- Don’t compare your sufferings to anyone else’s. Neither invalidating your experience nor assuming your obstacles are worse doesn’t help anyone.
. - Don’t compare your blessings to anyone else’s. Believe that “no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” Psalm 84:11 Ask for His best for you in whatever situation you are in.
. - Don’t refuse the blessings given you. Refusing your blessings doesn’t equal blessing others. Differentiate between merely denying yourself and showing love (which may, or may not, necessitate sacrifice).
. - Gratefully receive and wholeheartedly use what you’ve been given. (It’s one thing not to refuse a gift. It’s another to open it and use it!)
. - Generously love others. “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25
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- Know that your body, your gifts, and your personality were handcrafted into a living work of art that God calls wonderful. (Psalm 139)
. - Practice soberness: “Letting my good sense conquer my wild emotions.” (Quote by Rebekah Love Dorris of Every Wise Woman Builds)
. - Acknowledge the parts of yourself that hurt or are not yet fully integrated into Christ’s image; love those parts of yourself and pray for them, as you would your enemies. (I wish I remembered who to give credit to for this one!)
. - Remove “should”s from your vocabulary. “Forgive yourself for your own limitations” and grow from where you are. Give yourself the gift of living without regrets that haven’t yet taken place! (Quote and inspiration by writing coach Ann Kroeker in a podcast for the creative paralyzed with perfectionism.)
. - Give yourself permission to do a bad job. Yes, seriously. Rest in God’s finished work for you in Jesus Christ. You don’t need to do a single thing more than He’s already done to be eternally accepted and loved by God. (John 19:30, 1 Peter 2:24)
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- Know that the grace given to you is yours. No one can take it from you. (Romans 8:35, Hebrews 6:17-19)
. - Kick fear out of the driver’s seat when it comes to taking risks for Him. Try something new. Nothing like getting out of a rut you’ve been staying in for all the wrong reasons to give you a boost of vitality! Every Son-follower’s acts are either forgiven or worth-full at the end of our lives when we stand to give account. We have a grace safety net. (Inspired by a sermon series on heaven by Pastor Mark Cowell.)
. - Get good at embracing situations and people for what they are, not what you want them to be, when control is not in your hands. “It is what it is.” (Inspired by an article by Boundaries authors Dr. John Townsend and Dr. Henry Cloud)
. - Continually realign your definition of “life” with John 14:6a. Jesus = life.
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. - Increasingly learn and practice living life within God’s design. Don’t purposely fall into the sin traps set for you. (Galatians 5:1, 1 Peter 2:16)
. - Realize that Jesus is continually interceding for you in heaven, every second you’re on earth. (Romans 8:34)
. - Choose to care more about what God says about you than what people think (or what you perceive they think) about you.
Thanks Pearl , Interesting post,
Riya, I’m grateful if you found takeaway value here. May God help us keep our eyes fixed on Him!
Thank you, Pearl. These are fantastic tips!
Thank you, Emily! Grateful if they encouraged you. Happy 4th of July weekend, friend!
Thank you for these encouragements to Enjoy who we are and enjoy our life. This post is a great tool to have as reminders.Also I have come to accept for myself to have Joy I have chose to allow myself to know Its okay NOT to be ok.Thank you friend!! Happy 4th.
Sydell, you’re an encouragement to me. You are absolutely right: it’s ok not to be ok. I meant to ask at the end what I left out? That could have been number 18. 🙂 Happy 4th weekend to you, too!
#6 & #8 are ongoing journeys.
Yes ma’am! For sure. (Probably all of them!) And thank you so much for your thoughtful card!!
Rebekah, I’m with you. I’ve been blessed to sit under my pastor’s preaching for years, and his heaven series has been a good look up exercise! Thankful for the people God’s brought into my life, including you!!!
Very well put. Thanks. I needed that!
I’m so glad it encouraged you! ?