Stop Trying to Find Yourself

Stop trying to find yourself.

How well your contour your make up and how many likes you get on Instagram does not make you who you are. Your health or lack thereof doesn't make you who you are. Your car, job, school, house or the person you marry doesn't make you who you are. Clothes and fashion do not make you who you are.

Your mind and your soul, those are what make you who you are - and that body of yours - it's a vehicle to get those two things around. Unfortunately, as an entire society we have allowed Satan to deceive us into thinking the vehicle and our status is the most important thing: Fame, Fortune and Beauty.

God has certainly given us things to enjoy in this life - the vehicle and status (so to speak) included - but the distraction comes when we make priority the things created to enjoy instead of seeking a relationship with Him. Those things will never satisfy you - and many times you'll see they are the very thing that causes emptiness and hopelessness. But God knows who we are and what we should do and His Word is our guide through life.

You don't have to find yourself. If you read the Word, it will reveal to you who God made you to be. It gives you the confidence you need so you don't find yourself feeling bad when you don't get the attention you are looking for, and it will satisfy your every need. The only seeking you need to do is to seek a relationship with Jesus. He will help you in everything you do and in every decision. He will take your worries and give you peace. His glory in you makes you beautiful. Jesus is the One that should be Famous, His Fortune is in love and His Beauty is blinding. If we strive to be with Jesus - we are privy to all of that and more.

My opinion, stop trying to find yourself - and find Jesus instead.  <3

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"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds."

"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them."

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." Matthew 6:25-34 MSG

Filters

In a general sense, it's interesting how many filters we use on our photos - yet how little filters we use on our words. We don't want people to see what we really look like, hiding behind good lighting, trying to look the best we can to the world - but really we are rotten through and through deep inside.   We should all be glad that our inward appearance isn't literally translated into our outward appearance or we'd need a lot more filters! However, it does come out in our words, our thoughts and for some of us, in google searches we think no one sees.

There is this filter that I have found extremely helpful in my life when I have had to deal with massive depression, anxiety, confidence issues, addictions, comparison, figuring out who I am, temptations etc etc.

Anytime a thought comes into my mind that is negative, shoots me down or causes me to doubt or reason myself into a bad decision, I think about this verse in the Bible that says that we should "...take every thought captive..."

What does it mean to take something captive? It is usually thought of in light of war: made or held prisoner. And when people are held captive for war what do they do to the prisoner? They search them, they interrogate them: ask them relentless questions about what and why they are doing.

The rest of the verse goes on to say, "...to make it obedient to Christ." So if the thought comes into my head that does not line up with the Word of God, or what God would say or think of me I intentionally search that thought and argue it out of my mind by using the Truth of God's word. (Full verse: We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5)

Practically speaking if I'm mad at someone and I'm tempted to say something that would hurt them, knowing the Word of God helps me filter what I'm about to say by measuring it against what God says.

• The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. Proverbs 18:21
• Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. Proverbs 17:28
• Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29
• Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:3-32
• The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words. Proverbs 10:32
• The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words. Proverbs 15:28
• When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. Proverbs 31:26
• ...we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Ephesians 4:15

There are so many examples of the same idea about but for different thoughts, worries, "what do I do?'s for practical application of God's Word. Whether you are a Christian or not, there is much wisdom in the Word of God, it is a good filter... It will change how you really look on the inside, which is the most important thing - contrary to cultural belief.