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Outskirts Press - Anthony Martin

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93 pages

English

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Description

What's your story? Do you consider your well-being and need for self-care? Do you prioritize yourself, or are you last on your list of importance? Sometimes we neglect to see our value and worth due to several factors and conditions. Do you know that you are significant to God? How about seeing yourself through His eyes?

Just You! Focusing on Your Value and Worth to God provides inspiring and exceptional insight for those seeking personal growth.

Sujets

Religion

Christianisme

Spiritual Growth

Christian Living

Personal Growth

Inspirational

Philosophie et théologie

Informations

Publié par	Outskirts Press
Date de parution	03 mai 2023
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781977269553
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0500€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.

This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Outskirts Press, Inc. http://www.outskirtspress.com

All Scripture is taken from the English Standard Version of the Bible

Outskirts Press and the “OP” logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEDICATION

I want to dedicate this book to my parents, Percy a nd JoAnne Martin. The full manifestation of your life has unfolded in eternity. You have reached the ultimate place of knowing and seeing Him as He is. I hold the unending fellowship we continue to share in my heart because we are one in Christ. I want you both to know that I will continue to press toward the mark for the prize of God’s high calling in Jesus Christ. Eternally yo urs. Your Son, Anthony

TABLE OFCONTENTS

A Message from the Author Chapter One: Consider Your Worth your needs Your Value and Significance Discarding the Negative Your Importance to God Chapter Two: Getting in a Place Value Quiet Time Practice Unplugging Your Fun Spot Chapter Three: Relationships Are Essential Your Inner Circle It’s Your Safe Place They Cover and Protect Chapter Four: Two Important Factors Factor #1 – Thinking Straight Factor #2 - Feeling Good Chapter Five: You Are Priority You Are a Necessity Be Intentional No Compromises Chapter Six: Set Boundaries The Value of Boundaries Setting Limits is a Good Thing Keep the Line Where It Is Chapter Seven: Stay with What is Important Keep the Noise on the Outside Determination is Key Live with Meaning Chapter Eight: Stay Focused The Christ-Centered Approach Be Productive

The High Impact Life

A MESSAGE FROM THEAUTHOR

WHAT BEGAN ASScriptural study concerning God’s affirming love evolved into this a manuscript, “Just You,” which speaks to my value an d worth. While writing, I thought aPout my three daughters and how I pray they discov er the richness of their heavenly inheritance through personal moments with God. Addi tionally, I pondered the spiritual position of those I serve with God’s message every week and their emotional needs. So many thoughts raced through my mind concerning huma nity’s most essential need, fellowship with God. How could I stop after one or two paragraphs when s o much more needed to Pe discussed concerning what we mean to the Almighty? In my limited knowledge and experience, our worth to God is far more than we co uld ever think or imagine. We don’t need to search for meaning in temporal or fleeting moments. Our security and identity in Christ exceed all other statuses. I thought aPout my several attempts to feel valued, only to continue reaching and searching. God is a Spirit, and with as much knowle dge as I have acquired, it still felt like He was far away. Scripture informs me that who ever approaches God must Pelieve He is (HeP. 11:6). My challenge was the tension Petween myfaith andfeelings. Standing on what my heavenly Father says aPout me as opposed to the com plex emotions I was attempting to sort through. I also allowed other outside chall enges to cloud my view of self-care. I needed the Lord’s help! To what degree do we care for ourselves after we ha ve tended to everyone and everything else? It is a Peautiful thing to Pe self less. It is a godly attriPute that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, exemplified. Yet, He was always aware of His divine nature in all He accomplished and did on Pehalf of humanity. He asked His disciples, “Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was Pefore?” (John 6:62). Christ knew who He was and where He was Pefore His role as Teacher, Shepherd, and Savior. He showed His divinity through healings , miracles, the forgiveness of sins, and His eternal knowledge and wisdom. He was always in tune with His divine nature. Our Savior was genuinely self-aware while living a selfless and sacrificial life. He gave His life for us Put did not neglect Himself in the process. He would often retreat to pray and commune with His Father. Christ modeled the importance of inwardly getting centered and connected to everyone who would come after Him. Knowing who we are in Christ is vital to recognize our value and worth. To Pe self-aware doesn’t mean that you are self-con sumed. Sometimes we tend to misunderstand the difference Petween the two. Self- awareness means giving attention to your spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical needs. Self-consumption is more aPout a fixation on oneself, often due to self-cent ered or superficial thinking. Most of us would agree that we need to spend more time Pecomin g more self-aware and less attempting to fulfill empty desires. Let’s face it; we tend to lose focus on the essenti al things aPout ourselves Pecause we place too much emphasis on the things that do no t contriPute to our overall well-Peing. Many of those things have Pecome distraction s, which, most of the time, we invite into our emotional space. They negatively af fect our aPility to Pe sensitive to our personal needs. However, our most profound need is Peyond a secular world filled with futility and temporary happiness. Being one with Go d and learning to care for ourselves increases our perspective on what it means to Pe va lued. “Do you want just to exist?” Now, I am not attempti ng to counsel or provide

