This has been on my mind for MONTHS, since a lovely couple named Carl and Linda came to our church (New Covenant Fellowship if you’re interested) at the beginning of the year. Carl preached about the garden and the whole mess Adam and Eve made because they were hangry (I’m offering them some grace, okay?). When God found them later, they were hiding from Him because they were naked, He asked them who told them that. This doesn’t seem like a particularly profound question at first, especially since we know that God knows and sees everything, but we have to remember how much more He knows than we do. Who told them to question what God had told them? Who told them that they should now be ashamed of themselves? Someone who was totally NOT in charge and didn’t have an ounce of authority to, that’s who.
Travel from Eden to, let’s say, Central Kentucky to the great, great, great to the nth degree relatives of Adam and Eve and we can see that the apple has not fallen far from the tree (pun intended). There is a barrage of messages blasted that tell us that we need to hide. We feel ashamed of who we are, what we’ve done, and where we come from. We believe that we are disposable, easily replaceable, and forgettable. We will never be thin enough, pretty enough, smart enough, productive enough, or just enough period. But who said?! Who has the authority to tell us these things and make us believe them? Honestly, a lot of the times it’s me telling myself these things and I don’t hold much authority at all! If it’s not me telling myself these things, it’s normally someone I wouldn’t go to for any kind of advice, life changing or otherwise. If I’m being honest, I’d hear what they had to say and then do the exact opposite.
When these messages come at us, we’ve got to pause and ask who said and on what authority? If God is your authority, He says that we are: fearfully and wonderfully made, new creations, healed, forgiven, victorious, adopted into His family, and sooooo much more! If you don’t believe in God, ask yourself who are the people speaking these things over you? Do they love you? Do they provide for you or pay your bills? Would you tell them your secrets or ask them for advice? If the answer to any of those questions is no, then they are what Brené Brown calls “cheap seat talkers” and they don’t get to have an opinion. So, the next time you get a message causing you to doubt your worth, do me and yourself a favor and ask who said?
Daring to be Des 