Welcome to Motivational Mondays!
First things first, what is Motivational Mondays?
Just like it sounds, to motivate, to empower, and to encourage you on the first day of a fresh week. I don't know about you but Mondays can be a drag for me, so sometimes words of encouragement and positivity are helpful to start my day off right.
Motivational Monday's topic is:
To The Core
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
The BIGGEST question is who are YOU at your core. I think that so often we get caught up in what the world labels us as and what others label us as that we forget or we lose who we are at the core. Each and every one of us is unique in our own way and there are no others on this earth that are exactly like you. God made us so that we can all be different and be unique.
I stumbled across this video by T.D. Jakes a while back where he was talking about what it meant to know who you are at your core. You guys know that I love a good analogy so let’s imagine people like apples. We all know that there are good apples and bad ones, but nonetheless, they all look good on the outside. In fact, it’s not until you cut the apple to the core that you are able to see if it is good to eat or rotting on the inside.
To truly understand ourselves and others we have to be willing to cut through the outer layer to get to the core so that we can get to know the truest form of the person or of ourselves. You want to be able to see what your potential is, not the facade that is put on for the benefit of others.
How do we find out who we are to the core?
Peel Away
Like any fruit, not just apples before you can eat the goodness inside you have to peel away the outer layer first. We are the same way. We have to start peeling away all of the things that we had to go through, that are holding us back, that is unnecessary to get down to the core of what we were created to do.
What does that look like?
Pray
Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
Proverbs 3:13-18
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
James 1:5
The first thing to do is pray to God asking Him to show you and reveal to you what your purpose is, what your gifts are. We have not because we ask not. God tells us several times throughout the Bible that all we have to do is reach out to him and he will answer us. God values consistency, effort, and genuineness. God wants us to seek a relationship with him on our own free will. By praying to God and asking for his guidance it proves to him that we are being serious about finding out who we are.
Do An Inventory Self Evaluation
Taking the time to do a Self Evaluation at the beginning of each year was something that we discussed earlier this year. I cannot stress to you how important it is to check in on yourself every once and a while. So often we are so busy helping others and caring for others but we are unaware of ourselves and everything that we have going on. Listen. You will be of no good to anyone else if you cannot take care of yourself effectively.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
1 Corinthians 6:19
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Colossians 3:2
Evaluate
The body, to make sure it is healthy and working properly. Remember Your Body Is An Investment. It was given to us for a purpose and we must take care of it as such. This means we have to stop running it all the way to E. Refuel through eating right, meditating, exercising, sleeping, and going to see a doctor. Doing this will help to strengthen your core both physically and spiritually.
The mind, because it is a battleground. Just like we discussed in The Subconscious Mind, the mind is responsible for a lot of what we do and it is a constant war between the flesh and the spirit. Our minds make up who we are at the core. The subconscious mind holds our memories, it holds what drives our decisions also. It is important to evaluate your mind on a regular basis to determine how you are. Many of us carry around so much mental weight and baggage of guilt that it can cloud our judgment or hinder us from prospering. Take time to find out what is blocking you mentally. You can do this by reaching out to a therapist, disconnecting from social media, taking a bubble bath, writing, reflecting, doing an EcoMap, and so on.
Your friends, whether you realized it or not, can have a lot of influence over who you are and how you act. It is important to keep only the people in your circle who are on the same path as you and who can uplift you. Hanging around the wrong crowd can cause you to rot to the core and fall into sin. God pays attention to who you spend your time with and how they impact you. Sometimes it can be hard to learn about yourself, this is where having true friends will come in. No one will be able to tell you more about you than the people who truly know you inside and out.
True friends will chastise and correct you when you need it, uplift you when you are down, help you to become a better person, and will love you through the rough and good times. Ask your friends to tell you about what makes you, you!
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
2 Corinthians 6:14
Date Yourself
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9
Yes! This is absolutely a thing. We all have to start getting to know ourselves on the deepest level. We are no good to anyone else if we don’t know ourselves. I can guarantee you that you know more about everyone else surrounding you than you know about yourself. Well, it’s time to change that. Ask yourself questions even if they are hard to answer because this is how you will find out the most information. Be the detective over your own life. Take yourself on a date where you have a picnic, or out to dinner and bring a journal along and write down your answers. Here are some questions you can ask yourself!
What motivates/inspires me?
Who am I?
What is it that I do that makes me feel good/bad or happy/sad?
What angers me?
What makes the flame or the spark ignite in my eyes?
What do I add to the room? What can I bring to the table?
What makes me unique and different from everyone else?
What worries me and keeps me up at night?
If I were to die tomorrow would I be happy with the way I have lived my life?
What is holding me back from fulfilling my destiny?
What matters the most to me?
Step Out of Your Narrative
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14
This is something that we are going to have to start doing much more often. We have to stop allowing other people to place titles over our lives. Growing up I am sure you have heard people say “Oh well you know that is how she is”, “she is the favorite,” or “she is mean, ugly, crazy, sensitive, odd man out,” and so on. Eventually, you hear it so much that it becomes part of who you are. You become crippled by the description thinking that it is all you will ever amount to, and that is simply not true. Don’t get stuck in the past and don’t get stuck with a title because neither defines who you are at your core. When you are stuck in your narrative it is like you are driving forward but always looking in your rearview mirror. This isn’t safe to do because it will cause you to crash every time. Stay in the present, focus on the here and now, and learn yourself. Doing this will allow you to find out who you are at your core. Cut or your core, don't rot to it!
Who Are You At Your Core?
**I hope everyone has a safe and blessed week and I will see you all on Saturday for our Weekly Topic Saturdays**
~Just Breathe...A Golden Dream~
Amen.