Every night before bed, my husband prays with our girls. A simple prayer, at 3 and 1, is all they can handle. However, practice of the process is what we’re aiming for at this age. After the “Amen’s”, he asks them a question. “Do you know how much daddy loves you?” With a smile on her face my big girl replies “YEAH!” and the accolades begin as my husband starts to list off her adoring qualities… “Daddy thinks you’re kind. Daddy thinks you’re special. Daddy thinks you’re beautiful. Daddy thinks you’re smart….” The list goes on, and she soaks it up. It’s a practice he’s started with our 15-month-old who is currently clueless but will one day be aware of her value because of what her daddy says. You see, each night, with simple words of affirmation, their father is laying the foundation of their worth, long before the world tries to dictate it or tear it apart.
Recently, I had the privilege to lead worship for a women’s conference in our state, and upon request, one of the songs we sang was “You Say” by Lauren Daigle. At the altar call, after a message about knowing our worth, and what God defines us as, the ladies joined me in singing this anthem. “You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing. You say I am strong when I think I am weak. You say I am held when I am falling short. When I don’t belong, you say I am yours.”
In a moment, the Lord spoke to me. “You have a choice to believe what I say of you, or what your doubts and insecurities say of you, but you cannot believe both as truth.” After her list of what God says of her, Lauren sings,” and I believe, oh I believe, what you say of me”. THAT is the crux of the whole song! That is the turning point in all of our lives.
In moments of defeat, in moments of self-doubt, in moments of insecurities and when we have legitimately failed – what do we believe? What do we CHOOSE to believe in THOSE moments?
My three-year-old’s version of herself is being formed. Her identity, and who she knows herself to be, is being shaped by her mother and father. So far, all she knows of herself is what we say of her. What a beautiful and innocent look at the same picture from our heavenly father’s perspective. So far, her perception of herself hasn’t been tainted by others views and lies. The truth is the only voice she knows.
As women, we’re not so lucky. We have voices in our heads and in our hearts. We have our own voices telling us we aren’t enough. We have the voices of the world saying we are too much. We have track records, lists of failures and moments of falling short that act as proof to us of our lacking, our insufficiencies.
But, on this Monday, I hope this little moment acts as a reset before you start your week, a motivation of sorts to change your mindset and choose to believe the truth of God’s word instead of the lies that you’ve heard. He says you are enough. He calls you beautiful one, chosen, His beloved. He says you are the head and not tail, the first and not the last. His word declares that in you is power to defeat any enemy that comes your way. He said you were set apart for such a time as this. So, believe it! Declare it! Walk in it! Let this week be a week where victory is had and miracles are realized. Let this Monday be the start to a new day of truth, a new belief and a new perspective of the beautiful, powerful, world changing woman God declares you are.
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