Meekness… It’s What Bwings Us Togevah Today

So, what is meekness?

The coolest way I have heard this word described was as “power under control.”

You see, God designed our bodies & our minds to do some pretty amazing things. Just think: mathematics, physics, calculus, engineering, artwork, athletics, & SO much more. It’s incredible! (Now, each of us have our strengths & are certainly not gifted in every area, for sure, but as a whole, humanity can create & build tremendous accomplishments, don’t you agree?)

The problem we all seem to struggle with in this grand design of humanity is the simple, yet quite challenging, practice of meekness.

But, I’ve Got This…!

It can be all too easy to see what we can do & run with it, never once inquiring of our great Maker for the best use of our God-given abilities.

We tend to either neglect our gifting, abuse our gifting, or use our gifting for purposes of our own, versus God’s (which, arguably, is the same as abusing it).

We talked last week, in “An Undeserved Grace” that God is 100% perfect in wisdom, understanding, & knowledge.

He also MADE us with incredible gifts! And while none of us possess every gift, we can certainly each use our unique gifts to support one another in love.

And since He is perfect in wisdom, understanding, & knowledge… AND He made us & gave us our gifts… It only stands to reason that the wise choice would be to ask Him to take the lead on how we use our gifts & how we live our lives.

Meekness in a Self-Driven Culture

I always pictured meekness as shyness or maybe timidity is a better word for how I felt. That I should shy away from using or improving my gifting.

And yet, others seem to think their gifting is for their own purposes. We could all stand to learn about having more meekness in a self-driven culture.

Meekness recognizes both boldness AND humility in perfect harmony. It represents the idea that while we know we were given wonderful gifting, they were given for a purpose,

God Just Really Does Know Best

You may be tempted to feel that God is thus trying to control you & limit you, but think of it this way, using it on your own, in your own way is really what is limiting you because you only have limited wisdom, understanding, & knowledge.

God knows PERFECTLY what is best in EVERY circumstance.

So, bowing our gifts to God is recognizing our own limitations, while acknowledging God’s perfect will & plan. It doesn’t mean we hide our strengths, but rather that we trust a perfect God over our imperfect selves to take the lead in our lives.

It is putting Him in the driver seat, allowing Him to act as Driver & Navigator, while we are the car (MADE by God). We let our God-given strengths & skills to be put to better use, trusting our loving Father to take the lead.

“Submission” Is Not a Bad Word

Words like “meekness”, “surrender”, & “submission,” sound scary because it takes control out of our own hands. But in this case, where it is being placed in the hands of ALMIGHTY God/our LOVING Heavenly Father, it is the BEST possible option, meant for both our benefit & that of everyone around us.

But… How…?

How do you become meek? How do you give up control when the “need” for control seems to be in our very nature?

Learning to know & love God more. Asking God to show you how. Asking Him to help you trust His control & to show you areas where you have a white-knuckled grip that needs to let go & let Him.

It’s okay to be terrible at meekness… join the club!

But don’t let it stop there.

Bow your head & heart to God, confess how HARD it is for you, & ask Him for His HELP, knowing how desperately you’re going to need it if you are ever to have success relinquishing control of your own life to God’s able hands & infinite wisdom.

Ask Him & don’t let fear ever keep you from asking.

God’s got you. He loves you. He is able.

Trust Him… And ASK.

Instead of THIS:

X Self-Soothe: Binging TV, food, phone time, or games to avoid stress… Turning to sex, relationships, drugs, alcohol, etc…. to feel better.

X Self-Shield: Defensiveness, avoidance, hatred, slander, gossip, withdrawal, isolation, fear, hidden hurts, not getting close to others… to protect yourself.

X Self-Solve: Stress, Just “dealing with it,” accepting things as is, acting out, coming up with your own solutions, giving up, taking a stand on your own wisdom/timing… to figure out a solution to a problem.

Try THIS:

O PRAY (Ask God) for comfort, healing, help, strength, courage, wisdom, truth & His love to help you feel better.

O PRAY (Ask God) for courage, wisdom, solutions, freedom, victory, strength, humility, meekness to help you fight trials the right way.

O PRAY (Ask God) for wisdom, solutions, direction, guidance, God’s way, patience, understanding through God’s perfect wisdom to help you solve a problem.

Let go & Let God.

Shine HOPE by learning to have a meek, submitted, & surrendered heart & life to our loving God Almighty.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week!

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for over TWO years now! THANK YOU for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Grace Earrings

These earrings feature gold plated metal around local capiz shell.

