You cannot outrun You.

Besides God, there is one other person that you cannot outrun.  You.

Do you like yourself?  Recently I was challenged with coming up with three attributes about myself that I like.  It’s so easy for us to come up with a laundry list of things that we DON’T like about ourselves BUT have we ever pondered all the things we like about ourselves?

We are created in God’s image.

If we cannot find things about ourselves to like, are we rejecting God?

God recently spoke to me about our skin.  Our skin is a covering and a protection for our inner organs and inner person.  The very first mention of the word “skin” in the Bible is in Genesis 3.

Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. 

Genesis 3:21

This very first mention of skin is a type and shadow of Jesus for us today. For God to have made Adam and Eve tunics from skin, He would have had to sacrifice an animal.  Do you see the shadow of Jesus?  Jesus became our covering, our tunic. He became our sacrifice to clothe us in righteousness and salvation.

Jesus became our skin.

Our skin is what people see when they look at us.  Is our skin reflecting Jesus? 

Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

Exodus 34:29-30

Jesus Himself reflected off of Moses’ skin so much so that the people were afraid of him and made him wear a veil. It was a physical transformation wherein the very presence of God was manifested in the skin on Moses’ face.

We see another transformation that appeared on the face of Jesus.  Jesus, Peter, James and John went up on a mountain and had a personal encounter with God that transformed the very face of Jesus.

The others fell on their faces afraid, but Jesus calmed their fears.

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”

Matthew 17:1-7

No veil is needed when Jesus is with us.

I’ll share one other verse in 2 Corinthians where Paul speaks about the glory of God on our faces reflecting Him to the world. It is this reflection that is our fishing pole allowing us to fish for men.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 3:18

So I’ll ask again.  Is your skin reflecting Jesus?

If you don’t like yourself, it’s impossible to reflect Jesus to the world. One of the very first things that God will work on in our spiritual walk with Him is our own self-image and identity.  But, as is God’s way, we first have to invite Him in to do the transforming work needed.  God is a gentleman and will never intrude and enter uninvited. He is waiting on an invitation.  Always.

For too many years in my own life, I did not like myself.  I spent a lot of years running from who I was. But you know what?  You cannot outrun yourself.  Wherever you are, there you are:)

Not until I handed the reigns over to God did I begin to like myself. This is truth. I now love myself and who God created me to be. I am comfortable in my own skin. I enjoy being alone with me.  I no longer try to outrun me.

If you are running from yourself, today – right now – invite God in and pour out your heart to Him.

Let Him know what you don’t like and hand it over for Him to begin the most amazing transformation of your life.  Jesus desires to cover you from the inside out and the outside in.  Let Him in today.

To begin the transformation and to start loving yourself, begin reading some Scripture that speak of God’s love for us. Here are a few verses but please dig into the Word of God and find the deep and hidden treasures it holds.

The Word is truly our lifeline to Jesus because the Word is Jesus.

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
   Psalm 139:13-14

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
    John 3:16

The Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but have the light of life.
    John 8:12

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
    John 15:5

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
    Romans 8:32

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
    1 Peter 2:9-10

Comments 

I’d love to hear if this post has unlocked something within you. Please leave me a comment.  I also am happy to help you start your journey if you haven’t begun yet.  And I’m happy to help you along the way!  We need to strengthen one another because all of us together make up the Body of Christ.  Love and blessings!!

Stay in the Light and Love always,

Eva