It’s Not Her; It’s Me
“And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.”
{Psalm 90:17, NKJV}
There’s a woman in my neighborhood who has been the envy of other women around here for years. Her face is nearly flawless. Worse yet, so is her body. Amazingly, she kept it up for what seemed like forever. Lord have mercy, does this woman ever have an off day? I’ve stayed physically active, but trust me when I tell you this: we are not running bases in the same ballpark.
I can remember many times power-walking through the neighborhood when she’d nearly blow me off the sidewalk, sprinting like a twenty-year-old in her black and red spandex. I always thought how terrific she looked and marveled that she was only a few years younger than I am. Recently I was on my millionth walk through this subdivision where we’ve lived for twenty-five years when she whizzed past me again. This time on a bike. And in spandex. And looking fantastic. But suddenly I felt sorry for her. I thought: Shoot fire, that must be exhausting to keep up.
Every female at one time or another has been jealous of the resident “it-girl,” and no one is a darker shade of green than the girl most recently dethroned. Here’s what a lot of people don’t get about that type: she may be bloodier in the battle with insecurity than the sum total of all those who hate her. If you knew what her heart was going through much of the time, you might even feel a tad sorry for her. You’d definitely save yourself the energy of wishing you were her for very long.
Even if we could make everybody believe we were “every woman,” we ourselves would know better. Self-doubt would devour us. In one way or another and sooner or later, we’ll give ourselves away. Security in any earthly thing simply cannot be sustained.
The good news is, even though we may have something unhealthy deep inside of us, those of us in whom Christ dwells also have something deeper. Something whole. Something so infinitely healthy that, if it would but invade the rest of us, we would be healed.
Maybe this isn’t a big revelation to you, but I am so thankful that at no time since I received Christ as Savior have I ever been a total wreck. Partial? Lord, have mercy, yes. Humiliatingly so. But total? Not on your ever-loving life. And if He resides in you, neither have you {Romans 8:9}.
Jesus is not unhealthy. Not codependent with us. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. This thought never grows old to me: He has no dark side. In Him is no darkness at all.
That, beloved, is our challenge. To let the healthy, utterly whole, and completely secure part of us increasingly overtake our earthen vessels until it drives our every emotion, reaction, and relationship. When we allow God’s truth to eclipse every false positive and let our eyes spring open to the treasure we have, there in His glorious reflection we’ll also see the treasure we are. And the beauty of the Lord our God will be upon us {Psalm 90:17, NKJV}.
Excerpted from So Long, Insecurity
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Beth Moore has written many best–selling books and Bible studies, including So Long, Insecurity and Breaking Free. She is a dynamic teacher whose public speaking engagements take her across the United States to challenge tens of thousands. A dedicated wife and mother of two adult daughters, Beth lives in Houston, Texas, where she leads Living Proof Ministries and teaches an adult Sunday school class.
Leave a Comment
Jas says
Hi what I read here really makes sense to me wishing to have someone else’s life or my life but their better body, better demeanour, the better mothering skills etc..and is a surprise also, I would like to follow on with this new perception or truth about letting God eclipse the negative part, the anxious and sometimes secret self hatred that can be my thought pattern. It sounds like I’m crazy when I see these words written down but admitting I feel this way sometimes is quite freeing too. Is this book available in New Zealand or by ebook?
Crystal says
Hi Jas! You can find the Kindle version on Amazon – not sure about book retailers in New Zealand for a hard copy of the book 🙂
Elison Metcalf Hicks says
An amazing book.. time to read it again!!
Beth Williams says
Beth,
Sounds like the perfect book for me and many other women! I have often longed to be someone else–even if just for a day! I envy good Godly women who pray hard, read their Bibles daily and just exude an air of Godliness around them. Wish I had that–but God made us all different and for a good reason!
Blessings 🙂
Webbgurl2000 says
Notice, that Sister is ALWAYS BY HERSELF?
She’d trade that perfect everything for some Real Friendships cause honey, she’s Me
Alana Morgan says
Another great book! Thanks Beth!
Kim Vivlamore Waguespack says
Love, Love, Love Beth Moore!