Free to be Me

Free to be Me
Free to Be Me | Psalm 139

God frees you to be uniquely you.

Psalm 139: 1-18 (Contemporary English Version)
You have looked deep into my heart, LORD, and you know all about me. You know when I am resting or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts. You notice everything I do and everywhere I go. Before I even speak a word, you know what I will say, and with your powerful arm, you protect me from every side. I can't understand all of this! Such wonderful knowledge is far above me. Where could I go to escape from your Spirit or from your sight? If I were to climb up to the highest heavens, you would be there. If I were to dig down to the world of the dead you would also be there. Suppose I had wings like the dawning day and flew across the ocean. Even then your powerful arm would guide and protect me. Or suppose I said, "I'll hide in the dark until night comes to cover me over." But you see in the dark because daylight and dark are all the same to you. You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me.
Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt. Nothing about me is hidden from you! I was secretly woven together deep in the earth below, but with your own eyes you saw my body being formed. Even before I was born, you had written in your book everything I would do. Your thoughts are far beyond my understanding, much more than I could ever imagine. I try to count your thoughts, but they outnumber the grains of sand on the beach. And when I awake, I will find you nearby.

When David wrote these words, he was rejoicing in a God who saw him as more than any of his roles – more than a shepherd, more than a giant-slayer, more than a poet, a king, or a man on the run. He wrote beautifully of a God who knew him intimately – and who took the time to “search” and “know” him. Certainly, this is no different for moms today. God values all of who he made you to be, and has specific purposes for the way he made you.

In order to find our unique identity, it takes getting real.

1. We Get Real with Ourselves.

In reality, the changes of motherhood don’t make us less of who we are – but more. God refines us to make us more of who he wants us to be.

“God gives important gifts to women that have nothing to do with conceiving, birthing (or adopting), and nurturing children. We have God-given talents, passions, and interests that a mom badge just doesn’t bring to the fore. You need to dig below the mom level to find this out. And when no one does, it gets lonely.” (5)

“Because we have set other things aside for now, our gifts – the things we love and do well – become more important than ever.” (17)

“Look at yourself for a minute; look at who you really are: motherhood doesn’t change you as much as it refines you."

2. We Get Real with Others.

Your longing to belong is a reflection of the image of God. He gave you this longing not only to transform you more into his image, but as a force to draw you to others.

a. We must become vulnerable.

b. We must let down our guard.

c. We must let people get to know the real me.

Have you ever thought that maybe perfection wasn’t God’s intention for us? Yes, he is perfect and he desires only good things for us. And yes, the world has been messed up with sin and brokenness. But have you ever stopped to think that maybe God shows is glory in our imperfection? That maybe it is our very imperfection that draws us to each other and to God. We need each other. We strengthen each other as we build relationships. We are drawn to community, because that’s how God designed us.

“Your longing to belong is a reflection of the image of God. He gave you this longing not only to transform you more into his image, but as a force to draw you to others. Your loneliness can become the ground of fruitful relationships if you recognize it, respond to it, and rely on the One who created you for relationships.” (53)

3. Most of all we need to Get Real with God.

God made you. He made you in his image and he knows you better than anyone else.

a. He wants time with you, and he loves to see you in
action.

b. He gifted you uniquely and has a purpose that is uniquely
yours.

Some practical ways you can get real and show your true identity:

1. Identify your gifts.

2. Find opportunities to put them into action.

3. Describe and present yourself to the world in ways that show a piece of the real you.

Think in terms of “I’m a mom and _____________”

Getting real with yourself, with others and with God may mean taking the next step in a relationship and inviting a fellow mom here. It may mean letting down your guard here at church or in the community. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable – not perfect – but human and just the way God made you. It may mean seeking out that thing that you were made for – something that you are truly passionate about and letting God use you in a truly unique way.

Lesson Material Inspired by:

Mama’s Got a Fake I.D.
by Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira

Further Reading:

Luke 10:38-42 Mary and Martha

Mary does the unthinkable: she brazenly steps out of her place and comes crashing through a stereotype. All in the name of Jesus. In her defiance of expectations and the subsequent critique from her sister and defense from Jesus, she ends up getting ministered to by her Lord – and ultimately ministering to thousands of years of believers.

Mark 14:3-9 Mary of Bethany

The trouble with Mary was that she didn’t fit. God had given her attributes and that didn’t square with first-century expectations of a woman. But the blessing is that Jesus welcomed, and rejoiced in, and defended who she was. He encouraged her right to be different, along with the purpose for her differences. (Rivadeneira)