"I don't deserve this" - a follow up from Fairytales

WOW the feedback I have gotten from my "Fairytales" blog is AMAZING!!!  I am so happy women and men were able to relate to it. 

Something that stood out in several emails, FB messages, texts and conversations was this idea that young women had that they didn't deserve a Christian man because of the mistakes they have made in the past.  Or this idea that she wasn't "Christian" enough to deserve a man of faith.

As my good friend Lulie would say, "Those are lies from the pit of hell".  I wish you could hear her say it.   I literally listened to a voice mail she left me one time over and over again; saved it when  I needed to be reminded that the devil came to kill, steal and destroy.  But that God wanted us to live and live life abundantly.  I can hear her saying it right now- southern, Alabama accent and all. :)  But that's just it, that's what the devil wants you to believe.  He wants us to date guys that aren't spiritual so that our relationships have little to no chance of honoring God.

Now, I'm not going to air my whole testimony via the internet, but I will say my past is ugly.  All of our pasts are ugly.  We aren't perfect, and being Christian doesn't mean you ARE perfect.  It means when you are walking with Christ you veer off course less, and are quicker to get back on the right path.  Guilt comes as a result of breaking one of God's commandments.  So when we sin, we need to take that to the great Forgiver.  When we repent and stop doing what we feel guilty about, our guilt is covered by the blood of Christ.  Guilty feelings linger when we choose not to accept God's forgiveness.  I used to struggle with that.  Then a friend told me, "by you not forgiving yourself, you are saying that Christ's death wasn't good enough for you."  Man was that tough to hear, but it was also true.  Either Christ died for everything or he died for nothing.. No sin is too big for Him.  So whatever it is you have done, mistakes you have made, you are a new creation and saved by grace (Hebrews 10:19-22, Titus 3:5, Revelation 1:5).

We as women have a hard time accepting God's forgiveness.  We struggle with feelings of unworthiness.  We are forgiven yet continue to walk in condemnation and seek self-worth in guys.  (and most of the time when we are getting our self worth from guys, those are not the guys we need to be dating).  If we do not believe and obey God's Word regarding our sin, we will stay in emotional bondage, crippled by guilt and feelings of unworthiness.  But when we do believe and when we do obey, we can be set free from this emotional bondage and begin to walk in the light of God's forgiveness and love.

Once forgiven, there is no need to continue to feel guilty.  God wants you to walk in His forgiveness.  He wants you to accept it as a gift.  And I encourage you to be patient- wait for God's timing for the man that he wants you to marry, and he will bless you.

I was encouraged this morning on my run by this song, "While I am Waiting" which is in the movie Fireproof.  I would encourage you to listen to the words.

And seek your self worth in God and not in men.. serve Him while you are waiting rather than chasing a guy, rather than just dating to date; BE INTENTIONAL and see how much better that works out (:

And remember, you deserve it.  You deserve a Godly man who is going to love and honor you.  God loves you and wants you to have the best regardless of the mistakes we've made.