a woman of valor

I have continued through chapter nine in So Long Insecurity, which is where I will stop tonight. It truly got heavy for me in the last two chapters...in a way I was completely not expecting. God overwhelmed me with his truth through familiar verses that I had never understood in this way. I saw these as a chain, one that led to the next in my understanding, although Beth did not necessarily present them in this order in her commentary.

But that is not the way you learned Christ!---assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off our old self...and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.~Ephesians 4:20-24

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.~Romans 13:14

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings (or than God) and crowned him with glory and honor....~Psalm 8: 3-5

valor--boldness in facing danger

An excellent wife (translates the same as woman) who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. ~Proverbs 31: 10, 25

strength--strong, vigor, courage

dignity--self-respect, sign of respect, honor

And that is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything in accordance with his will he hears us. and if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.~1 John 5:14-15

insecurity--self-doubt, lack of confidence or assurance

These references to clothing are relevant to me. Of course, I do love to get clothes and the feelings of them can have a significant impact on my mood. More so though, when insecurity has won in my life, I have the feeling of standing in the center of a place, naked and bare, exposed for all to see. The truth is that I am covered, clothed, protected-let's say, from "life" with my hope in Christ Jesus. We are created in the likeness of God~worthy. The scripture says we have been crowned with glory and honor and more specifically as women we are to be clothed in strength and dignity (honor). I have not been owning my inheritance! Clearly, based on these scriptures it is God's will for us to walk in this truth to see ourselves as significant in him. Therefore, prayers for security and healing will be answered. I did not realize that the freedom from insecurities would also involve a confession and seeking forgiveness of

• self-absorption
• jealousy and covetousness
• competitions
• thinking too little of the person God created
• despising myself and considering myself inferior to others
• pride and the though that I am superior to others
• unbelief--in the truths

...and healing. Something tells me this is only scratching the surface.