Focus More on Him, Not Yourself

See things through a biblical lens, not a worldly lens.

I am a person with a stutter. I’ve had this speech impediment throughout most of my life. It is something that developed and got worse over time from being persistently bullied and having toxic thoughts about myself. It’s a difficulty that I’m not always too happy about nor proud of, for it has brought me a lot of grief in a variety of different ways.

Yet, in many ways, my lack of fluency has also been a blessing, for I know that without it I would probably think I could do life all on my own without God. I also know that without my speech impediment, I wouldn’t have been used by God in the specific ways he used me to share my testimony (through writing and public speaking), which has brought hope and inspiration to others and brought glory to his kingdom.

Hey, God even used my flaw in speaking to help me win awards and gain employment when I took steps of faith to trust in him when he asked me to share my story. Glory to him!

Now, I didn’t always perceive my speech impediment as being a blessing, and, at times, I can still see it as a nuisance. But, when I rely less on my own understanding of things and focus more on God by acknowledging him – through humbling myself, praying to him, and obeying and surrendering myself to his will – the more I come to understand that my weakness in speech, in a lot of ways, has been used by God to help me grow closer to him and bless the lives of others.

Perhaps you have a flaw or a weakness that you’re ashamed of? Or, maybe you are angry with God for not taking away something that has caused you pain and sorrow? Well, if you do, please know that if you focus more on God and less on yourself, as I have learned to do, then you, too, can have your heart worked on by God to see things differently – to see things through a heavenly lens instead of a worldly lens – and to reap the benefits of deepening your relationship with our perfect Father and his Son, Jesus, through the Spirit.

Dear Father, thank you for my weaknesses and for the difficulties in my life. Thank you for your love, patience and understanding when I don’t see things as you do and for working things out for good, even when they may seem bad. Please, Father, I ask that you work on my heart to trust your Spirit in me for the strength to be more obedient to you. I wish to acknowledge you in all ways possible and grow closer to you, regardless of the circumstances in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Throughout This Day: Give God thanks for the difficulties in your life and ask him to reveal the ways he uses your difficulties to bless you and others as you learn to trust in his Spirit’s strength rather than your own. Here’s a worship song you can listen to to help you through the process: