That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates…(1 Ch 16:7).
The Lord gave me a visual picture today that I wanted to share. You see, there’s been this crushing weight that I’ve been living under. It’s the weight of the opinions of other people. Especially those opinions that come from people who I believe have power over me. Power to make my life go really, really bad, so I’ll go about my day with the hopes that what I do next might impress or please them. This is such a trap and quite frankly, it’s so unhealthy.
It’s unhealthy because it clouds my ability to hear from my Father because I’m not sure if what I’m doing is actually pleasing my Faher or serving my flesh. I am constantly asking myself, “Heather, what’s motivating you here? Why are you doing this?” Maybe I’m serving my flesh because I’m afraid of what trusting God and walking in faithfulness to Him might actually mean for my life if I don’t impress all the right people. That is such a crushing weight to live under.
As I was praying and processing through this realty, the Lord showed me myself, being crushing by the weight and opinion of others. He showed me that in order to be free, I had to get out from under those opinions, stand on top of them and simply reach up like a little child. He then would hold me in His embrace, far away from the opinions of others as I was held deeply in His love.
I’m not sure where life brings you today. Maybe you’ve to have been weighed down by the opinions of others and in doing so it makes it hard for you to lead. You feel crippled by fear so you don’t lead well in your home, work or other areas of life. You’re fearful you might not look like a good parent, sister, friend or co-worker, so instead of trusting in your Father’s love, you live under the crushing weight of all the opinions you think people have of you. All of this circles back to a misunderstanding of your identity. At least, that’s what I’m learning.
You see, I am not the best me when I am living under the weight of what I think people expect of me or what I fear they will say of me. I am my best self when I am reaching up, being embrace by my Father as I am held by Him and His love.
Father, I long to be held in your love and embraced by your grace. Lead me now beside those quiet waters. Thank you for your love. Empower me by it, I pray, in Jesus name, Amen.
Heather Quiroz 