#221 - Comparing!

Proverbs 18:24 - The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 31:30a - Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain...

She has more friends than I do.
She's prettier than me.
She always has such a cute outfit on.
People invite her places all the time.
Her house is nicer than mine.
She is so nice.
She's always buying something new.
She is always doing something fun.
She & her husband always go out to eat.
Money doesn't ever seem like a big deal to her.
She's so good at making things.
She throws lots of parties.

Who is the "she" in your life? Who are the "Joneses" in your life? Are they there? Do you find yourself frequently discontent only when you look at the life of someone else? If you are truly just looking at your life, living your day, you actually like it.... you enjoy your life, until you compare it?

It's interesting, I found the Holy Spirit revealing some things to me this morning about this very issue. As I reflected on the "Joneses" in my life, I found myself realizing, all the areas where I felt inadequate or insecure (ie: all of their strengths), mirrored a lifestyle that would not even fulfill me. As I thought about my true perfect day, it would not be doing the daily and weekly activities that the Joneses did.

Tyler was sharing with me about a recent audio he listened to. It was by Marita Litweiller (author of Wired That Way). She went on to describe personality types. How opposites attract. What brings energy and life to different people. What energizes one person would be completely draining to the next person. They were not designed for that 'strength.' Where one person is energized by working out, running, lifting weights... the thought of being so "die-hard" would be draining to someone else. Equally, the bubbly wife always entertaining guests week after week, would be draining to the next mom. We were not all designed to be the same. We were designed to be different. We begin to get drained when we are trying to BE & DO those things that are a strength of someone else. Whether your a "one-person friend" or a "30 person friend," it's OK! You were designed just that way!

In the King James Version of Proverbs 31:30 it begins with, "Favour is deceitful, beauty is vain..." "Favour" in the Hebrew is also defined as "acceptance." "Deceitful" is also described as: in vain, disappointment, lie, wrong. So we're not just talking about the charming and graceful woman here in verse 30. We can look at it in a whole new way! We could also say this, "The woman who focused on being accepted is deceived, disappointed, living a lie. She is operating in vain."

Our desire to be accepted, to be like the "Joneses," to be like that co-worker who seems to have it all together is all vain. It all brings disappointment. I've heard this phrase that is helpful: "You will only ever be SECOND best if you try to be someone else, but you can be #1 at being the best YOU!" 


You can finish #1 ALL THE TIME when you are focusing at being the #1 YOU! When we compare, we will always find ourselves disappointed and discouraged. What are YOUR strengths? What is YOUR perfect day? What makes YOU happy? Focusing on those questions will help us to really experience fulfillment in this walk through life as a Christian. You are not called to be like "her." Be the best YOU and feel the wonderful release of pressure you've placed on yourself to be like someone else!

 

#186 - Obtain FAVOR!

Good morning! Well... I just wanted to give you all a "potential" heads up. It seems like lately there have been several issues with posting to "blogspot." I am currently sending this post via email. Some mornings "blogspot" comes up with errors when posting, causing and inconvenient additional time spent trying to remedy the problem. I have been considering switching sites for a long time, but... now may be the time I actually "jump" ship. "Wordpress" is another common blog posting site, so I may export all the devotions, and continue there. Regardless, you will always have the ability to just go too: www.amyjmccart.com and it will take you out to the devotion for the day. 

I just wanted to give you a "pre-warning" that those changes may be coming soon. I don't want to catch you off guard! :) Enough with the "techy" stuff, let's go ahead and get into the Word. 

Proverbs 18:22 - He who finds a [true] wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

Proverbs 31:12 - She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her.

Maybe there are others like this, but when I am reading a verse, in the back of my mind my thoughts typically go to this thought: "OK, how does this apply to me?" OR "What's in it for me?" Now... please put your stones down, I don't claim to be perfect by any means, and maybe it's wrong or selfish of me to think that, but it is what it is. 

I looked up the word "true" in the dictionary. Here are some definitions: real, sincere, not deceitful, genuine, authentic. For all intensive purposes, Tyler found me, at least, ultimately he chose me to be his bride! I believe he found a TRUE wife. I am real, sincere, not deceitful, genuine & authentic. The benefit for my husband? He obtains FAVOR from the Lord. The Hebrew further describes "favor" as: pleasure, delight, goodwill, acceptance, will, desire. By a man, let's say Tyler, or for you, your husband, Our Husbands obtain FAVOR from the Lord because of us. Because they found a true wife, you, a wife not deceitful or insincere, a wife who is genuine & authentic.... because of these very reasons, they obtain GOODWILL from the LORD, they obtain their DESIRES from the Lord, the obtain DELIGHT from the Lord, they obtain ACCEPTANCE from the Lord. We can THANK GOD every day for FAVOR for our husbands & our families just because of the mere fact our husband chose us! 

Now... let me ask you kind of a stupid question. When something good happens to your husband, does it spill off into affecting YOUR life? Absolutely. If he gets a raise at his job, does it affect your life? Sure! You may be able to pay debt off quicker, upgrade your car, go on a vacation, bless others... a number of things. When good things happen to your spouse, you are an automatic bystander who is affected. Your family, your children, they are affected when good things happen. So, our husbands receiving FAVOR is a very GOOD thing! 

Something the Proverbs 31 woman does additionally, she adds icing on the cake. She comforts, encourages & does her husband good as long as she lives, "til death do us part." She is blessing her husband daily. She is encouraging him & comforting him. She is his best friend and confidant. She is playing into this "FAVOR" verse quite perfectly. Back to one of my potentially selfish thoughts.... "What's in it for me?" When I encourage my husband....let's take last night for example. We were apart for awhile and had a conversation via our Blackberry Messanger... I went on telling him all of these things that were his strengths. How he is so naturally good with people and people love him. How he is a born leader. How I've always been impressed with his hunger to learn! He's always reading a book or studying something. How he is an amazing public speaker, and has a great way of just capturing an audience. I wasn't telling him these things out of a selfish motive, I was just wanting him to hear his strengths again. I wanted to encourage him, lift him up. What happens in turn? As Tyler is "FAVORED" in all areas of his life, He wants to bring me, his wife, and family along with him to his place of favor. We are the people he wants to share it with. He's not interested in sharing his "received favor" with some "Cute girl at his Corporate Headquarters," he's interested in staying TRUE to his WIFE because he found a GOOD THING. He found a woman who would encourage and comfort him all the days of his life! 

A true wife? Favor is sure to follow! Believe for FAVOR today  for your spouse. Speak blessings into his life. Thank God that HE HAS FAVOR! Speak OUTLOUD that He would have favor as he is out, favor as he is in his workplace, favor in his income. THANK GOD for it! It says it in the WORD! If it says it in the WORD, put your Stamp on it! Call it done! By SPEAKING it OUTLOUD, you bring GOD into remembrance of HIS WORD! 

"Thank You Father that MY HUSBAND has favor today! Thank You that he has favor with his boss! Thank You that he has favor with people that he meets. Thank You the you put him in the right place at the right time to receive Your awesome favor! Thank You that he is favored in his income and that his income is increased! Thank You that YOUR FAVOR overwhelms him in every area of his life. Your Favor brings blessings & increase, joy, health, fullness, opportunity & prosperity. Thank You for YOUR FAVOR!"