Writing is the weirdest of pursuits. We sit in a room by ourselves, opening up our lives and heart, to an audience we very rarely meet.
I have readers of my books and blogs all over the world, yet it is very rare that I get to see or hear the impact that my writing has on them.
The greatest part of writing this blog, is the emotional processing and the reminder as a Mum, that there is a life outside of the four walls of my lounge room. Each and every time someone emails me, writes a comment, forwards my writing on social media, I am amazed.
Not because I think I am worthy and should be promoted, but because in some way my musings about life and truth have impacted someone and we have intersected each others moments, often alone, somewhere remote, thinking about the same things.
One of the hardest parts about becoming a first time Mum, was letting go of my career and subsequently all the friends and colleagues I worked with. My optimistic self assumed that we would continue to hang out and do crazy things together, but seasons shift and so do people and I rarely see them any more. A quick wave at an event, a hug and ‘what are you up to now’ and a smile that says briefly ‘Gosh, your kids are cute’.
I had to do a major realignment of who and what I got my sense of worth from.
It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life and I have had some difficult seasons.
I realised quickly that I had got so much of my self esteem and sense of worth out of what I did, rather than who I was.
Enter the woman of wisdom.
Proverbs 31 calls her a virtuous woman.
Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth far more than rubies.
Wisdom is far from revered in our social media crazed world. We praise beauty, we rate how many followers we have on instagram, we promote the woman with the most friends and the best resume. It would be rare in an interview for a promotion that the interviewee was asked
‘How wise do you think you are?’
‘How mature are you?’
‘Where do you get your worth and value from?’
The startling thing is though, when we dig deep and find our worth from our character, morals and strength rather than what other people say to us, we will contribute significantly to any circumstance we find ourselves in.
Proverbs 8:11
For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
How much do you value seasons of difficulty when they bring wisdom and character into your days?
Are you trying to escape seasons of anonymity in pursuit of the glamorous?
When our character is tested, when our lives are proved, we realise how truly valuable the very bland landscape of character, loyalty and truth can be.
When we grow we are shaped.
When we dig deep into places that many are not willing to go, we refine the precious jewels in our souls that make us shine in the darkest of situations.
I long to live a life that not only I am proud of but those closest to me are as well.
Proverbs 12:4
A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.
Every time I reassess my sense of self through the eyes of maturity, grace and character, I grow a little larger on the inside.
Every time I rate my self by people’s comments, the number of people who are following or my job description, my heart shrinks a lot.
At the moment the screen saver of my phone says this ‘The more I fill myself with truth and grace, the less I need validation from others.’
I am determined in this season to frame my sense of self by worthy pursuits, rather than things of the world that fade away.
How about you?
What shapes your sense of self and worth?
How valuable do you think you truly are?
Wisdom would say that you are deeply valued, in fact worth more than all of the most precious jewels in the whole world.
To keep reading my series Click here She leaves a legacy