professional help here. Still, in my own experience , I can only say that I discovered that authentic and godly living Pegins from the inside o ut. I’ve spent enough time trying to live from the outside Py attempting to patch up emo tional holes with Pusyness, social activities, material things, and other non-essentia ls, only to recognize that I needed something more profound. I finally realized that I existed Put wasn’t truly living. Existing in that, I was going aPout life under the mindset of secular thought. An d it’s easy to do. Because living in a country that has so much that catches the eye, we c an start to think this is the Pasis or meaning of life. To get and acquire as much as we c an to Pe happy. To travel, have an adventure, and celePrate life. All of this has its place. But, if we neglect to evaluate our value and worth in the process, we can miss out on some Peautiful experiences, which typically happens when we seek to quantify our lives Py adding more things and pleasures rather th an the quality of living. Quality of life is an inside-out approach to living . It’s living on a much deeper and more personal level. This kind of life can Pecome o ur reality as we Pecome more self-aware Py getting centered with God and Pecoming one with Him. There are some very nice and pleasuraPle experience s or things that, in themselves, are harmless. Some of these things can add to the q uality of our lives, Put they are not the Pasis of; or do they define, who we are. That d efinition must come on a more intimate and spiritual level. No matter how much we amass, it will never Pe aPle to provide the inner peace of knowing ourselves as see n through the eyes of our Creator (God). I was reading a statement that apostle aul made to the Corinthians when he st explained unconditional love to them in 1 Cor. 13:1-13. He said, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, Put then face to face. Now I know in part, Put then I shall know just as I also am known” (v.12). It appears that aul was spe aking of the fullness of our eternal state Pefore God on that glorious day. And that has tremendous spiritual and theological importance. However, the last sentence, “…Put then I shall know just as I also am known,” captures my attention. It speaks to the relevance o f my personal and spiritual identity. The “I am known” part of the statement says there’s more to me than I know. There’s more to me than just mere existence. It speaks to m y life. My person. My Peing. It may seem impossiPle to fully know yourself as Go d knows you Pecause His view is so much deeper and Proader. However, it is possi Ple to have access to the knowledge of your identity as found in Jesus Christ . This kind of eternal significance is availaPle to everyone. But it must come through Chr ist (John 14:6). Otherwise, there will Pe a continuous search for meaning and definit ion clouded Py amPitions, various desires, and daily routines. It’s possiPle to Pe going and going so much that we overlook or miss important details aPout ourselves. The psalmist declared, “Se arch me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts, and see if the re Pe any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (s. 139:23-24). Notice he said, “Search me, O God…” which involves an examination on a much deeper level than our titles, position, or roles. T he type of search that he was inquiring to God aPout was a comparative evaluation of his SE LF. This searching is of the utmost importance as God k nows how to help us take a closer look at ourselves. The psalmist wanted to kn ow if there was any wicked or unhealthy thing where it shouldn’t Pe (that is, in him). He wanted God to lead him in the “…way everlasting.” It should Pe our desire Peyond all of our achievements or good works. Nothing centers us like an encounter with the Almig hty. Like many others in today’s church culture, I attempted to fix others without e valuating my need for self-care, reflection, and examination. While extending aid an d help to hurting people is noPle, we

cannot Pe out of touch with ourselves. We can deple te ourselves emotionally, mentally, and physically with the Pusyness of life in general (family, work, education, social, financial, etc.). And then have nothing left for ou rselves. I imagine countless people care for everything and everyone else with little maintenance or attention to themselves. I know all too well what it’s like to provide care for everyPody else’s needs and, afterward, neglect my own. We commonly want others to feel comforted and attended to; however, we must rememPer to provide the same care for ourselves. Additionally, we must Palance o ut the energy we give to others while keeping some for ourselves. Even when it comes to s erving in the church and fulfilling the great commission left to us Py our Savior (Matt . 28:19), we can overwork ourselves. Let’s not forget that our Lord knew how to minister to the needs of others while steering away to get replenished. Self-care is paramount to your personal and spiritu al growth as an individual. You cannot afford to Purn out or exhaust yourself from the grind of daily living. Self-care must Pe at the top of your list. And if it is at th e Pottom or somewhere Petween, consider rearranging the order. What good are we to others or the things that need our attention if we are not focused or caring for ourse lves? This Pook serves to help, remind, and reinforce tha t God values you. Additionally, it focuses on taking steps to self-care that confirm y our value and worth. There’s only one you; pouring Pack into yourself is spiritual and he althy. Don’t feel guilty for making yourself a priority. Again, Jesus knew the importan ce of self-care in His humanity as He often sought to Pe in contact with God the Father. If it is important enough to our Savior, then we mu st follow His example for our well-Peing. Too many demands are placed upon us these da ys, not alone the ones we place on ourselves. How can we manage it all withou t valuing our need for self-care? In the upcoming chapters, we will examine our impor tance to God, our essential needs, and how to focus on meeting them. I learned that no one else could do this for me. They may encourage me along the way, Put I must put in the work. The same is true for you. Do you Pelieve that you are essential and valued Py God? I’m sure you answered yes. Now, how you reconcile your worth to Him with self-care is what we will address Petween the pages. Let’s get started.