These are pretty innocuous examples, but they surface some interesting questions you can take as lightly or as deeply as you’d like:
What are you telling yourself, about yourself, that’s just not true?
What aren’t you giving yourself credit for?
What do you think you want to be or do or have—physically, spiritually or even emotionally—that you in fact already are, already do, or already have?
The revelation of a lie I tell myself came to me as I was reading in the 2nd Chapter of Revelation.
“Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus: “The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands says: I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name and have not grown weary. But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place — unless you repent. Revelation 2:1-5 HCSB
For all the positive qualities that are listed for the church at Ephesus, it was counted as naught because the church had lost their love for God. One of the lies I have told myself is that I am responsible for everything and must be involved in everything. I am very bad about filling up my schedule with good things, but things that pull me from where God is calling me to be. It is simply not true. It is not realistic. And if creates a burden I was never meant to carry.
I do not have to be involved in everything that comes up where I work, at church, where I volunteer, even with my family. I don’t have to feel guilty that I miss a meeting, a family gathering, or if I’m not at church or the volunteer location every time the doors are opened. The world will not stop, and while people may miss my presence, I’m not going to be condemned to hell forever because of it. It is okay for me to say “no” even if it disappoints someone else.
I know when I am not operating in His love, but am instead running on auto-pilot; I would guess that others around me know too. I lose my peace. When I am not connected to Him as I should be, things that normally flow easily become a struggle. I find myself more frustrated than I should be. I love a good challenge, but when I am not connected to Him, challenges drain me instead of invigorating me. I tend to be more negative, when generally I am a strengths based person.
I give myself credit because I generally have clear boundaries. It is okay for me to have boundaries even in the good things in my life. It is okay to exercise self-care. The one thing that I am responsible for it my time with God. I am responsible for creating the time, keeping the time, and honoring the time. He doesn’t just want me to show up with Him, He wants me to abide with Him, to live in Him, to love Him.
The truth is that God does not want me to run myself ragged in His name, He wants me to rest in Him. He wants me to run with endurance towards Him, not just for Him. Everything must flow out of love for Him. It is easy in the hustle of life to get caught up in the routines of doing good things. However when I stop abiding in Him and allowing His love to pour through me, I loose my Source of Power. My good actions only mirror the world’s actions when I don’t let them flow out of love for Him. They are not filled with His supernatural touch. First and foremost I must abide in Him. Everything else must flow out of that relationship.
This post is prompted by
Tara-Nicholle Nelson’s 30 Day Writing Challenge for Conscious Leaders.
Restoring Voice 
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