Guest Post- Rhonda Denison

It is a privledge to have my dear friend Rhonda share her heart with us today. Her vulnerability and ability to communicate facinate me.

I'm too fat... I hate what I'm wearing... she's prettier than me...

These are the thoughts that go through my head- the thoughts that haunt me when I don't take my thoughts captive- the thoughts that get me off mission and off focusing on my love for God and love for other people.

In Matthew 22:36, Jesus is tested with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” to which Jesus answers: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind"  THEN He says "The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Pretty simple right? Love God and Love others. This should be my primary motivation every time I talk with someone. Sometimes it is. Other times it isn't. Sometimes I get so focused on what I don't like about myself, that I'm not focused on other people at all! I never used to think of low self esteem as selfish, but let's face the truth... who are we really thinking about when we are thinking these ugly thoughts... God? Others? Ourselves? Ouch.

I've realized that these comparisons and thoughts actually hinder the ministry and the mission (Going and making disciples) that God has given me. I eliminate ministering to certain people because I think they're prettier than me. Surely the girl with the perfect hair doesn't want to hear the gospel from ME I tell myself... as if the Holy Spirit can only work through someone who is 115 lbs. If someone is smarter than me then they won't want to hear from me either because what do I know anyway... the thoughts could go on and on and there would be no on left for me to talk to.

So what’s the solution? Basically it’s been getting my eyes off of MYSELF and ON to God and other people. It’s asking God to show me, through the power of the Holy Spirit, what the needs of other people are and committing myself to the mission with whomever He puts in front of me. As I have taken this step, God has done some amazing things! He has allowed me to be a part of His work with people that I thought I could never talk to! He has shown me that this world is hurting for a savior and people are pretty non- discriminant when it comes to who is going to love them enough to share the gospel.

Will you ask God the same thing? When you are tempted to compare yourself to someone, will you take that thought captive by asking God to show you how you can love that person? If you do, you’ll be surprised, emboldened and used in the greatest commandment and mission!

Rhonda is a wife, and mother to two sweet adopted little girls. Her desire is to love God with all her heart, soul, mind and strength and to love others and point them to Jesus. She is on staff with Master Plan Ministries at Mesa State College and loves seeing God working in students lives.