Peeling Onions & Building Towers

The name of this post might seem a bit odd, but I hope you stick with me to hear a bit of my heart. This past weekend I was blessed to be part of the ReNEWed Life Women's Event...it was an amazing day of teaching and testimony. God was present and He was glorified. Women were touched and I pray transformed.

Our theme for the day was "Knowing God and Making Him Known." This is a broad, important topic. One that God has used in my life as we prepared and clearly He did the same for our speaker, Stephanie Shott. My dear friend and sister in Christ brought us powerful teaching and God has continued the lesson in the days that have passed. He's linked this new knowledge with a past struggle.

If you've read my blog more than once, you most likely know I've battled insecurities. Over time God has transformed my thinking and healed my heart and I've made progress. I no longer struggle with some things like I use to, but this past week I realized the battle is not over. The devil doesn't play the "you're not good enough card" as much anymore, but the thought "you don't belong" and "you're less than" has entered my mind.

God brought this to my attention before our women's event, but He moved the struggle from something I was simply aware of to something I needed to deal with following it. I watched my teenage daughter respond to a certain situation and she did it just like me. Tears fill my eyes as I type that line because it's a trait I don't want her to inherit. I clearly need to teach her some more Truth, but I must let it transform me as I do.

So that brings me to the first phrase in the title of this blog - "Peeling Onions." That's not my favorite job in the kitchen, but at times it must be done. When it is, it takes time and causes tears. I'm here to tell you peeling onions doesn't just happen in the kitchen; sometimes it happens in my heart.

As God uses His living and active Word (Hebrews 4:12), He peels away layers of lies. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." This powerful and purposeful word cuts to the heart and changes me from the inside out. Just like peeling onions, it's a process that takes time and can cause tears. This can feel painful in the moment, so I must remember it is priceless in the big picture.

Digging into God's Word and letting Him transform my heart and renew my mind has amazing effects. My life and perspective can change, the example I set will be different and most importantly I will get to know Him more, which leads me to the second phrase in the title of this post - "Building Towers."

When our children were younger they all enjoyed building towers. I recall the smiles on their faces as they'd add a block and the fun they had as their tower grew and grew. I don't remember the last time we did that, but this past weekend I learned about something else we can be building.

In her message on knowing God, Stephanie Shott taught us about His names. Did you know there are over 900 of them? Each one has a purpose. There are definitely some we are more familiar with than others and there are 2 that are clearly foundational. Saturday we learned much about Yahweh (Exodus 6:3-5) and I AM (Exodus 3:14-15.) God is who He is and He will be who He will be. He is the self-existent God. He is a covenant making and keeping God.

These names weren't new to me...I've called out to them and received peace because of them, but I can build on them. Knowing God exists and keeps promises is vital to my faith, but knowing Him as Abba Father and Jehovah Jireh strengthens my belief. My kids use to add blocks to make their tower taller, in the same way as I know more of God's names my understanding grows deeper and my relationship with Him gets better.

As I build this tower of names in my mind and get to better know my Father in heaven, He will peel off layers of my heart so I can better make Him known here on earth. Does that sound like something you'd like to do? Open your Bible and ask God to reveal Himself to you in the pages of His Word. He created us to know Him and has called us to make Him known. Make it your mission today!

"but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 9:24)

"that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings..." (Philippians 3:10)