By Chere Williams
Matthew 7:6 "Do not give the dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to the pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet and then turn and tear you to pieces."
Are you aware of how integral you are to God's Kingdom? Do you view your body as a temple? Do you honor your spiritual gifts? My prayer is that you recognize you’re uniqueness and value in God’s eyes. As children of Christ we’re created in his divine image. If we allow ourselves to get caught up in the ways of the world this indisputable fact can be forgotten. It’s easy to settle for anything and everything if we don’t believe we're worthy of anything better. You are sacred and God wants you to protect yourself from those things or people in the world who will tear you down and lead you away from his path and purpose for your life.
Webster’s Dictionary defines a pearl as, "one that is very choice or precious." That is you! You are a precious gem and God chose you to be part of his kingdom! You are powerful and beautiful because you’re God’s creation. Your worth doesn’t stem from the things you do, your appearance, or material possessions. If you view yourself in God’s light you’ll make choices based out of love and respect for yourself. Too often I see people making destructive choices that devalue who they are as a child of Christ. You play into Satan’s game when you make choices that don’t reflect your values, principals, and self-worth. Satan wants you to doubt who you are in Christ so he can wreak havoc in your life and weaken your relationship with your Savior. Honoring yourself is a vital step you must take on your journey as a Christian.
You are a gift to the world around you. God bestows you with spiritual gifts that he intended for you to use to build up the body of Christ here on earth. This is serious business and the enemy will do everything in his power to make you detour from God’s plan. Don’t be surprised when obstacles are thrown in your path…expect them. The enemy will attempt to invade your thoughts, actions, and emotions causing you to make unwise decisions eventually leading you to give your pearls to the dogs and pigs. Your best defense is having a firm understanding of the scriptures, a personal relationship with the Lord, and a strong sense of who you are in Christ. These three key strategies will help you keep your precious pearls safe.
Discernment is crucial to a Christian's walk with Christ. We must be able to discern between those who will edify us and those who will tear us into bits. The company we choose to keep has a significant impact on our life. Truth is found in the old adage birds of a feather flock together. Look at your flock, should you be flying with them or is it time to fly south? Women, by nature seem aimed to please and are incredibly nurturing to the people in their life. This natural gift can be a blessing, but if given to the wrong person can be toxic to your wellbeing. I’ve known many women including myself who’ve given their pearls to the wrong person or activities and had to endure painful periods of brokenness. When you encounter any situation or person, using discernment from the Lord is the only way to know if you should be in that space. Don’t depend on yourself, depend on God to lead you in the right direction. Remember, everything that glitters isn’t gold. A situation or person may appear to have a nice wrapping but the contents leave little to be desired.
Along with discernment we must love ourselves enough to remove ourselves from undesirable and destructive situations. Our self esteem will determine what we'll tolerate. If we perceive ourselves as being unworthy of God’s best then we'll tolerate anything and the dogs and pigs will have a feast. Examine your past experiences and relationships. Do they reflect the love you have for yourself? If not then it’s time to make an internal spiritual change. Start your transformation by reading the scriptures and absorbing God’ word in your mind and heart. When you do this you’ll be blown away by his awesome plan for your life, which includes being surrounded by all things that are of the Lord. You’ll begin to change your perception about yourself and rid your mind of negative thought patterns that entice you to move towards anything or anyone that isn’t part of God’s plan for you. God’s word will radically change your choices. You’ll make wiser decisions that keep you in alignment with your divine uniqueness.
If your pearls have been trampled upon, rest assured they can be restored to their original state. First, take them back, they belong to you! Sometimes when we lose our pearls we lose the courage and confidence to reclaim them. Don’t allow the enemy to steal what’s yours! Boldly return your pearls to their proper owner. Your spiritual gifts, body, and spirit are sacred. Protect them from lurking predators who aim to destroy what God desires for you to build. Revitalize your pearls with God’s word. Don’t hide them in a jewelry box instead wear them proudly, but guard them by loving yourself unconditionally and valuing your God- given intrinsic worth.
