There seems to be an unspoken rule in our generation, that it’s okay to be you, unless you no longer fit into societies standards of ‘being you’ or ‘normal’. We have gotten to the point where we are all so different, that different, strange, unique, call it what you want – is now the new normal.
It’s been a strange week for me, I’ve come across people that have made me feel incredibly different, outcast and odd for being me. It’s not new for me, I’ve led my life this way, and sometimes, that’s the consequence for standing your ground, and staying true to who you know you are, and knowing, as well as, living in the truth of Who’s you are. I’ve had friends and family remind me this week that: one, I am wonderfully and fearfully made; two, I am capable and more intelligent than I play out to be; three, I am valued and have worth, it’s okay to be me.
And, today, I want to remind you of those truths. Despite what society says, or how it makes you feel, there is freedom in being yourself. Don’t allow others to make you feel less than because of your choices, because of the way you look, or who you are. You were made that way intentionally and you are perfect, yet beautifully flawed and that is an incredibly groundbreaking and humbling fact. Do not let a member of the opposite sex make you feel strange, odd or less than because of your choices, your beliefs or your looks. You don’t need to settle. Don’t settle. You have worth, and not just anyone has the privilege to know you, to be you, and that’s what makes you who you are – it makes you incredibly beautiful, incredibly talented, incredibly loved, and incredibly worthy. You don’t need to demand respect in order for you to be respected. You do not need to demand love in order for you to be loved. Just by being, you already loved and respected. You are you, and that’s okay. I’ll leave some words, here, that you can come back to when you’re questioning your worth, and who you are:
I do not need to settle. I am valued. I have worth, and being me is more than enough. I do not have to settle to fit into societies standards of what is expected of me. I am made to stand up (literally, and mentally) in who I am. It is okay to be me, I do not need approval from others. I don’t need to ask permission to exist, or be myself. It’s okay to be who I am.
I hope you leave with that truth, with the truth that sometimes, even though it’s really hard to believe that truth, let alone accept it – it’s truth and it’s a fact, and it cannot be changed. Who you are is, who you are. It’s okay to put yourself first, it’s okay to believe in yourself, it’s okay to not fit in. You weren’t made to blend into the crowd, and that’s okay.
above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it… give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.
| proverbs 4: 23 & 26
sunday, once more 