How to Flow in Your Flaws

"And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb."

 1 Samuel 1:6

 

In my newly released book, "PATHWAY TO PURPOSE," I write about one of my favorite women in the Bible, who had a flaw -- Hannah. Her story is found in 1 Samuel 1.

Hannah’s Flaw – She was barren.  She had no children, "because the LORD had shut up her womb."

Hannah had a frenemy who reminded her everyday of how flawed she was.  The Scripture says the second wife of her husband tormented her because her womb was shut.  The torment was intense and frequent.  Hannah was made to fret.

In reading her story, I was faced with several questions and I pose those questions to you today and present some solutions.

HOW DO YOU FLOW IN YOUR FLAWS?

1. Don’t Doubt Yourself

Many of us are fretting over our frenemies, too, as they point out our flaws.

What is a flaw?  The dictionary defines a flaw as "a fault, a defect, a failing, a blemish, an imperfection, a shortcoming."

When someone points out our flaws, we quickly become angry and defensive. However, we soon internalize the comments and end up hurting ourselves more than that person ever could.

 

"Sticks and stones hurt, but painful words paralyze.".

 

We soon begin making out a laundry list of our flaws. Why?  Because we begin to think, “You know what?  That person is right.”

Well, I want to encourage you right now, DON’T DOUBT YOURSELF.  You have a destiny that God has ordained for you.  No man can take away from you what rightfully belongs to you.  However, you can give it away.  MY PRAYER IS THAT YOU WILL NOT.

Instead of creating a laundry list of flaws, create a list of those things you like about yourself.  You will soon realize that your pros outweigh the cons.

 

"Accentuate the Positives; Diminish the Negatives."

2. HEAR THE NOISE BUT DON’T LISTEN TO IT.

Hannah’s enemy kept bringing up her flaws day after day.  What do you do when the lion is roaring in your life?  HEAR IT BUT DON’T LISTEN TO IT.

Hearing is passive.  When children are playing and making noise in the background, you hear the noise, but it doesn't prevent you from doing what you need to do.

Listening involves an action. This is when you start to process what you hear so that you can take an action.  You internalize it and it leads you to take an action.

 

"Hearing is passive.  Listening involves an action."

 

If you start to listen to all the enemies in your life, it will lead you to the action of “embracing your fear.”  You’ll begin to say to yourself, “I can’t do this.  I’m not qualified to be here.  I’m not worthy.  Who am I to be in business?  Who am I to be in this position?"  You will soon become passive in life.  You will begin to wilt.  You will begin to fade into the background, giving everyone else the front seat of your life.

My friends, God has given us POWER.

This is HOW YOU FLOW IN YOUR FLAWS:

3. OWN YOUR FLAWS

When the enemy of ridicule comes knocking at your door, remember this.  He or she can’t tell you anything about yourself that you don’t already know. They can't destroy anything that God has touched.

After many days of closing people out, many days of no sleep and no meals, and after she had cried her last tear, Hannah remembered that she always had the privilege to approach the LORD in prayer.  Bowed at His feet is where she found her voice, her purpose.

 

I am grateful for my God-given purpose and I want to share a resource with you to help you discover yours.  Download my book, Pathway to Purpose, here. http://bit.ly/Perkinsbook