Brave Woman, Mighty GodSample

Be Yourself
My daughters look like sisters but their personalities are distinct. Despite their differences, my two girls bring out the best in each other. Their combined unique perspectives show them a fuller representation of the overall picture and together they’re happier, and better rounded than alone.
The way my girls complement each other reminds me of the two sisters in the Bible, Mary and Martha. In John 12 Martha is shown with a servant’s heart and Mary is at the feet of Jesus. People thought Martha was doing exactly what she should—serving others. And she was.
But few recognized Mary was also serving Jesus exactly as she should. So, Jesus stood up for Mary, recognizing that both ways of honoring Him were good and pleasing. He empowered both sisters to live fully in how God had created them.
Just because the gals were different didn’t mean one had more faith or one was a better person. Both sisters did their thing, loved Jesus, trusted in His power, and tried to serve Him the best they knew how. Which is all Jesus wants from us—that we believe in Him, trust Him, and try to serve Him in our own unique ways.
And even though my girls are different, and these two sisters were different, and you and I are different, Jesus loves them, and He loves us. All of us. John 11:5 tells us, “Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus” (NLT).
God created Mary and Martha differently so they could bring out the best, encourage, challenge, and motivate each other—so that they would be equipped to serve people in their home together, cope with the devastating sickness and death of their brother together, make sense of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead together, share their stories and grow their faith and live their lives together.
We are all made in God’s image. But we are all unique. And Jesus empowers us to bravely live out our one-of-a-kind personalities by reminding us that we’re exactly who He intended us to be. It’s actually in our differences that we function better together.
I don’t love either of my daughters more—I love them both as fully as I am capable of loving another human. Just like Jesus fully and completely loved Mary and Martha. And just like Jesus, the One who can raise the dead from a dark, musty tomb, loves me and you as fully and completely as possible, for exactly who He created us to be. So, let’s just be ourselves.
Reflection:
Do you have a sister (like Mary and Martha), best friend, roommate, neighbor, or sister-in-
law who thinks or acts differently than you do?
List some ways you’re different and some ways you’re the same.
Pray for this woman, specifically thanking God for all the unique ways she approaches and does things. Ask God to bless her and flood her with love.
Now, thank God for all the ways He has created you to be unique and distinct.
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About this Plan

The bravery to live a life worth living doesn’t come from following five easy steps, reading a book, or redecorating your house. You get your power, joy, purpose, self-worth, and the bravery to live it all out directly from Jesus. Through the stories of the women of the Bible, we see that God can be encountered no matter who you are, what your status is, or where you live. Whether you're tackling huge obstacles or just going about your day-to-day, Jesus equips and encourages you to do incredible things for your good and His glory.
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We would like to thank Laura L. Smith for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://www.laurasmithauthor.com/









