My husband and I were able to sneak away for a date dinner while our kids were at their activities for the evening. We found ourselves out at a restaurant people-watching. Both of us caught ourselves making assumptions about the people we were seeing. We then remembered the sermon we heard last week that there are two types of people. There are the Prodigal Sons, those that rebel outwardly. Sometimes this is because they don’t know any better. Then there are the Older Brothers who rebel inwardly. They feel that they are outwardly better than others because even though they sin, it’s not as bad as what SOMEONE ELSE has done. Both David and I find it much easier to feel compassion toward the Prodigal Sons than the Older Brothers. But BOTH NEED LOVE AND COMPASSION.

That’s when we started talking about our childhoods. I talked about how I was so blessed to grow up in a two-parent home with two parents that loved Jesus, loved each other, and loved me. This year they are celebrating 40 years of marriage, and yet they are more in love with each other now than ever before. I lived what I would consider a charmed life. I was afforded every opportunity to succeed. My life was full of blessings, and dare I say, privilege. And yet, even now, I still struggle to find my identity. As a mom, a wife, an employee, a pastor’s wife, and a daughter of God. I am blessed, but I am far from perfect. I struggle with my self esteem. I constantly battle feelings of not being pretty enough, smart enough, talented enough, …enough…you get the picture. I am constantly letting myself and others down by not being able to be all things to all people. And you know what? It’s ok. Even as I type those words, I don’t believe them myself. But when I have another mom come up to me, and they are brave enough to admit that they’re struggling, I am the first one to say, “You are doing an AMAZING job. It’s not possible to be all things to all people. Give yourself some grace. Make sure to take time for yourself so that you have the energy to give to others.” Why is it so easy for us to have grace for others, but not for ourselves? And this is the reason for my post tonight. This is why we need others in our lives. We need others to come alongside us and speak truth into our lives. When we are believing Satan’s lies, the lies told through social media, or our own unmet expectations, we need others to be able to come alongside us and say, “You know those are lies, right?”

The quickest way for Satan to grab a foothold in our lives is if he can catch us alone in our own thoughts. If he can start to whisper to us before we have a chance to bounce the thoughts and feelings off of others or off of the Bible’s truths, then we might start to believe them. This is why one of the most powerful verses in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 10:5. We must “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.” But for those times when we don’t have our Bible there, or if we don’t have the Biblical knowledge, that’s when we need people. We were built to be in community with other believers. And when one person starts speaking about the lies that Satan is whispering to them, we as a community need to be quick to jump in and say, “Hold up. That’s a lie from Satan. Here is who you REALLY are in Christ.” And we just begin speaking truth and life into that person.

This is why it is IMPERATIVE as believers to NEVER GOSSIP! Even if it’s only “so that we can pray for this person…” EH…WRONG! Ephesians 4:29 says “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” We as Christians should only ever speak when it is to build others up. The world is a cruel enough place. We as a community need to be there for our friends to build each other up, love on one another, and remind them that they are enough. No matter where they are in their lives and in their journeys. Not only that, but they’re not alone. That is the biggest lie that Satan tells each of us. That we are alone. You know why 1 out of every 3 people over the age of 12 are on antidepressants in the US today? Because they believe they are alone. They believe they are the only person that struggles with the things that they struggle with. The very reason God created community is so that people would realize that they are not the only person that struggles. We all struggle in different ways. But it’s much easier to get through a crisis if you don’t have to do it alone. So don’t. Reach out to someone. If you don’t feel like you have someone, reach out to me. I am here. And I will be more than happy to speak the truth to you about exactly who you are in Christ.

Even as I type this post, I can’t help but stare at the dirty dishes piled in the sink, and I know that my bathrooms need to be scrubbed, I need to empty the overflowing trashcans in the kitchen, and I need to go workout. But for tonight, I felt that it was more important to tell someone out there that they are not alone. I am the first to admit that I do NOT have it all together, but God loves me just as I am. And He loves you too. He sees you as His son or daughter, and you are absolutely PERFECT in His eyes. YOU…ARE…ENOUGH…just as you are…RIGHT NOW.

Please reach out if there’s anything you want to talk about, or if you need prayer for anything. I’m here. You are not alone. Let that sink in until you begin to believe that truth. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.