise, eating, counting calories etc., then I would be on my way toward spiritual fitness and a heart that pleased God.

Don't misunderstand, exercising, getting our hair cut or even buying a new outfit is not wrong in and of themselves. Matter is not evil. God created beauty. However, anything can become an idol. Whenever we worship the created over the Creator we flirt with the world's standard of beauty and security. Our heart becomes divided because we cannot worship self and God.

As my son sorrowfully shared his struggle last week I shared God's truth with him in hopes of establishing a secure identity in Christ and an understanding of what God values in our lives. When God sees us, He sees our heart, not our hair-do, high heels or handbag.

The truth is friends, we are more than. More than an air-brushed model in the magazine. More than what Macy's offers. More than what the day spa promotes. More than the 'perfect' woman on the treadmill at the gym.

We are MORE THAN, because He became less than.

Heart Work:

Evaluating our motives is crucial and valuing what God values is vital.

Evaluate your motives for doing the things you do pertaining to physical fitness and your body. Pray over them and seek the Lord to see if anything is out of balance in your life that He wants you to change.

Heart Exam:

What makes you feel "less than"?

How has the world's view of beauty distracted you from who you are in Christ?

Does your life reflect the values that God values?

Heart Changing Word:

Psalm 45:11 (NIV) "The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord."

Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

1 Peter 3:3-5a "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful."

Copyright 2011 by Hester Christensen. All rights reserved.

2011 SPIRITUAL FITNESS CHALLENGE

1 Timothy 4:7b-8 "Rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

Over the years I have tried to maintain regular and consistent exercise. Before you think I am some kind of hard-body iron-woman, think again. Most assuredly, I do not fit in that category. Spending hours in the gym is not a priority. My simple routine consists of strength training, kick boxing (I like to think that is what I'm doing), and "crunchies" as my 88 yr. old fit Grandmother would say, while performing her 99th sit-up.

Every now and then my husband has probed me to try something new and different, insisting I need to change it up and work other muscles. Last year, I humored him for one day and one day only when he wanted me to do P90X with him. Then, I settled back into my comfortable method of squats and leg lifts. I have managed to not really push myself physically but rather just maintain my current strength and endurance. Sound familiar?

I doubt I am the only one who has experienced spiritual comfort in life, not wanting to be challenged. Doing just enough to maintain my current spiritual strength and endurance, I have neglected to push myself to train harder. The problem? Being comfortable spiritually leads to complacency, with the end result of stagnation. When we are spiritually stagnant we are not growing, but merely existing.

Several years ago we served in youth ministry in Washington. My mentor and Bible study teacher challenged me in my spiritual training. She encouraged us all to go beyond the normal, to reach for something deeper, to grasp and hunger for God's Truth in our lives. Her passion was genuine and contagious. Her life bore fruit of what she strained for.

Some remained content, others accepted her invitation to train themselves in God's Word. Living beyond the status quo and searching for depth ignited a fire in my soul that still burns fervently today. Truth is, I wanted this for myself, but had yet to be challenged to accept such an offer by one who was hungry herself and willing to teach and come along side us.

The pursuit of physical health and exercise leads me to question, What about our spiritual health and training? 1 Timothy 4: 7b tells us to train ourselves to be godly. Why? Verse 8 reveals that physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, for both the present life and the life to come.

The word for train means to discipline or exercise vigorously. Paul uses the metaphor of physical training to show us how we must submit our bodies to the rigors of discipline in order to train ourselves in godliness.

While physical training has some benefit for now, spiritual training benefits us now and later. Physical exercise is good, but it's temporal, meaning its benefits do not transcend time because this body is not going with us (thank the Lord!). Spiritual exercise is even better because it benefits this life and eternity. It brings about godliness which is beneficial for this life and the next. Spiritual training is a lasting investment.

God wants us to be spiritually fit so we can experience abundant life. Growing content spiritually and not wanting to go deeper or be challenged should be a warning sign to us. We grasp at straws not knowing how to function or respond when difficulty strikes. Before we know it we struggle with our boss, have conflict in our marriage, difficulty with our children, lack of motivation or purpose etc. When we hit the wall is when we tell ourselves something has to change. As mentioned above, contentment equals stagnation; a lack of growth. This is not what the Lord wants from us.

The godliness God desires for our lives does not present itself in a nice red package with a silver bow. Training ourselves spiritually requires commitment, effort and time. Many say, I want to read the Bible more, pray more, commit to Bible study or ___________. These things are not going to happen in our lives unless we discipline ourselves to practice these priorities. Simply put, if we don't do it, it's not a priority. If we are not training we are not growing.

Spiritual growth and training is a continual process. This process is called discipleship. A disciple is a doing learner. One who learns spiritual truth and then lives it out. When we train our hearts and minds to hunger for God and His Word we develop strong spiritual muscles. We begin to experience a relationship with God that is intimate and personal, beyond a spiritual checklist.

While physical fitness goals are noble, we should be more mindful of our spiritual training. I challenge you in 2011 to keep yourself spiritually fit. Be willing to submit yourself to the rigors of discipline in order to train yourself in godliness. Let's move beyond spiritual comfort, complacency, and contentment. Pursue God with a desire to know Him intimately and His Word passionately. The benefits my friends, are out of this world!

Will you join me for this 2011 spiritual fitness challenge?

Heart Work:

Being too busy often negates time in the Word and prayer. Make time this week to evaluate your priorities and schedule. What can you let go of and say "no" to this year in order to discipline yourself spiritually?

Heart Examination:

How are you currently training yourself spiritually? What can you do differently? What will you do to go deeper and be challenged spiritually?

Are you in a season of contentment and stagnation? Why should spiritual training be a daily priority?

Do you want to experience a relationship with God that is intimate and personal, beyond a spiritual checklist? Get on your knees and start training today.

Heart Changing Word:

1 Corinthians 9:25-27 (NIV) "Do you know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Hebrews 5:13-6:1a "Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity."

Copyright 2011 by Hester Christensen. All rights reserved.