The "Be Yourself" Challenge

What if we decided to just be who we are all the time? No matter what. Whether we get accolades or push-back, we were just ourselves? What if we stopped trying so hard to be something else... someone else? What if instead, we operated out of who God created us to be?

There is this thought that has quietly been in the back of my heart, one that I have unknowingly been operating from. I tell myself things like, “If I was like her then I would be good at___________ (fill in the blank)”, or “If I was like that, then I have ‘arrived’ and I would be good enough to lead.” I realized that many of my decisions and actions came from this place of thinking that I needed to have it all together to be able to do the things I have been called to do. But more so, what my made up version of  “having it all together” actually looked like.

I think of myself as an authentic person, you know, ‘What you see is what you get’. But I realized that I was actually trying to be someone I am not. I was trying to fit myself into this tiny little box of made up unspoken expectations that I assumed other people had for me. Like I had to reach some kind of cultural standard to be a good enough friend, leader, or even Christian. But trying to be someone you are not, trying to fit some kind of made up standard you are not even really sure exist, it’s exhausting! And a little bit terrifying.

I was operating out of a bunch of “should’s”.  I should:

• be more outgoing
• be better at conversation
• be less emotional
• smile more
• be more organized
• be less straight forward
• be kinder, sweeter, more peppy,
• only listen to worship music
• never get angry
• exercise (in matching cute clothes of course)
• do more
• be less
• have it all together by now

Trying to fit into that box meant I could never truly be myself. Can you relate? Have you ever felt small, not enough, too much or all of the above just because you were yourself?

I no longer want to operate out of “should’s” or unspoken, made up expectations. I want to operate out of who God made me to be.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)

I love Psalm 139 because it means, I am known. I am loved. I am wonderful. It means the very same for you too. There is no one else like me! There is no one else like you! I don’t need to lead like her, I need to lead like me. I don’t need to pray like her, I need to pray like me. I don’t need to worship like her, I need to worship like me! You see, I want to love who I am so I can love you better. I want to walk out who God created me to be so that you are encouraged to walk out who God created you to be!

So here is #thebeyourselfchallange! Remember in the beginning I asked, “What if we decided to be who we are?” All the time. No matter what. Let’s do it! Let’s put our energy into being who God made us to be and let our love pour from that.

I am starting with reminding myself who I am:

I am Jimmie Lee. I am mostly quiet, a little sarcastic and sometimes slow to get the jokes. I laugh when no one else does, I dance and people look at me funny, I am goofy and silly and love lame jokes. (Ask me what my favorite joke is!) I cry when I am happy, sad, mad and everything in between. In a room full of people I am usually the one observing from the corner. I love coffee, Gilmore Girls, and coloring. I have an eclectic taste in music, especially the dancing kind. My favorite outfit is a cute shirt and jeans. I have low days and bright days. I love my boys like no one else (except maybe their mammy). I am my husband’s number one fan (except maybe his mom). I am real, I listen, and I care. I am restorative by nature and love to see women set free! I am passionate about God’s grace and freedom. I sway, jump up and down, raise my hands, cry and bend low when I worship. I am fully known and yet still fully loved by the Creator of the universe! And I am so much more than what you see.

Okay! It’s your turn. How are you starting #thebeyourselfchallange? Tell us in the comments, send us an e-mail, or tag us on Facebook and/or Instagram! I am excited to hear from you all!

Post by: Jimmie Lee DiIanni

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose

Well, here we are in August.  Once again, I marvel at how quickly another summer seems to be slipping through my fingers.  By now, most vacations and trips have been taken.  Swimming, s’mores, and fire-fly catching (or lightning bugs, as we call them here in Pittsburgh!) have all been checked off of our “Summer Bucket List”.  Back to school ads are popping up on TV.  (This mom just did a silent cheer. And I’m not even kidding you guys.)

August also means our Women’s Small Group study at West Ridge has wrapped up.  This summer, we studied “The Armor of God” by Priscilla Shirer.  I loved, loved, loved this study!  I thought I was pretty familiar with the armor of God (and even wrote about it here awhile back: http://westridgewomen.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-ups-and-downs-of-life.html) but Priscilla’s book helped me to really dig in deep to each piece of armor.  Each week, she broke down the nuances to each part and explained the armor of God in a way that I know I will treasure for years to come.

There is one theme though, that Priscilla taught early on that has stuck with me through the 8 week study.  In fact, it came up in our very first session and I keep returning to it time and time again.  Our REAL enemy.  You see, our real enemy is not the problems we are facing, the issues that are stressing us out, or the stuff that is keeping us up at night.  Nope.  It is the unseen.  All that “stuff”, it is a distraction shoved up in our faces to keep us from recognizing the truth.  The real enemy is Satan and he is trying to distract and derail us!

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

But how can you recognize the unseen? Clear eyes, my friend. Which totally reminds me of Coach Taylor from the TV series, “Friday Night Lights”.  If you didn’t catch that show a few years back, it was about a high school football team set in the fictional small town of Dillon, Texas. (Texas forever y’all!) The phrase that Coach Taylor used to motivate his team each Friday evening when they were facing a tough opponent was: “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!” It was their rallying cry! When the team heard that phrase, they got fired up, ready to head into battle.

When I read Ephesians 1:18, Paul reminds us of just that – clear eyes! “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.” (NIV)

What about a full heart? Well, Paul addresses that a short time later in Ephesians 3:17-19, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

If we belong to Jesus, our hearts are full!  The Amplified version of verse 19 translates it like this, “and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].

Oooh I love that! The richest experience of God’s presence! Filled and flooded with God Himself?! Ah, that is awesome, awesome stuff.  How could our hearts not be full?!

So if we have clear eyes (we do!) and full hearts (oh yes!) then my friends, we can’t lose! As Priscilla reminded us at our study the very first week, the victory is irrevocable.  Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected from the dead. And I know it has been said so many times but if you read the end of the Bible... It says we win in the end!  (Hope I didn’t ruin it for you if you didn’t quite get to that part of the Bible yet, lol!)  Ladies, WE CAN’T LOSE!

“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” Revelation 12:11 (NIV)

So as we move forward and transition from one season to the next, from one trial to the next, or one problem to the next, I’d like to encourage you to have clear eyes! Recognize the real enemy.  As the leaves begin to turn colors, pumpkin lattes start showing up, and all those issues seem to be weighing you down or distracting you, press on!  With a full heart, suit up in the armor of God for our victory is assured! We can’t lose!

Post by: Marcy Gates