Girlfriends in God - Jan. 4, 2008 - Girlfriends in God Daily Womens Devotions

January 4, 2008

But God…

Part 2

Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIV).

Friend to Friend

Yesterday I shared with you about how I grew up in a tumultuous home environment that left me ruled by feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy. If you missed yesterday’s devotion, I encourage you to go back and read it. But today, I want to tell you the rest of the story.

When I was twelve-years-old, I became friends with a girl in my neighborhood, Wanda Henderson. We had known each other since first grade, but truly bonded by the sixth. Wanda’s mother took me under her wing and loved me like I was her own child. Mrs. Henderson knew what was going on in my home and she knew about my wounded heart. I loved being at the Henderson’s home. Mr. and Mrs. Henderson hugged and kissed each other in front of us and even had pet names for each other. I had never seen married people act like that before and I watched in amazement. I didn’t know why that family was so different from mine, but I knew that difference had something to do with Jesus Christ. Their home was a balm – an emotional spa.

Mrs. Henderson walked around their home doing housework and singing praise songs to the Lord. She even talked about Jesus Christ like she knew Him personally. I thought that was strange.

Eventually, the Hendersons invited me to go to church with them and I realized that most of the people in her church talked about Jesus Christ like they knew Him personally. Amazingly, my family, with all of its struggles, went to church on Sundays. Yes, with all the alcohol and fighting, we went to a very politically correct, socially prestigious church - fighting all the way to the front door. We heard ear-tickling, non-offensive sermons that were moral enough to make us feel we’d done our American duty, but not spiritual enough to convict or transform us in any way.

But the Henderson’s church was different. They talked about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, something I had never heard before. I wanted what they had. I went to this church and drank in every word the pastor and teachers had to say about a Savior who loved me so much He gave His life for me on Calvary’s cross so that I could have eternal life. He paid the penalty for my sin. He loved me, not because I was pretty or because I could do things well, but just because I was His.

The following year, Mrs. Henderson started a Bible study for teenagers in the neighborhood and I began a love affair with God’s Word. One night, when I was fourteen, Mrs. Henderson sat me down on the couch.

“Sharon,” she asked, “Are you ready to accept Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord?”

With tears streaming down my cheeks, I answered “yes.”

At the very moment I accepted Christ, my spiritual transformation was complete – I went from death to life in the blink of an eye – in the time it took for me to say, “I believe.” The Bible says that when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we are a “new creation – the old is gone, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). However, the transformation of my soul (mind, will, and emotions) had just begun.

At first, my parents were leery of my “new found religion,” but my love for the Lord was hard to resist or deny. Two years after I gave me life to Jesus, my mother accepted Him as her personal Savior. Then three years later, through a series of events, twists and turns that only our Heavenly Father could orchestrate, my earthly father gave his life to Christ. In a matter of six years, God had worked an incredible miracle in my life and my family’s life.

But let’s go back to that fourteen-year-old girl who was consumed with feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy. Did those feelings melt away the moment I accepted Christ? Did they evaporate when I said the words, “I believe.” Oh, dear friend, I wish I could tell you they did. But they did not. As a matter-of-fact, I didn’t even know that they were there.

Through the years, I learned to compensate for my insecurities. If you had seen me as a teenager - my achievements and accomplishments - you would have never known that I felt that way about myself or was in that type of bondage.

From the time I was fourteen until I was in my early thirties, I always felt like there was something wrong with me spiritually – like I a had walked into a movie twenty minutes late, spending the entire time trying to figure out what was going on. I wondered why I struggled so to live the victorious Christian life. I had a wonderful husband, an amazing son, and a happy home life. I taught Bible studies at a scripturally solid church, and surrounded myself with strong Christian friends. But something was missing – I didn’t know who I was. I did not understand the change that happened in me the moment I became a Christian. I didn’t understand my true identity as a child of God.

Once again, God didn’t leave me that way. Something happened in my thirties. Like popcorn heating up and exploding into fluffy white clouds, certain verses of the Bible began to jump out at me. “You are chosen, and dearly loved.” “You are holy.” “You are a saint.” I began to understand that how I saw me and how God saw me were very different. Yes, I had a spiritual makeover the moment I accepted Christ. My dead spirit became alive with Christ…born again, as Jesus told Nicodemus. But the ultimate makeover, the process of being transformed into the image of Christ, had just begun.

I am so glad you have chosen to travel your spiritual journey with Mary, Gwen and I. Our prayer is that you will begin to see yourself as God sees you – chosen, accepted, holy and dearly loved.

Let’s Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, I am so glad that You called me, chose me, and adopted me as Your child. My prayer is that I will continue to grow closer to You and be more conformed to the image of Christ every day. Thank you for the great lengths You go to show Your children just how special we are to You.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

More from the Girlfriends

Perhaps, like Sharon, you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, but you still struggle with feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy. Maybe what you need is to experience the ultimate makeover at God’s Spa. The door is always open and the Makeover artist is always in. To learn more, see Experience the Ultimate Makeover by Sharon Jaynes. In addition, if you would like a laminated prayer card filled with Bible verses about your new identity in Christ, you can find it on Sharon’s website as well.