The Strong family did something I thought we’d never do, and it wasn’t even prompted by eating our weight in Thanksgiving deliciousness: We joined a gym. Or rather, we joined a super fancy fitness center and spa, which is really just a gym with every bell and whistle known to man. We’ve been members of nuts-and-bolts gyms before, but we joined this fitness center because our girl’s swim team practices there, and it is significantly cheaper to be on swim team if we are “club members.”
When I people watch at this fitness center, I see brawny dudes who swagger like they own the place and super model women with the latest and cutest workout clothes. Their makeup looks perfect, and I think they must have some special power that keep them from sweating it off. The facility is Martha Stewart clean and sleek and downright perfect, just like the people. Sometimes I imagine it resembles the Capitol from The Hunger Games.
I can roll my eyes at this over-the-top facility, but I have to own the real reason I don’t want to walk inside. The truth is me and my outdated sweatpants feel straight-up insecure in these places. I’m 5 feet, 11 inches of long limbs and awkward, and surely everyone knows I don’t belong.
Then God reminds me of something I keep forgetting:
“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life…God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us – an unbelievable inheritance!” ~ Romans 8:15-17 {The Message}
I forget Whose I am and walk around all timid-like with my head bent and hair in my face. I leave the knowledge of my inheritance at home, maybe picking it up when I pick up my Bible. I forget God has made me a capable woman who keeps home fires burning and kids’ schedules going. He designed me fully able to carry out one hundred and one daily responsibilities, and all He cares about is that I love and serve Him wherever my feet take me.
It’s so much easier to live confidently when I remember what God has already given out of His own confidence in me.
Today, walking confidently in my inheritance is walking confidently inside the fitness center. When I do this, the insecurity-fog lifts and I see truth clearly. Tired, imperfect moms like me sweat at this gym. Real people doing the best they can in their own cracked jars of clay sit left and right of me.
Just maybe I belong after all.
What does walking confidently in your own inheritance look like today?
Loved this post. Way to go!! For me, walking confidently today looks like parenting confidently, following the leadership of the Holy Spirit and walking free from fear of others’ opinions of my parenting. 🙂 thx for this reminder of who I am!!
Oh, this: “…following the leadership of the Holy Spirit and walking free from fear of others’ opinions of my parenting.” Amen!
Okay, first of all: who wears makeup to the gym? The whole *point* of going to the gym is that you get to wear comfy clothes and pull those endorphins up by their sweaty, energizing little bootstraps. And exercising while you wear makeup just messes around with your skin, doesn’t it? Aaaand I’m done now 🙂
No insecurity allowed, friend *wagging my finger at you* You’re more beautiful and love-filled than you’re giving yourself (and God) credit for. I love you for being so honest and transparent about how you use Scripture to reorient yourself. That’s something that I’ve always grappled with: how do we use the Bible to orient ourselves strictly in God’s truths without turning it into a self-help/”here’s how to fix your life” book?
I was just reading these verses last night! Here’s the NASB translation: “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” We get to claim the fearlessness of kinship with God – what a grand gift. (And a note: if we’re both His daughters, that makes us sisters. Simple logic :D)
So, sister: for me, today, walking as an heir of God means claiming the privilege of calling him “Father”. It means crying out to Him in the grief…re-learning that I can trust that He’s there to care, carry, love, stay, heal…
<3
I *love* the image you paint of calling Him Father. So lovely. Re-learning right alongside you, Sonika!
This is good Kristen! For me, walking confidently in my inheritance today looks like me finishing this day out strong! I’ve dealt with some rude customers and co-workers today. My emotions are easily swayed by the actions of others. So, I am gonna walk out the rest of this day knowing that I am God’s chosen and the behavior of others don’t matter. God will stand and fight for me. 🙂
You are such a gem, Karina. You go girl.
Oh yes, I know those feelings…I don’t belong, not smart, pretty, fit, cool, funny enough. Such lies! One day, when I was feeling particularly awful and unworthy, I heard a song that continues to ring in my head when I “go there.” It’s called the Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwsvqVmFV6Y
Elise, that song is one of my faves. SO good!
That song’s so well-written!
Oh, I go to that gym, too, only it’s here in VA. (It may actually be the same gym). You gotta just walk into Kickboxing and act like you mean business until it clicks- and then you mean business! Sometimes confidence grows just by knowing it even if you haven’t figured out how to show it. You have a beautiful confidence that pours out of all 5’11” inches of your gorgeous self!