No Enhancements Required - Encouragement for Today - December 21, 2020
No Enhancements Required
SHALA W. GRAHAM
Lee en español
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:13-14 (ESV)
Though I don’t buy them often, last month, I bought flowers to remind myself that I don’t always have to reward myself with food. Let’s just say the pandemic made this stress-eater a little extra fluffy, and I needed a new strategy!
When it comes to choosing flowers, I get pretty picky. I’m picky about the colors, the flower type, if the pollen will get everywhere and if they are the kind of flowers that die quickly. After much back and forth, picking up flowers, putting them back and inspecting another batch, one lucky, brightly colored bundle made its way home with me.
I trimmed the stems, arranged them into a hand-painted mason jar and set them in the middle of my dining table to enjoy daily. One day, as I was refreshing the water and pulling out the flowers that lost their glory, I was disheartened to realize the bright orange flowers were spray-painted with color. I probably should have known since most flowers don’t have a white to orange gradient, but alas, I felt betrayed.
Why would someone feel the need to “enhance” what God has already made beautiful?
Ouch! I do this all the time! On the surface, there are my must-do makeup applications before I step outside the house to be seen by anyone. But then there are the deeper things — the spray-painted flowers of my heart. I look back over the seasons of my life and see the times where I felt like I simply wasn’t good enough as God made me. I entertained the lies of Satan telling me I needed to be cooler, funnier, perform better, be more like a man, or otherwise stand out from the crowd with something extra special to call my own. I felt like I needed spray paint.
But God’s Word tells me otherwise. Psalm 139:13-14 reminds me God formed me, and I can praise Him because of how He made me:
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
Fighting the lies and dispelling the subtle whispers that I need spray paint can be challenging. Satan has fine-tuned his strategies since the beginning of time. But I know he always runs the same plays of shame, guilt and insecurity.
Therefore, I must proclaim that the way God made me is praiseworthy! I am God’s masterpiece that does not need to be enhanced. It would do my soul well to know this truth and to express my gratitude toward God for His perfect plan for me.
Father, forgive me for the times when I exchanged Your truth about me for the lies of the enemy. Today, help me see myself as Your expert workmanship — a masterpiece that is wonderfully made. Let me not speak ill of myself because You are a perfect Creator who makes no mistakes. Today, I choose gratitude. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY:
1 John 4:17-18, “This is how love is made perfect in us: that we can be without fear on the day God judges us, because in this world we are like him. Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear. It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made perfect in the person who fears.” (NCV)
Proverbs 31:30, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.” (NLT)
RELATED RESOURCES:
When your mind is full, your to-do list is long, and you are running from one thing to the next, how do you overcome being overwhelmed? While rest may seem impossible in the midst of the busyness of life, it’s actually the best way to avoid overload. Our free resource, R.E.S.T. How To Overcome Being Overwhelmed includes practical steps that will help you find rest in God when life feels overwhelming. Click here to download your copy!
CONNECT:
Do you want to close out the year with a fresh perspective on gratitude? Hop on over to Shala W. Graham’s website to download her free PDF, Acting on Gratitude. You can also find Shala on Instagram for everyday encouragement to courageously chase the calling of Jesus on your life.
REFLECT AND RESPOND:
God did an amazing job when He made you! What are three things you can be grateful to God for about yourself?
How have you been tempted to “spray paint” yourself instead of resting in the truth that you are fearfully and wonderfully made?
Let us hear from you! Add your thoughts about today’s devotion in the comments.
© 2020 by Shala W. Graham. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
