As women, why do we get caught up in the opinions of others? Why do we lose ourselves in how others feel about us? Non-factors. We get lost even further as we try very hard to prove we are not who they say we are. We lose ourselves in our attempts to show we are better than their assessments and defi nitions. Listen. You are not who people say you are. You are better than their thoughts, accusations, and assumptions. Our parents, teachers, sisters, and clergy have exemplifi ed the characteristics of marvelous women, who we are. We are a royal priesthood. We are the Queen Esthers and Marys, Lydias and Hannahs. We are the Ruths and the Deborahs. Unfortunately, we tend to forget this because we get lost in the sea of negativity. Don’t drown in the belittlement and mystery of others. You must stand up and know who you are. You are what God has written on the pages of His Word. You are an overcomer. You are strong. You are an encourager who seeks to propel others to the next level. As women, we ought to be intercessors seeking to pull our sisters and brothers up and out of the basement mentality that holds them captive to mediocrity. We are each other’s strength. Do not get caught up in words that are irrelevant to your success. The apostle Paul says in Romans 3:4, “Let God be true and every man a liar.” Lies. You can never trace them. I read a powerful quote:
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Do not be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Do not let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice, and most importantly, do not lack the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
That intuition, that gut feeling, that inner voice is Jesus speaking to us.
Pay attention… listen.
