trust – Christy Grace Scarlet Pen

This is a season of masks.

Physical masks have become the mandate from our governments, health professionals, colleagues, friends, and family. The goal is to keep us safe, but how many of us a wearing a mask over our spirit?

I was spending time with God, and he gave me a word that I couldn’t not share with you – this word is for YOU! It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live, or what you’re facing, this is the word that God wants you to hear.

So, what do masks do?

They hide your face. The remove the identifying markers that make people able to recognise you.
They take away your breath. Often while wearing these masks, when we try to walk or talk with the masks on, we run out of breath/steam.
They muffle/distort your words. We can’t always hear what that cashier behind the counter is asking us, because a mask is blocking the words – or the MESSAGE – that they are trying to share with us.

When God shared those with me, he added his own flavour to the mix. Advice, a pleading, a desire for us to not put a mask on our hearts or spirits. Because when we do, we end up doing the following:

We forget our true identity in Christ. We are formed of his image, and we have a called identity to live without fear, but with peace, love, joy and so much more. Our IDENTITY is something we should never lose sight of.
A spiritual mask can block the BREATH, or the Life in you. Sometimes we feel like we’re running out of steam, and it’s hard to continue. We can’t quite catch our breath. Don’t let the breath of life continue to work in you, and through you.
We can find that the message/our words are distorted. When you are wearing a spiritual mask, you can be speaking out of hurt, out of misunderstanding, or many other things. This can be a problem. When we get the message – God’s message – out into the world, we need it to be clear, consistent, and correct. We can’t let it be muffled, distorted, or muted.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t wear the physical masks, but I am asking the question. Are you wearing a SPIRITUAL mask?

This is a strange season, but if you feel like you are wearing a spiritual mask right now, reach out to your pastors – who are called to lead and guide you. Reach out to your family or friends – who you know and trust to show you how to take off this mask. Don’t lose sight of God and his word.

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

Label, Label, Pick a Label

I’ve been labelled, I’ve labelled others and others, I know, have labelled themselves.

We live in a world full of labels.
I’m smart, i’m stupid, i’m pretty, i’m ugly.
I’m tired, i’m happy, i’m sad, i’m depressed.
I’m poor, i’m rich, i’m alone, i’m a loser.

So what label have you (or has someone else) attached to your self worth? What have people labelled you? Do you find that you stay in that label?

Labels can be dangerous. We can cling to them and stay there. We can ignore any positive labels that we’re given after that (like no, you’re not stupid – you’re so smart!) and just linger in the ones that feel strangely comfortable, or easy to believe.
Words matter. What you say, or someone says to you Matters. More than we like to believe, and more than we think.
I’ve had labels spoke over me (and to myself by me) like Anxious, tired, alone, sad, heavy, fat, not good enough but i’ve come to realise that these labels are NOT where I want to live. I don’t want to spend time believe those things about myself.

Labels can be broken (that’s the good news)!
You can break out of labels which have been spoken into your life.
We need to CHOOSE to focus on the labels that matter. The ones we should stick to – from people we love, trust and from God.
Labels like, we are forever loved, stronger than we could expect, saved, redeemed, happy, hopeful, always moving forward…

The list of labels which can improve our self worth, our hearts and our lives are almost endless – you just have to know where to find them, and to believe that they’re true. Even when they don’t feel true.
I remind myself all the time of some ‘positive’ labels, especially those days when I don’t believe them.
Your perspective of yourself, your life and your worth can change things!
You can change things!

Cling to the positive, cling to the TRUTH, and cling to each other.

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace