In Lisa Blair’s beautiful essay, “Cultivate Inner Beauty before the Lord,” she uncovers her true value and who she belongs to. Be sure to Scroll down to Lisa’s BOOK GIVEAWAY!

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I remember as a young mother, I had given birth to my first child, and I was feeling overwhelmed by all the changes to my physical body, my lack of sleep, and my new responsibilities as a mother. As I lay in bed, I heard, “You are no longer marketable.” And I started to cry because it broke my heart.

Then I heard the Lord say, “Lisa, what are you doing?” And I responded, “O, Lord! I’m no longer marketable! I am no longer of value to You!”

And the Lord answered, “You are not for sale.” Immediately, I was free from the lie of a ‘lack of value’ the enemy whispered to me earlier. I remember laughing out loud and saying the truth from His Word, “I am not my own, for I have been bought with a price.” Realizing that God purchased me for Himself meant I belonged to Him alone. I leaned into Him to gently lead me as a young nursing mother.¹

Soon afterward, I read a little book by Amy Carmichael, His Thoughts Said…His Father Said…- Real World Answers to the Hard Questions of Life. Amy Carmichael’s writings taught me how to take my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus and how to renew my mind in His Word.²

Taking our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus and renewing our minds in His Word are strategic principles that keep us in the love of God. ~Lisa Blair

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Instead of listening to what the world or the enemy of my soul said, I began listening to what God said about me in His Word.

• “You are My workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that [you] would walk in them.” ~Ephesians 2:10 NASB
• “The Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” ~Romans 14:17 NASB
• “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” ~Micah 6:8 NASB
• “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” ~1 Timothy 4:12 NASB

These truths set me free to pursue the Lord and to hear His heart of love towards me as a woman.

• I am your Maker, your Husband – the Lord of hosts – the Holy One, your Redeemer, the God of all the earth. ~Isaiah 54:5
• I want your adornment to be the inner beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality and unfading charm of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in My sight. ~1 Peter 3:3-4
• I want you to adorn yourself modestly and discreetly…with good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. ~1 Timothy 2:9-10
• Strength and dignity are your clothing, and you smile at the future. You open your mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on your tongue. ~Proverbs 31:25-26

As I learned about God’s character and nature through His Word, He began to woo me into greater intimacy with Him. Embracing Him as my “first husband” meant I looked to Him to meet my inner needs. Anything my earthly husband did or said was a bonus as my needs were met by the “lover of my soul” and not by a man.

As my family grew, I could stay in a place of peace. Being a “mother of many,” I learned to pause and ask the Lord for grace and strength. Whenever I began to feel overwhelmed, I would stop and say, “Lord, You say Your grace is sufficient for me, and I’m tempted to feel overwhelmed, so I need more grace. I need more grace, Lord. More grace.” And I would stand in the hallway or in the kitchen until His grace was greater than the situation I was currently facing, then in His grace, I would move forward.

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit teaches us and brings His words of life to our remembrance. We learn to walk in the Spirit, and He brings forth the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – in our lives. And “since we live by the Spirit, we learn to keep in step with the Spirit.”³

What a joy to cultivate our inner beauty before the Lord by taking our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus, renewing our minds in His Word, and allowing His Holy Spirit to lead us. May the Lord strengthen, encourage, and bless you, sweet sisters in Christ!

References:

¹ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Isaiah 40:11

² 2 Corinthians 10:5; Romans 12:2

³ John 14:26; Galatians 5:22-26

New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995), copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Meet Our Author – Lisa Blair

Author Bio: Lisa Blair is a Christian writer who believes the power of God can set the captives free. She believes God uses His Word and the intercessory prayer of His People to further His Kingdom. Lisa desires for people to encounter Jesus’ heart, know His love, sense His presence, and live in His peace.

Lisa’s blog, Strength with Dignity – https://strenthwithdignity.com

Lisa has written three devotional-style Bible Studies: DRAW NEAR: 30-Days to Know God Better, PAUL’S PRAYERS: 30 Powerful Prayers to Ignite Your Prayer Life, and BLESSED – Exploring the Beatitudes https://strengthwithdignity.com/books

Enter Lisa Blair’s Book Give Away by PRESSING HERE

Devotional Bible Studies: Draw Near: 30-Days to Know God Better, Paul’s Prayers: 30 Powerful Prayers to Ignite Your Prayer Life, and BLESSED – Exploring the Beatitudes https://strengthwithdignity.com/books

Drawing and Give Away for kindle edition of – DRAW NEAR: 30-Days to Know God Better

Drawing and Give Away for kindle edition of – PAUL’S PRAYERS: 30 Powerful Prayers to Ignite Your Prayer Life

Drawing and Give Away for kindle edition of – BLESSED: Exploring the Beatitudes

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