When I Grow Up?…
I never had role models or people I looked up to, someone who set a good example to follow, who bore good fruits in their life, and had continuous growth and healing that was evident. Evident in their actions and speech. I had to navigate things on my own as an only child, and yeah I learned from others’ mistakes, but the people I learned from didn’t learn from their own so their life was a stuck cycle because they didn’t allow themselves to heal, find peace and grow simply because they rejected it. All the tools were there, it was just not spoon-fed. The adults around me were stuck in the same test God gave them in their teen/young adult years, so when you keep doing the same thing, don’t expect change. Well, it’s because they also became comfortable, comfortable with being the same, even if it harmed them and those around them. I knew around me and even in the media, I didn’t see someone who looked like me, whom I aspired to be. What did I aspire to be? To be someone with purpose who glorifies my creator while doing so, bearing good fruit in others’ lives and helping those around them leaving an impact while just simply being themselves and not like anyone else, shamelessly being gracious, grateful and humble, wise and teachable not proud and haughty, not slanderous or bitter, quick to speak, slow to listen and immodest in heart.
Now seeing and surrounding myself with people I wanted to be like in my young adulthood, I say wow, I have to be you when I get older.”, of course, I shouldn’t aspire to be completely someone else but just out of admiration because I am me and He makes no mistakes. Everyone has their closed-door battles, no one sees that we don’t want, but those battles made them have those good traits now because they gave it to God, and in return, He gave them more than what they asked for. We are nothing apart from God. When you do life alone and without a proper community, you miss out on so much. Stop focusing on the shame others and yourself have placed on you and accept peace and forgiveness of yourself and others at this big age! Jesus is ready to accept you with open arms and give you everything you ask or imagine according to His will in return for your obedience and faith, yes, even as small as a mustard seed. Sit in your discomfort, with your heart of stone, bitterness, pride, and discontent, but you made it this far, so you must be fine. Right? Fine will only be so long, fine will only be till it’s too late. Do you want to waste so much more because you’re comfortable rejecting a life worth living So many things are waiting for you; you’ve wasted enough, don’t waste anymore. I get it, we didn’t get to live, some only to survive because of real-life barriers in place, but we can live, and we most likely had the option to, maybe you didn’t know how. Well, going to church one day on a holiday or even once a week, expecting grandma/mom’s prayers to carry you isn’t going to cut it. It’s a lifestyle to choose yourself, to live a life of what you deserve, and to glorify Him in the midst of it all. The endless scrolling and keeping yourself busy aren’t going to help you, only temporarily. Maybe you’re ok with the Band-Aids, but not the cure.
Life is hard. My life is hard, as I’m pretty sure everyone else’s is too. I wish
it was on easy mode, but Jesus is easy with me, gentle and compassionate with me more than I deserve. Disasters are inevitable, but easily digestible with Jesus. He allows me to have peace, stillness, and a sound mind. I enjoy solitude as I’m a reflector, but I couldn’t do life alone, aside from God, he sent me my chosen family, a platonic love that is a gift of friendship and sisterhood only He can give. Something I never knew I needed, but he blessed me because I received his love. He loved me first, so I could be a better human and love the way Jesus wanted me to. I am truly blessed to have her. I pray that we keep Christ at the center of our friendship, we continue to bear good fruit, be role models that most of us didn’t have, and remain in prayer and love. To others who have never experienced this love or will never accept this love, it’s a gem that nothing on earth can fill, only by God’s hand. A friendship where we aren’t ashamed of our love even when criticized, where we sharpen each other, correct each other, and love each other by not doing anything in return and just breathing. A chosen family member who isn’t conditioned to forgive or love because of the only fact we share, DNA, a person who chooses you as you choose them, is more special. I’m glad she is that for me, and I am that for her, maybe not a role model just yet, as we’re learning and growing in our ways, but one day we will be. Jesus is our role model, and on earth, be your own role model if He is all you have. Let God surprise you, and see what’s waiting for you on the other side if you stop self-sabotaging. Remove the callouses off your eyes, turn your face towards God, and allow Jesus to fill your cup so you can pour into others.
Let us pray,
Heavenly Father, thank you for the breath in our lungs a privilege as you sustain us in our days, thank you for all our 5 senses, 6, if we count discernment, thank you for seasons as everything has an appointed time, thank you for the privilege to commune with you, reflect, pray and access the gift of your word, our tool to navigate this hard life. Give us wisdom and humility, and help us to heed instruction. Remove the callouses of our eyes and give us vision and purpose to glorify you. Teach us to have gratitude, and be fearless, and number our days. Allow us to bear fruit, perceive your hand at work in our lives as you are doing a new thing. Help us not to be stuck in the cycle of our ways, forgive us, Lord, help us to forgive ourselves and others. Give us a heart of flesh and remove our heart of stone, by then we can receive the gifts you have on the other side. Help us build patience, persistence, and strength as we wait and fix our eyes on you, let us not chase money, not man, or the tricks and trades of the world, but only you, Abba. Please help us to have your perfect peace inside and out, so much so it’s apparent in our features, let it be the quintessence of our character as we step out into the world each day. Let us be a role model to others as it will be evident in our actions and speech, showing them our love for them and drawing people near to you. We pray this according to (1 Timothy 5:10, Proverbs 10:17, Galatians 5:23-24, Psalms
90:12, and Ephesians 3:20 ) in Jesus’ mighty name we pray, amen and amen.
Key Verses:
1 Timothy 5:10, Proverbs 10:17, Galatians 5:23-24, Psalms 90:12, and
Ephesians 3:20
Reflection Time:
➔ Who is/was the role model in your life and why?
➔ How is Jesus a role model to us?
➔ I encourage you to pick one verse from this list below: Reflect on how it can
inspire you to be a role model and change.
➔ Choose to pray according to it or write it on a post-it note somewhere you
can see it and make it an affirmation to yourself. P.S. The Internet is not the
enemy, use it as your tool and search for a prayer according to the verse if
you need help!
-Be Well,
Inari, The Sick Healer
Here are other verses in relation to this devotional:
1) 1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an
example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
2) Titus 2:7-8 “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in
your teaching shows integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned,
so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”
3) Deuteronomy 6:5-7 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you
today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and
shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and
when you lie down, and when you rise.”
4) Galatians 5:23-24 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there
is no law.”
5) 1 Timothy 5:10 “and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up
children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the
afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.”
6) Proverbs 22:1 “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor
is better than silver or gold.”
7) Proverbs 12:1 “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates
correction is stupid.”
8) Proverbs 10:17 “Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever
ignores correction leads others astray.”
9) Romans 15:4 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach
us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement
they provide we might have hope.”
10) Psalms 90:12 “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of
wisdom.”
11) Ephesians 3:20 ” Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all
we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.