How People See Me

People have impressions of me, impressions I don't understand. They use words that seem out of place in a sentence including my name, words foreign to who I have known myself to be.

I wish I could see what you do!

I want to scream, "Hey, what planet are you living on?! Don't believe the lies Satan is giving you that I don't struggle or that my life is perfect. Don't look at me without remembering God is powerful and faithful and never gives up on His kids. I've had my share of tears and pain and impossible situations. I know loss and regret. I've hurt people and messed up and wished I was different."

I am not the words people say I am.

I am only a woman, a self-centered, weak woman, trying to do the best she can with what God's given. I am a person fully aware of my humanity, completely reliant on the Holy Spirit to make each day matter.

So while the words are sweet, they also bother me because if that's how people really see me, how helpful can I be? If I'm viewed as charmed or talented or intimidating, aren't I useless to others? Those feelings will keep us apart, keep us from true connection, prevent us from learning from each other and becoming stronger.

And all the while Satan grins at our inability to look beyond the surface.

I've shared my struggles, my inadequacies, my weaknesses over and over again on this blog, yet flowery perceptions still exist. We humans look at each other and form ideas without really knowing any background information. We presume and assume and isolate ourselves with notions which may not be true. We label and categorize with little fact. We're clouded by our own hangups or insecurities and come up short in any comparison.

But really, we're all the same. We all fight with our husbands. We all carry baggage from our past. We all worry about our kids and regret things we've said and wish we could change ourselves. We all want to lose weight and get more fit and improve our abilities. Each of us can spout off a list of twenty faults in ten seconds flat.

What we perceive when we look at others is not all there is.

The thought urges me to look beyond the beautiful exterior of you, to look for the ways God has worked, has helped you overcome. For if I put you in a category out of my league, I won't see God's touch. I won't find inspiration and encouragement to keep pressing on. If I assume I'm not as good as you, I might miss an opportunity to gain strength in our association. If I think you are perfect and have no problems, how will I find hope for my own struggles?

Worse yet, these feelings keep us from each other. We are stronger TOGETHER. We need to quit harboring impressions which cannot be true.

So put away all falsehoods and tell your neighbor the truth because we belong to each other.

Ephesians 4:25

So today I'm here to tell you to put away those falsehoods. I am not all the words you think I am. The truth is we are all the same. We're all muddling through each day wishing we were better people. Would we have greater success if we relied on each other instead of falling for Satan's comparison trap? We belong to each other. We need each other. We are stronger together. Let's quit holding each other at a distance.

How is the body of Christ hurt by inaccurate perceptions?


Photo Credit: KimiVengenz