Authentically You

About a month ago a patriarch of our church went home to be with the Lord. She was known to us as Mama Yuke, our senior pastor's mother. As I sat at her funeral I was inspired as I listenend to so many talk about the impact she had in their lives. How she challenged them in their walk with Jesus, loving and confronting them along the way!

Mama Yuke's life and testimony challenges me to be all that I have been created to be. I can learn from her example, her zeal for God, her passion for people and her dedication to the church and the Word of God. BUT I'm not MAMA Yuke. God will flow through each one of us differently and in a unique way....we must remember that.

You were totally and without a doubt created ON PURPOSE. You were designed intricately and like no other woman. Ephesians 2:10 says we are HIS workmanship. Get this, you were put together by the Master Designer. You weren't thrown together by chance. You are already a winner! Do you know that approx. 4 million little swimmers:) were racing to the finish line when you were made??? And YOU won!!!

AUTHENTIC means not false or copied, genuine, not a counterfeit. You must choose to step on the path to discover who God has truly made you to be. Many Christians are satisfied to stay in the valley of life and travel around the mountains. I have done this in my life. Mountains of fear, insecurity, pride, unbelief, gossip, past hurt, etc.

BUT, Now is the time for us to RISE UP. We must get on the path to find who we are and what the Master Designer had in mind when He formed us. I'm asking you to get up if you feel stuck, to trust Him with your whole heart in spite of your fear and disappointments. I am asking you to humble yourself and be honest with where you're at. AND if you've been on this road for awhile, we need you to call back to us and shout out the pitfalls along the way.

There really isn't any time to waste. We are called into the kingdom for such a time as this, as Esther was. What you have to offer is unlike anyone else. Your blend of giftings, talents, pain, life experiences, and personality do not exist in anyone but YOU. So, without you on the journey, much will be lost.

Imagine with me that you are holding a package of seeds....they represent you and the potential you have. They represent your identity. You can go through your whole life holding these seeds, never opening the package because you are sidetracked or afraid. But you will never become who you were made to be if you do not open up and plant these seeds in the soil of God's great love.

Sometimes we try to find out who we are by planting the seeds in the wrong places. We plant them where our parents think they should be or where our friends feel is the best place....we run around asking everyone else...does anyone know who I am?

So, how do we find out who we are? I believe the very first step is to believe we are loved and accepted by the Master Designer. As the seeds of your identity go down into the rich soil of His love, who you are will begin to emerge, like a flower beginning to grow. You will emerge as the gorgeous original you truly are. Debris is washed away, new life comes and growth takes place. Even your failures and hurts will be turned around for something good.

If you are at a place in your journey where you need to take a risk, take it. If it's time to let some things go, release your hold. If there are relationships that need to change, make some new connections. If the time has come for your heart to be healed, open up to Him.

The Time is NOW. Believe and receive His love for you. Be authentically YOU!