Artisan Information:

In the Philippines, finding employment as a woman in poverty can be extremely difficult. Poor working conditions, lack of job security, & unfair pay are often the realities. Through your purchase, these women are receiving an income, health care, & social development programs. This allows these women to realize their potential & pursue their dreams in a safe environment. You have the opportunity to change lives!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in the Philippines!

How You Can Help:

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

The Heavens Declare His Glory

(Psalm 19:1-6) (Emphasis mine)

Infinite Creativity

Such beautiful poetry is found in certain places throughout the Bible, especially in the Psalms.

I came across this particular Psalm & fell in love with the imagery it presented, talking about one of my favorite works of God’s art in this world—the sky. I love how its colors always change & the shapes of the clouds are always moving & shifting.

The sky is like new art every moment of every day.

God is infinitely creative & in just looking up at the sky & admiring its ever-changing beauty, you see a testament to that! So neat, huh?

Look Up!

I love this reminder to just look up & be reminded that God deserves all the glory… seeing the works of His hand, showing His knowledge, His creativity, His attention to detail, His infiniteness, & even His care of mankind in providing the warmth of the sun.

We only need to look up to see a reminder of how worthy of praise God truly is & how present & available He is to us.

Lift your eyes to the sky & praise His name!

His Word in Light of His Majesty

“The law of the Lord is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.”

(Psalm 19:7-9) (Emphasis mine)

Complete, Reliable, Life-Giving TRUTH

That next section of Psalm 19, after it was just reminding us of how glorious, creative, knowledgeable & caring God is, reminds us that He knows best. His Word, in the Bible, is not just good advice, it is PERFECT advice. It works 100%.

And, It Benefits US

Also, this passage does not fail to mention all the ways His Word BENEFITS us when we spend time reading/studying it, applying it, trusting it, & living by it.

It is perfect.

It refreshes the soul.

It is trustworthy.

It gives wisdom.

It is right.

It gives joy to the heart.

It is radiant.

It gives light to the eyes.

Trusting Him & His Word is wholly deserved & endures forever.

It is firm, steady, sure.

It is righteous.

Someone I know said something that really made sense to me. She said, “The Bible is THE MOST transformative book for our hearts & minds… It’s no wonder Satan tries so hard to convince us we don’t need it.”

But…

The slew of reasons we come up with as to why we don’t/shouldn’t read the Bible are endless & I have used most all of them:

“I’m too busy right now.”

“I was going to, but I got distracted.”

“Ugh, headache!”

“I am just so tired! Can’t focus.”

“It’s kind of boring.” (Ha.)

“Isn’t it outdated, though?”

“I don’t see how the rest applies to me, so I stick to the ‘good parts’, so that’s probably enough.”

“I read only specific verses that encourage me, so that’s probably enough.”

“I read passages that talk about my current struggle, so that’s probably enough.”

“I hear the Bible read at church/in Bible Study, so that’s probably enough.”

“I do a Bible study book that has key verses we read, so that’s probably enough.”

I can probably come up with SO MANY MORE reasons I have given myself, not to mention ones I have heard come from others in my circles.

Our Enemy Knows Where to Strike… BUT, GOD

Satan is crafty. He knows how to appeal to our flesh & immediate gratification. He knows what he’s doing & has gotten quite good at convincing us pretty easily… & most of the time we don’t even bother seeing it as giving into the lies of Satan, because we had good intentions to start with, didn’t we?

But I want you to scroll up & re-read those few verses one more time & then think about your reasons for NOT reading & how they are lies offered by Satan… AND THEN consider how mighty, how creative, how wise, how knowledgeable, & how CARING God is that we saw in the first set of verses & remember this: WE CAN ASK FOR GOD’S HELP.

When you consider reading the Bible, but Satan scrolls his infinitely long list of excuses for your ready use, consider that fact: WE CAN ASK FOR GOD’S HELP.

It’s worth it!

Transformed Hearts & Minds

And sure, it SEEMS outdated & old & boring at first, but then something very weird happens, you feel encouraged, uplifted, assured, & stronger the more you read it! Because the more you spend time CONSISTENTLY reading God’s Word, the more you are constantly reminded of the fact that God is so Good, so Wise, so Kind, So Knowledgeable, etc. etc. etc. Your confidence, in HIM, skyrockets the more you read it.

So, don’t stop at the lies, pray for the victory & read ANYWAY.

Why Read the Bible?

Because His Words…

“They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?”

(Psalm 19:10-12) (Emphasis mine)

He Will Help You As You Go

Lean into Him for help & spend time in His Word consistently. You will be surprised to see how accurate this Psalm 19 description of God & His Word turn out to be.

3 years in, & I grow more in love with it every time through it.

