Today is my first day to reflect on an actual counseling day where I did the counseling myself (with Jesus I want to add). It really was an eye-opening time. It was interesting to to listen to the counselee talk through his desire for counseling. The particular individual had several needs he’d like help with. The drivers seemed to fall into areas of need which impacted his belief system disenabling what he called his value. I could sure identify with this. However, I found myself wondering how to step into these needy areas for which I have some background but it isn’t in the realm of counseling. As I brought this, along with the other needs identified yesterday, to Jesus this morning, I felt Him nudging me away from needs to discover their gifts.

Satan has an ugly way of using our flesh to influence us to only see our deficiencies. We then take those deficiencies and believe they determine value. Over the past few years I’ve discovered that my own deficiencies (which were often my dad’s strengths) had deeply determined the roots of value I’ve carried for me all of my life. My measuring stick for value came from me using dad and his voice within me to determine value. Well, I walked right into a session yesterday very similar to this. I’m still not good at any of the things where my dad was good, but what I’ve become better at doing is using what God has given me, letting go of the old deficiencies, to know my strengths. My value comes from God first and foremost. This is the truth for each one of us. This is the message Jesus was telling me I need to press forward with, taking eyes off of weaknesses and discovering and appreciating the gifts God so graciously has given to each one of us.