Is Your Ego Causing Brokenness?

I want to preface this blog by saying two things -  every single one of us comes equipped with an ego. Ego is not bad in and of itself, but when we live unaware of our ego's, it can be destructive to both ourselves and to others.  

Ego as defined by Webster's Dictionary is egotism, conceit, and self importance.  It is also defined as one's image of oneself.  

Confidence defined is belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance.

Arrogance as defined is the offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride.

Broken people have broken perceptions, and we are all broken people!  We see things through the lenses of our own experiences. Confident people often times are misjudged because the ones who are misjudging are insecure and have a low self worth.  I've been both!  I've been the confident one and I've been the judgmental one. I think if we are all honest, we've all been there and will be there again and again.  

"Broken people have broken perceptions, and we are all broken people!"  TDahl

It is incredibly important to be aware of oneself.  I want to become a more authentic and more vulnerable individual each and every day that I live.  I want to live in an awareness that the person sitting next to me at work, or the person I'm worshiping with at church, or where ever I am, may have tremendous insecurity and low self worth or they may be the most confident human being on the planet.  Either way, I want to live in a constant awareness of others through Romans 12:3.  

Romans 12:3 - CJB

For I am telling every single one of you, through the grace that has been given to me, not to have exaggerated ideas about your own importance.  Instead, develop a sober estimate of yourself based on the standard which God  has given to each of you, namely, trust.

Every single person on this planet has purpose!  Every single person on this planet has the ability to help another person discover their purpose AND help them live it!  It's about all of us, as Jesus followers, coming together and helping each other discover who we are in Christ, and encouraging each other to utilize our gifts and talents, and to touch others by "their" own personal design.  

We've been given this creative ability by Daddy God!  We are not commissioned to create mini versions of ourselves and "followers" of ourselves.  We are designed to look for the treasure God has placed within each person, and to partner WITH God, to make the impact in their life that will result in those individuals desiring to follow Christ with reckless abandon, living their own personal mission, designed by God.  That get's me soooo excited!!!!  There is nothing more satisfying than to see someone come alive to who they are in HIM, and to their purpose!  I seriously could jump up and down right now, just thinking about that!!!  

One of my favorite quotes in the entire world is by Marianne Williamson - 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” 

We must be constantly aware of ourselves, in a balanced way.  We must be aware of our egos and what kind of an impact we are making.  Ego is about how we want others to see us!  It's insecurity masked as confidence.  It causes brokenness to yourself and others, because it is not authentic.  However, when we are confident in the reality of who we are in Him, and empowered by that reality, our love for others becomes supernatural, and reflects the love of God in us, more than it reflects us! 

I'll end this blog with this......I hope it challenges all of us to continually check ourselves and remain balanced and humble.

  "If something reflects us, more than it does HIM, we've got an arrogance and ego issue."                                                                                                                                                                               TDahl

Is your ego causing brokenness?

Rock Your Story!

TDahl

Your Dreams May Be the Map to Your Future

When I was a little girl, I was smitten by minister's who traveled cross country in their big RV's and 5th Wheels.  I remember so clearly how I would go to their homes on wheels and just chit chat with them.  I was 7 years old and absolutely fascinated with their way of life.  My family, was one of the families within the church who would always have these "traveling minister's" over to our home for Sunday dinner.  So, I actually got a better view into their lives, because as a chit chatty 7 year old, I would talk their ears off with my plethora of questions.  I heard a lot about Jesus in those conversations.  

After my parent's went through a divorce, we were no longer the family that served these various minister's when they visited our church.  In fact, we were ostracized from our church.  Divorce was clearly not acceptable to many of our church going "friends!"  Maybe that's part of the reason why I'm so for the "underdog" and the "rejected!"  I've experienced it time and time again in my personal journey.

I've gotten to experience some pretty amazing things throughout my forty-four years on this planet. See, Daddy God gave me these really cool gifts that I love, like singing, speaking, and writing, and he coupled that with a heart that loves to serve.  I'm what you consider a "Creative!"  I'm thankful that Daddy God saw to it that my heart has remained pliable in His care.  There was a season of my life that my heart hardened and became numb, many years ago.  I had chosen to be part of a world in which only the strong survive, so having compassion and empathy for people was a sure way to get your heart broken and be taken advantage of in no time.  While I tried to be that strong and hard heart-ed individual, it simply was  not me, despite my efforts.  I'm thankful for that indeed!

I've always been a girl with big dreams!  In hindsight, I see how God has trained me to walk in the dreams I've carried with me since the tender age of 7.  I believe God has placed those dreams in my heart, and several of them have come to pass.  I'm already living those dreams on a small scale and have been working to live them on a larger scale because I want my life to make a difference and make an even greater impact while I'm here.  I want to leave a legacy for  others to be inspired to live the lives they were created and destined to live, despite  life circumstances.  I believe that my dreams as a young girl, were a map for my future!  They had to have been because I'm still pursuing them.  I believe I have a special purpose in this earth, and it has taken many years to cultivate the calling that is on my life.  Daddy God has been hard at work, behind the scenes, shaping me, grooming me, growing me, maturing me, and that dreadful word...pruning me!  I hate the pruning seasons.  That's when the living stuff gets cut off!  OUCH!  It is a very necessary part of growth though.  VERY necessary!!  

Pay attention to your dreams, not the whimsical, fairy tale ones (those are fun), but the ones that stick with you!  The ones that ignite something in your heart.  The ones that give your life significance and meaning. Your dreams are maps to your future!  We were all meant to touch the world in our own way.  No one else can live your purpose. In fact, I loathe when I hear ministers say "if you don't do what God has called you to do, He'll find someone else!"  NO HE WON'T!  Only you can do what YOU were created to do!  What impact do you want to make during your time here?  What legacy do you want to leave?  

Rock Your Story!

TDahl