You are His masterpiece.
Getaway is over, but don’t forget: God uniquely designed you. You are His masterpiece.
We have been reflecting on the powerful message from Getaway Women’s Event in September and wanted to share the weighty-but-freeing truths that keep looping in our minds – truths shared by Teaching Pastor Shawna Schwaninger.
God has a purpose for your specific design.
There is purpose in our creation. We are to transform the world for Jesus by living out how God has designed us.
“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” Ephesians 1:11-12
And if we really want to live out how God has designed us, we need to embrace how He created us. To personally embrace our quirkiness, our sweet side, the fun parts, our charisma, whether we are aggressive, passionate, feisty, bubbly, outgoing or shy, or quiet and reserved. To embrace our passions – things like literature, healthcare, seeking racial justice, caring for the elderly, providing support to other moms, running, and working out, or bringing dignity to the less fortunate and the list goes on and on – the things that spark life, a passion that burns from deep within us. Often, we want this but get sidetracked or stuck.
We get stuck because we compare.
My body isn’t good enough, my wardrobe isn’t trendy enough, and my house isn’t Joanna Gaines / Magnolia enough. Comparing ourselves as women, moms, wives, friends, co-workers, neighbors, as “good Christians” – constantly measuring ourselves against someone else whom we deem is smarter, prettier, or better. Most of the time comparison leaves us with the thought: I’m not enough.
I’m seeing how Sally is living her best life at the beach…walking along the water, skipping rocks, playing volleyball, BBQing, laying out in the warm sun. I think I need to be more like her to be happier, to be fulfilled. So, I decide to try and do all that stuff too. But I start to sweat because I’m not like Sally. I’m dressed for winter skiing. I can’t move fast enough to play the beach games effectively. Laying down to enjoy the sun is a comical feat. I’m uncomfortable.
I wasn’t designed for the beach. I’m designed for the cold winter. I’m designed to swish down a mountainside. Me trying to live my best life at the beach in this winter gear is not going to work. And I’m missing out on how God designed me and His purpose for me.
When we compare, we try and live someone else’s design and purpose. And the thing about comparison is that it steals our joy, our paychecks, our sanity, and our unique, God-given purpose.
“God has never looked in your mirror and wished He saw someone else. You are enough. You are loved. You are His. Own that.” – Bob Goff
You have EVERYTHING THAT’S NEEDED
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” 2 Peter 1:3-4
We get stuck because we feel insecure.
We all struggle with insecurities at different times in our lives. “I don’t have what it takes.” “What if I fail?” Insecurities keep us stuck from living out our design.
How can we overcome our insecurities? How can we eliminate those negative, insecure voices? As a Christ follower there’s only one way and it comes through a relationship with God. Focusing our hearts and minds on who He says we are allows His voice to become louder. The insecurities shrink and God’s voice becomes the prominent voice.
His voice is one of love, admiration, value, and celebration of you!
You are LOVED
“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1 John 4:10)
You are CHOSEN
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9
You are MORE THAN A CONQUEROR
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)
You are VICTORIOUS
“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57
You are God’s DAUGHTER
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1
You are God’s HEIR
“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Romans 8:17
You are COMPLETE
Colossians 2:10 NLT
“So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” Colossians 2:10
You are MADE NEW
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
You have EVERYTHING THAT’S NEEDED
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” 2 Peter 1:3-4
You are WONDERFULLY MADE
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14
And this is just a snippet of what God’s voice says. But you must pursue Him to hear His voice. We see everything we are not – God sees everything we are – who He’s designed us to be! It’s time to tear off what has been holding us back and keeping us stuck.
It’s time for you to celebrate and live out the unique design given you by the Creator.