Lord, Please…

And to finish off today’s post, I will borrow this short prayer from the final verses found in Psalm 19. May it be our heart cry as we seek to live for Him, through Him:

(Psalm 19:12-14) (Emphasis mine)

AMEN.

Shine HOPE by getting into His Word EVERY SINGLE DAY & asking for God’s help every time Satan tries to knock down your good intentions with his lies. GOD. IS. BIGGER.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week!

A Note from Michelle:

This blog/website has been running for TWO years now! Thank you for your continued support & encouragement. <3

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Fashion as a Force for GOOD:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Onyx Necklace

Modern hammered brass necklace features 3 genuine onyx drops.

Artisan Information:

The poverty cycle in India continues primarily because of the lack of education. Most schools are not free or affordable. Therefore, many children never learn to read or write & they grow up with limited opportunities. However, every purchase of this product empowers women to provide for their children & send them to school! You have the opportunity to end poverty & create an impact for generations to come!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!

The Diversity of Doubts

Doubts are a funny thing. They can permeate almost every aspect of our lives, whether we recognize them or not.

Sometimes they are so subtle that we don’t realize we have them, but they influence how we live our daily lives.

Sometimes they are so obtrusive that we can’t seem to see anything BUT those doubts, haunting us like a storm that follows our every move.

No matter what doubt it is, it is, I would argue, always rooted in a misunderstanding about who God is.

The Most Harmful Misunderstanding

If you think about it, so much of what we struggle with in our lives is centered around a misunderstanding about who God is, whether it be an anxiety or a trauma or anything in between.

Either we are not positive God can fix it (or at least not the way we would prefer it to be fixed) or we wonder if God cares enough to fix it even if we believe He CAN.

This misunderstanding can manifest on our auto-pilot life, doing the best we can the way we understand it should be (also see, “doing what is right in our own eyes.”) … or in us feeling paralyzed because we feel like what we want to believe about God may not be the way we always envisioned it to be.

Doubts in the Christian Life

So, today, I want to tackle a few specific doubts I had once I made the decision to trust God after my ocean of doubts-some of which I covered in Part 1.

A couple weeks ago started us off with “I’m Not Very Good at Reading the Bible,” so let’s go into a few more.

6. Doing What Seems Right in Our Own Eyes

The biggest one that is so easily missed, because of its subtlety, is “doing what is right in [our] own eyes.” (You can do a quick internet search to find some passages about this in the Bible.)

A lot of us are taught, even if just by example, the daily routines, habits, & flow of life as we see best. We don’t see it as doubting God, but we also don’t really stop to consider that He would have a different plan in mind than what we always grew up believing it should look like.

This is a doubt about God that can exist, in one form or another, throughout our entire lives, because it is so subtle that it doesn’t seem like a doubt in God at all, but just merely “the way life is.”

It Permeates So Many Areas of Life

I have talked about this topic many times throughout my blogging journey because I find it permeating my own ideals & habits all the time. I am not trying to do things “my way,” because to me it just feels it’s the only way I know.

We need to take a perspective shift with this one to realize that God’s plans are higher than our plans & extend through the span of eternity & not just the up-to-100+ years we are looking at.

The only way to accomplish a different mindset than “doing what is right in our own eyes,” since that is our automatic route, is to consider & turn to God in all things—spend time reading the Bible consistently, talk to Him regularly, & constantly ask God to show you where you might need to hand more over to Him or adjust for His plan versus your own.

Blessed Are the Meek!

It goes back to our Matthew 5 journey recently in meekness, taking our “strength” & “power” & offering our perceived control over to His perfect strength, wisdom, power, & plan.

Only in making those things of Bible reading, talking to God regularly, & turning more of your life over to Him a regular habit will we begin to see the areas where we are living according to what is “right in our own eyes” & begin to hand those over for God’s better way & better plan.

7. Is God a False-Hope?

The second Christian-life doubt I wrestled with for a long time was that Satan tried to lie & convince me that life was no better in trusting God over myself & that trusting God was a false-hope.

Let me reiterate that as a LIE from Satan & is not based in reality AT ALL.

You see, when I was relying on myself versus God, drowning in my doubts of God & trying to go it alone, I felt lost & alone & hopeless & scared—ALL THE TIME, with BRIEF pockets of relief.

BUT, when I finally turned those reins over to God, asking HIM to be in control, I felt steady & sure & stable, because I was trusting a sure thing, versus my flimsy self.

Hard Times Still Come, But It Is God Who Carries Us Through

Did hard times still come? Heck yes! And they still do! But now, even in my aching heart, even when things aren’t “magically fixed” like I wish them to be, I STILL HAVE a sure hope to count in, that God has a plan & WILL carry me through as I lean into Him.

