{my graphics are free goodies for you}
Lie Our Hearts Hear: “I need to be all things to all people.”
Truth Our Hearts Need: “I only need to be who God made me.”
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. {Eph. 2:10}
In a world full of pressure and expectations, it’s easy to feel we should be all things to all people. But God says to us, “I created you for a specific purpose. You are who you need to be to accomplish what I put only you on earth to do.”
Your strengths show His glory.
Your gifts serve His people.
Your heart expresses His love.
We’re not group projects. We’re masterpieces who exist for the pleasure and purposes of the Artist. We’re invaluable and irreplaceable.
So let’s breathe a sigh of relief today. We don’t need to be all things to be all people. We only need to be one thing (who we’re created to be) for one Person (Jesus).
XOXO
Holley Gerth
After this post went out, a reader kindly and respectfully sent me an email asking about a place in Scripture where Paul does actually say he has become “all things to all people.” I’m familiar with that passage and I looked closely at it again today. Paul is saying is he changed his outward cultural behavior to reach others. But he doesn’t say he changed who God made him–his character or identity–to please them. In our modern world, the phrase “all things to all people” tends to mean “being who everyone else wants me to be in order to make them happy.” That’s the way I meant it in this post but I can understand how using that phrase could be confusing so I wanted to add this note to clarify. Staying true to Scripture is very important to me and I’m thankful you help me make sure I do so!
*A few weeks ago I asked you, “What are lies the hearts of women are tempted to believe?” You shared many and I decided to do a Wednesday series on the most common ones. You can read all the posts here.
P.S. I’d love to share this with you, friends… “The source of our greatest struggle may turn out to be the place where God uses us most powerfully.” I am so grateful to have been part of the Addicted to Anxiety conference by Tangible Truth Ministries last week! You can watch the video below or subscribers, click here to view. {I speak at about the two hour mark and speak for 15 minutes.}
More truth to encourage you…
I’ll be joining Emily Wierenga and several other friends for a webinar on September 10th! I would so love to have you join us… sign up here if you would like to be a part.
****
Welcome to the Coffee for Your Heart weekly link-up! You’re an encourager so I’m asking you to pour out a little love with your words every Wednesday {link-up goes live at 5:30am CST}. Simply write an encouraging blog post and then share it here. Don’t have a blog? You can still write an encouraging comment. If you’re reading this by email, go to holleygerth.com to see all the fun and join in too.
Pretty please use this button in your blog post so others can easily join in with us {html code in right sidebar}. And when you link up your post, take a moment to leave an encouraging comment on the one that’s linked up just before yours. Thanks, friends!
I’m having Coffee For Your Heart with my friend Holley Gerth
{click to tweet that you’re joining me here today}