"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17
In continuing our thoughts from yesterday, I wanted to study more and understand better not only what it feels like to be invisible but how God can work in those same lives for His good. I thought about the life of many women in the Bible after our look into the lives of Sarai and Hagar yesterday. I began to remember a certain woman who I think felt pretty invisible.
The book of Joshua tells us about a certain woman whose name alone tells us so much about her life and probably most importantly how she felt about herself -- Rahab the harlot. Imagine for yourself what Rahab must have felt about herself. Here she is a prostitute. Everyone in town knows her as "Rahab the harlot." Her worth is derived by the number of men who seek her for pleasure yet none of them ever offer her love or commitment. Rahab has probably convinced herself that this is her "job" and that there is nothing better for her. I can only imagine that she feels invisible to many of the men who enter her presence. I imagine she feels pretty invisible most times she walks through the marketplace. No one wants to be her friend, least of all another woman.
Yet God had a remarkable plan for Rahab's life. I believe that the Lord touched Rahab and carved 2 Corinthians 5:17 into her heart to remind her that her past did not define her future. I believe that Rahab found out that she was not invisible to God when he filled her with His love. After God touched Rahab's heart, God used her and the Bible chronicles many heroic acts of faith by Rahab. Fast-forwarding a little, marvel at these two blessings of Rahab -- 1. Rahab married Salmon, a prince in the house of Judah; 2. Rahab bore Salmon a son named Boaz, who son was Obed, whose son was Jessie, who son was David, through whose line Jesus was born. Whoa! Rahab was used by God and given many blessings. Rahab was not invisible to God!
What is your Remarkable Story? Do you have a personal before-and-after story? Does your story include a hard spirit toward God or others? Or is it marked by an icy, stone-cold heart towards the things of God? Maybe you were never a harlot like Rahab, but you have probably felt invisible. You have felt the pain of isolation, low self-worth, and hopelessness. But God loves you greatly! You are NOT invisible to Him. He wants more than anything to have a relationship with you if you only allow Him to speak to you!
Dear Lord, Thank you for the story of Rahab. Thank you that you can use "broken-down Jesus girls" to speak to the world. We praise you for seeing us in love. I pray for those who feel invisible, Lord, that they will find you even in their darkest hour. Amen
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Are You Invisible?
"The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, 'Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?' 'I'm running away from my mistress Sarai,' she answered." Genesis 16: 7-8
I have recently been reading a book by James Dobson called "Bringing Up Girls." Dr. Dobson discusses numerous emotions, physical transformations, and mental thoughts that girls often encounter in the young lives. I was astonished by some of the reading, and at times, I was close to tears. He tells stories about many young girls who are now adults that once felt invisible. They felt invisible in their homes. They felt invisible in their schools. They felt invisible to boys. They felt invisible to God.
Dr. Dobson discusses how this feeling of being invisible as young girls has molded them into young adults today. Some found a true relationship with God through a caring friend or family member. Yet others carried their feelings or unworthiness and low self-esteem with them where they instead put their focus on drugs, alcohol, prostitution, and homelessness.
I truly believe that there isn't a girl alive that has not experienced a time when she felt invisible. As a child, I remember feeling somewhat invisible at school. I was not the smartest of the kids in my class nor was I at the bottom. Often I was left drifting somewhere in the middle. I grew to like the middle because it felt safer. I rarely was called upon to answer questions or be the student at the front of the class helping the teacher. Yet safe did not mean I didn't sometimes feel invisible. It was in second grade that my teacher, Ms. Slover, took an interest in me. She saw my potential. She didn't let me fall to the middle anymore. She gave me a precious gift that I could never repay --- she gave me hope. You see, she taught me that being the smartest kid in the class shouldn't be my goal nor should drifting somewhere in the middle. Ms. Slover tapped into me, into my interests, and found that I was smarter than I even imagined. No one had bothered to tap into my potential. So I grew to understand that I probably would never be the smartest kid in my class but guess what! Out of 300 students to graduate in my high school in 1995, I was in the Top 32 for my GPA!
As I read back over the story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar, I truly believe that both Sarai and Hagar experienced the feeling of being invisible. Sarai felt unworthy of Abram's love since she could not conceive and handed over her maidservant, Hagar, to her husband. Can you even begin to imagine the feelings that Sarai had? The pressure she must have felt? The hopelessness she was in? Imagine attempting to conceive for so many years and being unsuccessful. Many of you know exactly what she felt. Now imagine feeling so hopeless that you decide to hand over your servant to your husband as an alternative to yourself to bear children. Sarai must have also felt invisible during the time that Hagar and Abram were together. I can only imagine she spent that time crying in her bed pleading with God. Then when Hagar finds out she is pregnant, I believe that Sarai became, first, bitter and then jealous and finally enraged.
Then there is Hagar. Oh Hagar. As Sarai's maidservant, never did she imagine that she would be given over to Abram to bear his child. Never did she imagine the abuse that Sarai began lashing on her due to her jealousy. Hagar probably felt shame for sleeping with Abram in the first place. Then to find out she is pregnant with his son. Hagar had gone from being invisible as a maidservant to being the center of attention carrying the child of her master's husband.
