When I was a little girl my favorite movie was, Muppets take Manhattan. Kermit, Piggy, a billion cameos from 80’s stars and of course, NYC as the backdrop. What’s not to love? Also, I’m 97% sure that movie is to blame for my being drawn to the big city from such a young age.
However, what frustrated 7-year-old Megan about that movie more than anything, *spoiler alert* Kermit got amnesia. And everyone’s favorite green friend almost walked away from his best muppet life.
More often that I’d like to admit, I too can develop a little memory loss and come down with a case of “Spiritual Amnesia” and I have a good feeling I’m not the only one.
I can read, journal and be totally convinced of the promises of God in the morning. Then by noon, be functioning like all of life is up to me.
I forget who I am and whose I am while allowing old fears to dictate my behavior. I let the enemy of my soul, the one who is fearful about the kind of people we will become when we walk in the empowering truth of the love of God & the grace-filled fullness of who He created us to be, tell me who I am.
I’ve been walking with Jesus long enough now to KNOW that these are lies, even when everything in my brain tells me they are reality. It’s in those moments, you know the ones when you feel sabotaged by your thoughts? It’s in those moments Chris can look me in my eye, with that look your spouse gives you and says,
“How are you…” and I respond,
“I’m 20 seconds from truth.”
That’s often all it is. A few seconds, a minute or two, to stop the mental spiral, bring our thoughts back into alignment with the truth of God’s word and then, Keep. Moving.
I used to beat myself up for it pretty hard when my brain didn’t behave like a super-Christian. But then I realized that’s just condemnation. And Jesus already took every bit of that weight so we could walk free.
If you’ve been following along for a while, you’ve probably heard me reference Romans 8 in the msg version at some point. It is my favorite!
Verses 1-2 say this:
“Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation.”
Then in verses 5 & 6…
Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life.
Somebody tweet that!
Keep reading and you’ll run into verses 9 & 10
But for you who welcome Him, in whom He dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms.
Life on God’s terms. Are you seeing this truth? Ok, one last one. It’s too good.
Verses 12-14
So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!
I don’t know about you, but those verses are like water on my soul! We have been ransomed into the freest life you can imagine, let’s not believe it in our religious heads and live otherwise. Because I don’t want to just be free, I want to live free.
And I want that for your beautiful self too.
You were not intended to live small. You have been set more wildly free than you can imagine.
And don’t worry, I can see it in your eyes…
How does this play out in your day to day life?
What does this practically looks like? You KNOW, we’re all about practical ‘round these parts. So here you go:
1. Know yourself and recognize when you spiral.
You’re not a victim of your thoughts. You have the ability to stop them and shift them. It will feel unnatural and like you’re in denial at first, but it will get easier with practice.
The lies are not the boss unless you let them be.
2. Tell yourself the truth.
(We wrote a post here that offers you 4 resources that will truly help with that here.) When the Lord drops something in your heart or you read something powerful in the Bible, write it down. Journal it. Screenshot it. Have an album of all the verses on your phone that remind you of truth. Put scripture up in your home. Throw sticky notes on your computer. Do what you gotta do. Just get the word in front of your eyes and say it out loud in order to remind yourself of what is actually true.
3. Physically change your location.
Sometimes, in order to move the mind, you must move your body. Get off the couch, go to a different room, go outside, get out of your house, go be around people. Sometimes you can shift your mind simply by shifting your visual focus.
4. Move your body
I’m passionate about exercise for a myriad of reasons, but one, in particular, is the mental and spiritual benefits it has. We have several posts to get you started. Check them out here & here. Or the entire category here. And if you’re a podcast person, and are looking for something that ties in your Spirit, Soul & Body, I can’t recommend Revelation Wellness enough!
5. Playlist
Music touches our souls in a way nothing else can. Chris isn’t one of those really emotional types. We’ll leave that job to me. But I know my man and I know that music touches a place in him that is difficult to access otherwise. What’s a song that encourages you? Speaks truth over you? Make like Corinne Bailey Rae and girl (or guy), put your record on. 😉
Don’t know where to start? We made a Spotify playlist for you here.
6. Wear something that makes you feel good
Last one and this is obviously the most deeply spiritual. You’ve heard the old adage, “fake it till you make it?” Well, let me tell you, if today you catch glimpses of your cute self in the mirror and you’re wearing something that makes you feel confident vs oh, I don’t know… the gray slumpy sweatshirt which should only be worn during a serious bout of the stomach flu, you’re going to one-up yourself. 😉 Often times your outside projection is an accurate reflection of how you feel about yourself. Give yourself the gift of feeling 10% more confident today by paying attention to your appearance. You, lovely, are worth it.
And even though it’s been a hot minute, we DO have some style posts on this blog, check them out here for a little extra help...or at least some really entertaining pictures, because I, as you’ll soon find out and not a fashion blogger 😉
20 Seconds from truth friend, that’s often all it is.
What reminder are you speaking over yourself today?
Until next time,
Meg
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