Stop buying into the labels that this world and culture create, and simply walk with Him as He transforms you — taking you from glory to glory, becoming more and more like Him.

 

If we buy into any kind of labels like: type-A, perfectionist, OCD, control freak, or on the flip-side—a procrastinator and gen-u-ine-messyjessie (sorry if your name is Jessie, it rhymed) . . . whether good or bad, we subconsciously limit ourselves.

 

I am not a structured person by nature. My free spirit that likes to color outside the lines hated any type of order. I felt as if I was being crammed into a cage of human expectation. If I would’ve decided that my personality type—free-spirit who hated structure of all kinds and refused to be put in someone else’s orderly box of “how-to”—is who I am, instead of growing in an area, I would limit myself from learning how to become more structured and orderly.

 

This means I couldn’t handle everything that God has put on my plate that I am responsible for today.

 

I would be way too stressed out and all over the map! My outward order has nothing to do with a need for control and everything to do with learning how to manage the “little” in my small beginnings so that God could trust me with His more for my life.

 

Luke 16:10 was fused into me:

 

If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. (NLT)

 

My inner-hippie ways that could cause me to not care about the things that God has placed in my life to care for, could’ve interrupted this newfound rhythm in a childlike response to learn and grow in all areas. I desired to be faithful in the little with integrity and honesty, believing that God would entrust me with more. Not that I had any crazy big vision for my life at the time when this scripture took root.

 

The Holy Spirit would whisper these words to my heart while I was cleaning my house or taking care of my littles. This birthed a deeper desire to honor God with every area of my life. I genuinely put so much care and heart in my little apartment days, believing God at His Word, that as I was faithful in the little, He could trust me with more responsibilities. Including the hidden places in my life that no one would ever see.

 

I got really good at closet cleaning and under-bed order!

 

I know this was a result of the cleaning that God was doing inside of me in all those hidden places of my heart. The inward work of the Holy Spirit began to show up in various places in my life.

 

I’m not saying this is the way it will look for all of us, so please don’t use my story and create a checklist to measure yourself by.

 

…this is what we are undoing.

 

This is just my journey and what God was doing inside of me.

 

We have to stop trying to find “how-to” methods to get the result someone else got in their life and just learn to walk with Jesus in our own individual lives, trusting His plan for each of us. And He will transform us as He takes us from glory to glory, becoming more like Him in every area of our lives!

 

I’m challenging you to stop putting yourself and God in a box and allow the Holy Spirit to do an incredible work in you and through you until every area of your life is a reflection of your new nature — to be like Christ.

 

Much love, J 

 

 

P.S. If today’s encouragement spoke to you, you will love my book, Ripple Effect! Grab your signed copy below.

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