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Chere Williams is a single Christian mother devoted to communicating and offering valuable advice to women about the unique challenges they endure as single Christian mothers. She is a weekly columnist with Moms of Faith and has written over one hundred articles on parenting and home life for a large audience of Christian women both nationally and internationally. She writes for the DC Examiner.com in their spirituality and religion section and has authored several articles in Inspired Women Magazine (IWM), and has a piece being published in the May issue of Just Between Us Magazine. Chere is currently busy writing a book for single spiritual moms while working on her blog, A Single Christian Mom’s Advice on Makin Life Easier. She resides in Silver Spring, MD with her amazing five year old daughter, Anya.
Matthew 7:6 "Do not give the dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to the pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet and then turn and tear you to pieces."
Are you aware of how integral you are to God's Kingdom? Do you view your body as a temple? Do you honor your spiritual gifts? My prayer is that you recognize you’re uniqueness and value in God’s eyes. As children of Christ we’re created in his divine image. If we allow ourselves to get caught up in the ways of the world this indisputable fact can be forgotten. It’s easy to settle for anything and everything if we don’t believe we're worthy of anything better. You are sacred and God wants you to protect yourself from those things or people in the world who will tear you down and lead you away from his path and purpose for your life.
You are a gift to the world around you. God bestows you with spiritual gifts that he intended for you to use to build up the body of Christ here on earth. This is serious business and the enemy will do everything in his power to make you detour from God’s plan. Don’t be surprised when obstacles are thrown in your path…expect them. The enemy will attempt to invade your thoughts, actions, and emotions causing you to make unwise decisions eventually leading you to give your pearls to the dogs and pigs. Your best defense is having a firm understanding of the scriptures, a personal relationship with the Lord, and a strong sense of who you are in Christ. These three key strategies will help you keep your precious pearls safe.
Along with discernment we must love ourselves enough to remove ourselves from undesirable and destructive situations. Our self esteem will determine what we'll tolerate. If we perceive ourselves as being unworthy of God’s best then we'll tolerate anything and the dogs and pigs will have a feast. Examine your past experiences and relationships. Do they reflect the love you have for yourself? If not then it’s time to make an internal spiritual change. Start your transformation by reading the scriptures and absorbing God’ word in your mind and heart. When you do this you’ll be blown away by his awesome plan for your life, which includes being surrounded by all things that are of the Lord. You’ll begin to change your perception about yourself and rid your mind of negative thought patterns that entice you to move towards anything or anyone that isn’t part of God’s plan for you. God’s word will radically change your choices. You’ll make wiser decisions that keep you in alignment with your divine uniqueness.
If your pearls have been trampled upon, rest assured they can be restored to their original state. First, take them back, they belong to you! Sometimes when we lose our pearls we lose the courage and confidence to reclaim them. Don’t allow the enemy to steal what’s yours! Boldly return your pearls to their proper owner. Your spiritual gifts, body, and spirit are sacred. Protect them from lurking predators who aim to destroy what God desires for you to build. Revitalize your pearls with God’s word. Don’t hide them in a jewelry box instead wear them proudly, but guard them by loving yourself unconditionally and valuing your God- given intrinsic worth.
~ ~ ~Chere Williams is a single Christian mother devoted to communicating and offering valuable advice to women about the unique challenges they endure as single Christian mothers. She is a weekly columnist with Moms of Faith and has written over one hundred articles on parenting and home life for a large audience of Christian women both nationally and internationally. She writes for the DC Examiner.com in their spirituality and religion section and has authored several articles in Inspired Women Magazine (IWM), and has a piece being published in the May issue of Just Between Us Magazine. Chere is currently busy writing a book for single spiritual moms while working on her blog, A Single Christian Mom’s Advice on Makin Life Easier. She resides in Silver Spring, MD with her amazing five year old daughter, Anya.