Please God

I've been a little down on myself lately....getting that "not good enough" record playing in my head. You know, sometimes you think you are past something and it seeps back out of some long forgotten dark closet in your mind.  Thankfully the Lord had the answers, as He always does.  And it came in a couple of stages.....always stringing teaching and comfort together, that's our God!

The first thing He told  me was:  "You've been looking for praise from people, not from Me.  Look to Me!"  I felt this sentence well up withing my heart and mind so clearly, I knew it could only be from the Holy Spirit.  What a blessing that we have Him living with us, in us, always there, always our teacher and strength.  First comes the correction.

As I got into the car to go wherever I was headed that day (feel like I spend more time running around here, there and everywhere some days!  Errands, errands, errands!!) my kind heavenly Father sent a beautiful song, as He so often does.  I felt wrapped in His love and approval.  My heart melted. Secondly, He sent His comfort and assurance.

Thirdly, came the prescription for healing and change.  I was reading a magazine article which included the verse Galatians 1:10.  "Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God.  If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant."  It is only His approval I seek, only His smile I desire.  This is the balm to my heart when dealing with self-doubt and the feelings of always lacking, coming up short of others expectations.

Jesus told us in Matthew 22:37...you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind.  When I seek (I am not perfect in this area by any stretch of the imagination, but I am working toward this goal) to do that, I naturally want to please Him and Him alone...The Lord becomes my focus.  After that I can start loving others, and become a blessing to them, not trying to appease them for selfish reasons, to win approval.

Lord, we live for You.  Help me to keep that in mind as I go through my day.  When feelings of inadequacy rise up in me, let me know that in You, I am always enough....I am just what You want me to be, who You made me to be....and that is good.  We are valuable because we are Your creations!  Pslam 139:14  Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous--how well I know it.  

What areas in your life do you feel inadequate in?  Is it an area God called you to?  Then remember, He will be Your sufficiency.  Seek His smile not the applause of men.