Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
I’ve got some good news for you! You may not know this but You’re OK. Right now, right here, in this very moment. I’m ok, You’re ok.
I too often hear people tell someone “It is going to be OK”, or I ask someone how they are doing and the response I receive is… “I’ll be OK.” Why do we think we have to wait for that magic moment to finally be OK with who we are and what we are going through? You don’t have to wait for the moment when the pain has faded away, or you’ve disconnected from the situation to feel secure and centered. Ok, is not a place you have to walk miles find. It’s often just a few steps away.
Yes, even in the dark moments, even when you’re hurt, filled with shame, or afraid. You’re OK. You’re ok to grieve, you’re ok to hurt, you’re OK to feel alone. It is OK to be hurting from the past. You’re safe. God loves you. You aren’t alone. You’re ok!
I recently sat in a room with a guy receiving some mentoring. He had screwed up. AGAIN. Just like we all do. We are all human, we all make mistakes and that’s OK. He was beating himself up; falling apart before my very eyes. My heart hurt to see him in that state because I had recently made the exact same mistake! I had felt the same pain he felt, and in that moment my heart connected with his and I could feel that same pain all over again. Then these magical, healing words were whispered. “Hey, You’re OK. You’re OK. You’re OK.” In that moment it clicked, He was OK, right then, right there. He just had to make the choice to see it that way. It’s a perception shift. You can wait to be OK, but if you’re waiting for an ah hah moment it may never come.
A few days later I was feeling down on myself. I hadn’t gotten everything done at work that I intended to have finished. My head hurt and I didn’t have any energy, so I didn’t make it to the gym. I felt like a failure: inadequate, like I was somehow less than because I was human. Then I remembered those words I heard earlier that week. I told myself, “So you didn’t get everything done. It’s OK. You’re OK. You’re OK. You’re OK…” until I believed it in my heart. I felt free. All of the guilt and pressure that was haunting me faded away to nothing. It really was that easy. I went from not doing OK, to I’m OK in a few short seconds. So what if __________ happens or didn’t get done. Does that make me any less of a child of God? Does that invalidate all I did accomplish? Sometimes in the moments when we feel the most insecure we have to say so what- I’m still a child of the King and this is all apart of his plan for my life. I’m OK. He’s got me.
I’m ok, You’re ok.
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9
Guest Post by Tyler Barnes
