3/15/2020 2 Comments How Do You See Yourself?By: Angela Lawley How do you see yourself? What do you see when you look in the mirror? This is important because it is what shapes how we see others and how we see God. About 5yrs ago, my family and I were living in 400sqft of living space. Before you start feeling sorry for me, this isn’t a tragic situation; it was a necessity. You see, we were building a business and wanted to save money, so we converted part of our building into living quarters. It was very smart of us, but being a family of four with two very fast-growing boys, this situation soon wore its necessary appeal. For four very long years, this situation wore me down. So much so that I hated everything about it. I would find myself in my bathroom, giving myself pep talks through tears. “You can do this, Angela,” “God has so much in store for you and your family. Just keep going!” But you see, I didn’t see it, and I especially didn’t feel blessed. All I saw was a struggling Momma who was at the end of her rope. I was tired, sad, and hopeless. Then in a time of prayer...ok, let’s be honest, I was complaining to God. He reminded me of a few of His promises. One was every Christian's favorite motivational scripture. Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (NIV) Yeah. That’s a good one. We can camp out there for a while. I can still hear myself give God a “yeah, yeah.” Remember, we are being real! The next scripture He reminded me of was another good one from Jeremiah 1:5: "...before I formed you in the womb I knew you." (NIV) At this moment, I pictured God as a loving Father who gently lifts Jeremiah’s chin. Looks him straight in the eyes and gently reminds him of this profound truth. As the Father began to remind me of these truths, my heart started to soften because I see Him doing the same thing for me. Then He drove it home with this one, Philippians 4:19: "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (KJV) I cry thinking about this moment with my God, as the Holy Spirit started to minister to me. All the frustrations began to melt away. I was gently reminded of a few things that day: 1). God never forgets His children. We are apart of a beautiful plan that was laid out before the foundation of the earth, one that will show the world that we serve a faithful God. When he was creating every inch of you, He was making plans and ways out of every struggle. 2). Don’t allow your circumstances to cloud your understanding of who you serve. We serve a mighty God who is faithful. A God who cares about your needs and wants us to be blessed. 3). Being uncomfortable for a season doesn’t mean God has forgotten about you. Take that time to seek the Father with all your heart so that you can see Him in every situation. 4). Don’t see yourself through the eyes of struggle; look at your struggle through the eyes of Jesus! It will change your heart, and it will welcome the Holy Spirit to fill your situation with the peace that passes understanding. To end my story. As a family, we started speaking by faith that our needs would be met. We worked hard and stood on the truth that our needs were met. We thanked God for the season we were in and allowed Him to help change our perspective. We saw ourselves as blessed because we had each other, and most of all, we had Jesus. About six months later, an old friend walked into our store and asked if we were looking for a house. We told her, yes, and she offered a home that she had available. It was almost six times the size of the space we were in!! Hallelujah! This is where you dance!! We have been in this house for five years this August. And every time I walk around it, mow the lawn, even do the dishes, I thank God for our blessing. Now when we have a struggle, I immediately thank the Father, and I see myself on the other side, blessed! When I walk into my personal bathroom...(( Mommas, give me an Amen)) I turn and look in the mirror, and I see a child of God who is blessed, who is heard by God, and who is an overcomer. AMEN!! My prayer for you today is that you start seeing yourself the way God sees you, even though your struggles. You are blessed! You are loved! And God sees you! Don’t lose hope! ![]() Angela Lawley Founder of Giving Hope Ministries. Host of Giving Hope Podcast -Teacher women’s Bible Study. Angela is a 2007 graduate of Rhema Bible Training Center, where she graduated with a certificate in Helps Ministry. Angela and her husband Ryan have been married for 20yrs. They own their own business in their home town of Canton, Tx. Angela is the mother of two amazing boys Nicholas and Aiden. Three years ago Angela decided to start a home ministry where women from all backgrounds could come and hear the Word of God. Her heart was to teach and equipped women to fight for their marriages, children and their God given place in this world! There in her living room Giving Hope Ministries was born and is growing day by day. You can join her live every Sunday evening on the Giving Hope Ministries Facebook page. Connect with Angela further by clicking here!
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