Nicole never gives up.
Nicole cares more for others than for herself.
Nicole doesn’t want what she doesn’t have.
She doesn’t strut.
She doesn’t have a swelled head.
Nicole doesn’t force herself on others,
She isn’t always “me first”.
Nicole doesn’t fly off the handle.
She doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
She doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Nicole takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Nicole puts up with anything.
She trusts God always.
Nicole always looks for the best,
She never looks back, but keeps going to the end
Years ago I heard someone share they practiced substituting their name in this passage (1 Cor 13) in place of the word “love”. I found the Message version to be particularly convicting and have been very edified this morning by substituting my name.
In this season the Father has placed an emphasis on my “insides”. He has shown me how immature and foolish it is to see only the outsides. Especially when it comes to relationships! I receive this message in my local fellowship and then again in all of the books and podcasts I’ve been listening to. God wants to transform our insides. I will be honest that my family culture has placed a great emphasis on the outsides. Yes I was taught to be nice to others but only if they were nice to me. Christ teaches us to overcome evil with good and turn the other cheek. I’m pretty sure my family never heard of “turning the other cheek” 😉.
I’m learning that God really does place a greater emphasis on our insides than our outsides (He looks at the heart). And that makes sense, seeing as how our insides last forever and our outsides are decaying daily. My mindset has transformed so much to His in this area that I’m often surprised when someone compliments my outsides; I’m so focused on my insides. And of course it’s not that He doesn’t care at all about our outsides, it is just about correct order. First eternals, then natural (Matthew 6:33).
Our outsides are transformed to manifest what is going on in our insides when we seek Him first. Of course, there are many folks walking around in this world who seem to have great outsides but their insides are seriously lacking. That is when it’s most important to have discernment, wisdom and knowledge so that you can see their true heart and character; their true insides.
My insides are rocky and anxiety and fear have been a constant enemy but I believe His word that He has already completed His work in me. I choose to walk forward each day yielding to His path, so that my insides can catch up to my outsides 😊. So that when I declare the above verse over myself, I will also be reflecting it in my everyday living.
There are so many difficulties in this world. Tragedies are frequent and since the fall of mankind there has been devastation after devastation. My friend and I were discussing these difficulties recently and both agreed it is Christ who gives us hope. If Christ had not risen from the dead, there would be no hope. There would be no life. Death would have the final say. Thankfully it does not. He uses all things to work for our good.
Now Christ was someone with great insides! I’m glad to know His insides are now our insides (Col 1:27 “…Christ in you the hope of glory”).
That means you are now this world’s hope.
Here are a few pics of my outsides 😉
SHALOM!
Wow, that was a great message and good “food” for thought. Yes, we all need to get to responding to life to what really matters beginning with God as our hope. Each day that we have a chance t breathe, we can correct our life and get it in order with what God would want it to be. His word is in most of us but for those that don’t know it, may they have the opportunity to being put in the right place , at the right time, with the right person of God to step in and share their testimony as you are doing.
Tx Linda! Each day we have on this earth is a day to share His love, hope and truth with the world. I pray we are good stewards with the time we are given.