Independence
Today, I would like to make a declaration on our behalf.
As we make our way on this journey from the ashes as God's bold and beloved children, I hereby declare our independence.
I love this definition of independence: "freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others."
We need God. Of course, we do.
We love our peeps and often need help from our friends. Of course, we do.
The independence I'm talking about is knowing that we don't rely on or require others for our survival and thrival (I made that one up - you're welcome.)
In this declaration of our freedom, I would like to propose some new proclamations:
We follow God, lean onto Him for our strength, and do not take over what is His to manage.
We only manage what we can control, which frees up our time and allows us to focus on our journey forward.
We teach people how to treat us with the love and respect God would expect for His children.
We face difficult moments with bravery and clarity, trusting God to guide us while asking for and receiving help from others when needed.
We honor our yeses and stand firm in our nos.
We rely on God's wisdom, discernment, and instinct, not being swayed or swayed by others' opinions, pressures, or manipulations.
We break chains of habits and patterns that sabotage or circumvent our purpose, health, and joy.
We make our way on this journey together, helping each other up and out so we all can find freedom.
God has given us what we need to survive and thrive.
The Holy Spirit resides right within you - otherwise known as the land of the free and the home of the brave - and you can access it any time you need to be reminded of these declarations and proclamations.
Stand tall, you independent powerhouse!
Put those shoulders back and walk through this day as the fiercely free firecracker that you are.
I can almost hear the crowd as you walk by with your confident, independent swagger, "Oooooooooo, aahhhh- what a beauty!"
And that you are my friend, that you are.
Ephesians 4:14
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.