My handsome seven year old son joyfully tells me, “Mom I have a scripture for us to read every day this week!”

He pulls a wrinkled paper out of his pocket and hands it to me.  I could tell by his sparkling blue eyes that this was a big deal to him!!   He wanted me to read it right then and there.  I pulled out my glasses and tried to not trip over anyone.

It was a busy day in church and the hallways were filled with happy kids and busy parents.   My son was completely oblivious to the fact that we were slowing down the crowd.  Or maybe he just didn’t care.  I decided to pull him over to the side and give him my full attention.

For the next couple of mornings he made sure that we read it.   And we did.

My son has a love for memorizing God’s word.  He is great at it.  He even likes to stand in front of leaders and peers showing them what he knows.

I’m delighted that my son is confident and takes joy in memorizing.  I love watching him practice.  He is so eager to get it right.

I wish that my experience with memorizing scripture as a kid in church was that fun.  Instead I felt awkward.

My buck teeth stuck out of my mouth with braces.   I was called the stork because I was taller than most of the kids.  I struggled with dyslexia and I was a target for hurtful darts.

Memorizing scripture was hard for me and my peers thought that was funny.  I remember being laughed at because I got the words mixed up.   This made me feel stupid.

I started to believe at a young age I was too dumb to memorize.

I felt shamed when my teachers told me to practice harder at home.  Everyone else got stickers for doing it correctly except me.   I practiced at home and I thought my teachers didn’t believe me.   So I just gave up on myself.  I stopped trying to memorize God’s word.

It’s sad how kids internalize incoming information incorrectly. Kids are hard on themselves and shame sits right on the side line ready to attack their little hearts.  And instantly the lies begin.

Lies sit with us throughout our adult lives mocking us.

And the message we hear from God’s word about being made in His image and likeness goes right in one ear and out the other.

Lies speaks louder then God’s truth. 

We think that God’s promises and goodness don’t belong to us.  Because somewhere along the line a lie convinced us that we are not good enough.

No matter how many times we are affirmed or praised we don’t receive because the lie we hold on to so tightly defines us.

What would happen if we denounce all the lies from our life?

This is what I think,

We wouldn’t be who we are and instead we would become who God created us to be.

The enemy wouldn’t have a foothold on us anymore.

Lies weigh us down.  Every now and then I hear my kids call themselves dumb.  And every time I correct them.

I tell them, “God doesn’t want us to talk like that.  He made us in His image and likeness.  And He isn’t dumb.”

It’s easy to tell them this and yet I have a hard time believing that I am smart and good enough.

In my mess I choose to correct myself and I remind my heart that God designed me.

I have what it takes because He equipped me for good works.

Some days are easy to receive this truth and some days my flesh resists.   My sin nature doesn’t cooperate.  I bet this is your story too.  Because everybody has a battle with shame.  I like to blame it on Adam and Eve.  Remember they hid from God in garden?

Grasping the whole truth after believing the lie for so long is like putting on a new pair of shoes.  I’ve walked with tired feet for so long and now there is a dance in my step.   It feels different.

God is calling us to come out from hiding.  He wants to finish what He has started in us.  My interpretation of Hebrews 13:20 and 21 is this.

He will work in us what is pleasing to Him. 

We need to stop condemning ourselves and pay attention to what is pleasing to God.   Let’s forget about our imperfect ways and instead put our focus on Him.

He is pleased with His creation and that is you and me.

It’s time we start enjoying who we are and celebrate Him.

We can do this.