Are You Sticky?

I talked with a friend the other day who is beginning to realize something amazing about her son.  He’s not sticky.

Odd statement, yes?  Here’s what I mean.

When tough situations or hurtful words come his way, they just don’t stick to him.  No.  Instead, they seem to slide off.   Love it!

It made me wonder about my own sticky-ness.  Do I allow the hurtful words and actions of others to stick to me?  Or do they slide off of me without fail?

I plead the 5th.

What about you?  Are you able to let go of those things designed to take you out?  What do you do when…

• Your friend says hurtful things behind your back?
• Your husband speaks stinging words during a fight?
• Your co-workers laugh at or mock your faith?
• Your family doesn’t support your decision to go on that mission trip?
• You don’t get invited into that group or get an invitation to that party?

I think I’m pretty sticky.  So if these hit home with you, you’re not alone.  Although to be honest, this isn’t a group I want to be a part of.  You either, huh?

This is part of my relentless pursuit of healing that I wrote about last week.  If you missed it, you can read that honest and vulnerable “purging” here.  You see, I think this is all tied up in my value issue.

The problem is that I am sometimes confused about the source of my value, making me a sitting target for the Enemy.  I hate that!

When we ask the world what they think of us, we’ll never feel good about ourselves.  Never.  Why? Because we are unable to meet their definition of “good-enough.”

And if for some crazy reason we do, it’s only temporary.  The world changes it’s mind all the time.  And the damage is… we feel worthless.

But if we intentionally choose to believe who we are because of Jesus, we will realize that even when we aren’t “good enough” for the world… we are God’s favorite.  He loves you…

• No matter the number on the scale or the size of your clothes
• No matter how much money your family makes a year
• No matter what level of education you have completed
• No matter how clean your homes or cars are
• No matter what style or brand of clothes you wear
• No matter what your hair, nails and skin look like
• No matter where you vacation

God totally digs you.

There is nothing you can do better to make Him adore you more.  There isn’t any way for Him to love you any deeper than He does right now.  You can’t do anything to cause Him to turn His back on you.

You are priceless to Him.

When we truly believe this… internalize this truth into the marrow of our bones… we are no longer sticky people.  How can that be true?  Because we no longer really care what the world says about us.

“Come on, Carey!  Isn’t that unrealistic?”

Maybe.  Maybe not.  I think it depends on you.

Will you listen to the world’s messages?  Will you allow them to define who you are… and who you are not?  Will you constantly be working to meet their standards of perfection?  Will you buy into their definition of value?

OR

Will you choose to believe the message that you are priceless – not perfect – simply because you are God’s child?  Will you receive that in His eyes, you’re accepted, secure, significant (see scriptures to support this here).  Will you rest knowing that proverbial treadmill isn’t a part of God’s plan for your life?

I wonder if it’s hard for you to know the difference between each message.  Here’s a way to decipher.

• If the message you’re getting makes you feel guilty or bad about who you are and insists you become more or better or to try harder… you are listening to the world.
• If the message you are hearing tenders your heart and lovingly encourages you to stand strong or press in to Him… you’re listening to God.

And when we listen to the world… hurts stick to us.  When we intentionally listen instead to the voice of Truth… they don’t.

Lord, will you uncover those hidden places where we are listening to the world rather than to you?  We don’t want to be a people who care for what this world cares for.  We don’t want to be accepted by the world.  We do not want to work towards that one more minute!  Give us the mindset that we are refugees and shouldn’t fit in, because this isn’t our home.  Give us your eyes and ears to see those life-sucking messages for what they really are.  Remind us to stand behind the cross so the flaming arrows from the Enemy miss our hearts.  Help us lose our sticky-ness thereby allowing those hurtful words and actions to fall away rather than harm us.  Help us be more like you!  Amen.

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