What was once ALWAYS dark & scary & unsure, with brief moments of relief, became temporary pockets of dark, scary, unsure moments UNTIL I slump at His “feet” & ask Him to carry me through & be my strength in the hurts.

He is my hope, even when the world feels hopeless.

We will feel faithless at our worst, & Satan will try to riddle us with guilt & shame for it, but God is there to remind us that His faithfulness is not dependent on ours… & that all we need to do is cry out to Him & He will be there, ALWAYS, to carry us through our worst days.

8. Are We Supposed to Prove Our Faith by Living It Well on Our Own?

The last Christian Life doubt I want to talk about today ties in with the first one we covered earlier in this post, “doing what seems right in our own eyes.”

Not only in how we live should we be turning over the reins to God, like we talked about, but also in HOW WE SERVE GOD.

This means reading our Bible, talking to God about everything, & living for Him by serving & loving others.

But it also means trusting GOD to HELP us read our Bibles, talk to Him about everything, & live for Him in serving & loving others.

We don’t have to do those things in our own strength or willpower.

When We Know We Should But Don’t Want to or Feel We Can’t… God Can Help

We can submit our lack of willingness, pride, bad attitude, stubbornness, laziness, boredom, distractions, busyness, ailments, & EVERYTHING ELSE that keeps us from submitting to a healthy growth toward God, TO God.

We can open up & be real with Him about it, even if it’s our own lack of desire to do it or bad attitude or pride—He ALREADY KNOWS. So, open up to Him about it, get real with Him, confess it to Him, & ASK FOR HIS HELP WITH IT.

Sometimes Faithfulness Is Trusting in & Asking for His Help… Even in the Misplaced Desires or Lack There Of

I cannot tell you how many times I have to ask for His help with all the reasons I mentioned above. ALL. OF. THEM. Regularly.

I may know it’s good for me… Consistency in the last few years may have been blessing my life beyond what I imagined it could, BUT I STILL STRUGGLE & have to ask for His help sometimes.

Especially with prayer lately. I can inner dialog all day long to work out a solution without once considering, “Oh yeah, God…. Um, can You help me?” It’s embarrassing, but true!

So, Please, Please, PLEASE stop trying to live for Him on your own willpower steam & start submitting all of your obstacles to HIM for help, even if those obstacles are YOU & your unwillingness or lack of desire to follow through with it.

Quick Recap of Covered Doubts

Let’s recap the doubts we have covered so far, in the past 3 posts about doubts:

1. Jesus is THE way & there is NO OTHER way… & that is a good thing because He is saying we can’t save ourselves, but He has saved US, if we just accept His gracious gift of forgiveness.
2. God IS real—we can see Him in the specific order AND vast variety of creation… & in how He interacts with us PERSONALLY the more we submit to know Him more.
3. You’re NEVER “unsavable” because again, it’s not based on what you can do, but on what Jesus has done FOR YOU.
4. We pray because He CAN hear us & we know He can hear us because He interacts with us on a personal level as we grow to know Him more & is big enough to answer our God-honoring desires & still work His plan.
5. Reading your Bible consistently IS nourishment to you, it will change how you see & trust God, AND it is possible by asking for God’s help with it.
6. Doing it HIS way is always best, & even in the small, subtle ways, we should be asking for God’s guidance & wisdom to guide our steps along the way.
7. Pain & struggle does not mean God is not our perfect anchor, nor does it mean we lack “enough” faith, but is a call to fall in His arms recognizing His power & strength in light of our weakness & frailty.
8. Abiding in God & living for God is not meant to be done by sheer willpower, but by asking for God’s help & wisdom & strength & a change in our hearts every step of the way. Not perfection, but growth.

Next week, I plan to talk about fears & pain & struggle in light of our doubts about God, so make sure to come back for that.

Shine HOPE by looking to Him in all things great & small.

Coming Next Week

Join me every Monday morning, EST, for more encouragement.

As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.

Share with friends & Subscribe by Joining My Tribe, so you never miss a week!

A Note from Michelle:

If you would like to hear more of my story, check out the “About Me” page. And if you would like to hear how I found my lasting source of HOPE, read the “Hope Is Found” page, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Northern Lights Studs

These studs hold labradorite stone, displaying multiple captivating colors that vary in different exposures to light, just like the Northern Lights themselves. Flash-plated posts.

Artisan Information:

The women we partner with in India do so much more than just create beautiful products. With every purchase, another woman is empowered out of poverty to be self-reliant! Women have the opportunity to earn an income, attend financial management classes, & receive education & healthcare. These women are now able to give their family a promising future because of your purchase!

Purchase this piece & empower a woman in India!

SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michelle@michellehydeonline.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!