The angel of the Lord finds Hagar as she has run away from Sarai's torture and jealousy. Here the angel of the Lord tells her to return to Sarai --- AND to submit to her! Do you think Hagar felt invisible upon hearing these words? "You want me to go back to the woman who hates me so and do whatever she says?" Hagar is thinking.
I cannot even begin to imagine the pain that so many of you Ladies and Girls are dealing with this very moment. I cannot begin to imagine the life struggles, the ordeals, the abuse, the neglect, the desperateness you have lived through. But I do know what it feels like to be invisible. I do know what you feel when you feel unworthy. The one thing I pray for you today is that you find Hope. Hope in the Lord Jesus who can turn your crimson-stained past into something pure and beautiful. He can take your pain and heart ache and weave it into the greatest love you have ever known. He, alone, can love you unconditionally and fill your heart with peace, joy, and hope. I pray you seek Him today!
Dear Lord, Thank you for loving us more than we sometimes love ourselves. Thank you for seeing our pain, feeling our heartache, and embracing our brokenness. You, alone, have the power to cleanse us of our past and lead us to a bright future. Thank you for your son, Jesus, who died on the cross for me --- Me! The no longer invisible ME! Amen
I have recently been reading a book by James Dobson called "Bringing Up Girls." Dr. Dobson discusses numerous emotions, physical transformations, and mental thoughts that girls often encounter in the young lives. I was astonished by some of the reading, and at times, I was close to tears. He tells stories about many young girls who are now adults that once felt invisible. They felt invisible in their homes. They felt invisible in their schools. They felt invisible to boys. They felt invisible to God.
Dr. Dobson discusses how this feeling of being invisible as young girls has molded them into young adults today. Some found a true relationship with God through a caring friend or family member. Yet others carried their feelings or unworthiness and low self-esteem with them where they instead put their focus on drugs, alcohol, prostitution, and homelessness.
I truly believe that there isn't a girl alive that has not experienced a time when she felt invisible. As a child, I remember feeling somewhat invisible at school. I was not the smartest of the kids in my class nor was I at the bottom. Often I was left drifting somewhere in the middle. I grew to like the middle because it felt safer. I rarely was called upon to answer questions or be the student at the front of the class helping the teacher. Yet safe did not mean I didn't sometimes feel invisible. It was in second grade that my teacher, Ms. Slover, took an interest in me. She saw my potential. She didn't let me fall to the middle anymore. She gave me a precious gift that I could never repay --- she gave me hope. You see, she taught me that being the smartest kid in the class shouldn't be my goal nor should drifting somewhere in the middle. Ms. Slover tapped into me, into my interests, and found that I was smarter than I even imagined. No one had bothered to tap into my potential. So I grew to understand that I probably would never be the smartest kid in my class but guess what! Out of 300 students to graduate in my high school in 1995, I was in the Top 32 for my GPA!
As I read back over the story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar, I truly believe that both Sarai and Hagar experienced the feeling of being invisible. Sarai felt unworthy of Abram's love since she could not conceive and handed over her maidservant, Hagar, to her husband. Can you even begin to imagine the feelings that Sarai had? The pressure she must have felt? The hopelessness she was in? Imagine attempting to conceive for so many years and being unsuccessful. Many of you know exactly what she felt. Now imagine feeling so hopeless that you decide to hand over your servant to your husband as an alternative to yourself to bear children. Sarai must have also felt invisible during the time that Hagar and Abram were together. I can only imagine she spent that time crying in her bed pleading with God. Then when Hagar finds out she is pregnant, I believe that Sarai became, first, bitter and then jealous and finally enraged.
Then there is Hagar. Oh Hagar. As Sarai's maidservant, never did she imagine that she would be given over to Abram to bear his child. Never did she imagine the abuse that Sarai began lashing on her due to her jealousy. Hagar probably felt shame for sleeping with Abram in the first place. Then to find out she is pregnant with his son. Hagar had gone from being invisible as a maidservant to being the center of attention carrying the child of her master's husband.
The angel of the Lord finds Hagar as she has run away from Sarai's torture and jealousy. Here the angel of the Lord tells her to return to Sarai --- AND to submit to her! Do you think Hagar felt invisible upon hearing these words? "You want me to go back to the woman who hates me so and do whatever she says?" Hagar is thinking.
I cannot even begin to imagine the pain that so many of you Ladies and Girls are dealing with this very moment. I cannot begin to imagine the life struggles, the ordeals, the abuse, the neglect, the desperateness you have lived through. But I do know what it feels like to be invisible. I do know what you feel when you feel unworthy. The one thing I pray for you today is that you find Hope. Hope in the Lord Jesus who can turn your crimson-stained past into something pure and beautiful. He can take your pain and heart ache and weave it into the greatest love you have ever known. He, alone, can love you unconditionally and fill your heart with peace, joy, and hope. I pray you seek Him today!
Dear Lord, Thank you for loving us more than we sometimes love ourselves. Thank you for seeing our pain, feeling our heartache, and embracing our brokenness. You, alone, have the power to cleanse us of our past and lead us to a bright future. Thank you for your son, Jesus, who died on the cross for me --- Me! The no longer invisible ME! Amen
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