Arrived Challenge : Day One

WELCOME! You've started, Arrived Challenge, and today is DAY ONE. How exciting! Here's the format for what you'll see daily on the blog. Originally I was going to offer a downloadable devotional but felt pressed by the Spirit to post them here on the blog so everyone had equal opportunity to read, participate, and be set free.

Each day you will have a 1. scripture reading, 2. devotional reading 3. journal prompt. 4. Challenge!

Keep a journal. Write it down. Devotionals and the prompts with this challenge should take 5-10 mins. Now, lets get it started:

Scripture Reading: 

Genesis 37:5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.

Devotional Content

Before we can become fully confident in our ability in the Lord, sometimes we have to look back. We don't look and GO back, we look back to deal with issues that we may have hidden deep in our heart. Before we can arrive, fully, and be present fully in a place of deep confidence, we have to rid ourselves of the insecurities set within us early.

I didn't realize until two years ago that I had a rooted insecurity set inside of me. God brought it to the service and began to deal with it in me. It seemed like such a "simple" issue that I should have gotten over years and years ago; in fact, I didn't even think it was an issue.

That tricky enemy. He does that. He makes thing that are seriously dangerous (ie: flirting with a man "innocently") seem like it's not a big deal, because he knows it is, and he hopes we fall.

So I looked back. I had arrived into a place of deep insecurity several years ago because I hadn't dealt with this.

When I was about 8-years-old I had a neighborhood friend. Ladies, I don't even remember her name. We used to ride backs and play in the dirt mounds around my house. She was my closest friend and we did everything together. 

One day several months into our sweet friendship we were riding our bikes, laughing, and playing make believe. We decided we would pretend that one of the dirt mounds was our castle. She said, "Meg, I'm Princess So-and-so!" I gleefully proclaim, "I'm a princess too!" Then she stopped and said, "Oh, oh no Meg. You are too ugly to be a princess."

I just started crying. I went home and told my mom and she comforted me. She said those things were lies. She even bought me a new necklace and earring set to make me feel more princess like.

But I had never heard a peer so openly say I was ugly. So of course, I believed her. I also never played with her again and from that day I realized a seed of insecurity on my beauty had been planted.

Well I didn't realize that until 2 years ago.

You see those bad places you arrive, like such above, come from a seed. And you have to figure out how to grab on to those roots and YANK those suckers out. Now I'm learning to arrive into a place of confidence in my life, my health, and my beauty. God designed us well. He makes no mistakes. Lets work together on not insulting His most prized creation.

Journal Prompt:

Think of my own example of arriving in a place I shouldn't have and pray and ask the Lord to reveal any "bad seeds" planted in your life. This could be recently, from childhood, or even from your own negative thinking. 

How can you identify these seeds? And when you do, how can you pluck them out? Write down several possible answers in your journal. 

Prayer:

Father, we ask Lord that you would help me to identify any negative places I have arrived due to badly or negatively planted seeds. Lord, help me to pluck these up with the help of your word, prayer, and the community around me. Help me to be surrounded by people who will speak Your word into my life, uplift me, and correct me lovingly. Lord, I desire to begin moving my thoughts, spiritual life, body and heart into a place of arrival in which you are there completely.

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Challenge:

Write down three negative things spoken over you and then write down three positive things that you can replace those thoughts with. If you've been told your dumb write down DUMB - SMART. And begin to speak and pray those things over your life.

Also, post a selfie of yourself on you instagram or facebook with the hashtag #arrivedintroductions and #arrivedchallenge and list these three things:

1. Your Name
2. Your occupation
3. Your favorite beverage currently 

Looking forward to getting to know all those who participate!

Love,

Meg