John 14:27 (AMP) Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.] 

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning I take a class at the gym called Body Pump. I stand towards the front of the class, because that is where a fan is. So that means quite of bit of the class are behind me and can see me in the mirror. I like the mirror, because I can check my form while I am exercising. We are often afraid of mirrors because we do not like certain parts of ourselves. Mirrors are needed. They help us keep the correct form, so that we do not cause an injury.

James 1:23-25 (AMP) For if anyone only listens to the word without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets what he looked like. But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience].

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (AMP) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom]. And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

Comparison is very crippling in the body of Christ. The mirror I am looking into is not to see a reflection of anyone else, other than Christ in my life. I should be an encouragement for others to continue, not a hinderance to stall growth in their life. Authenticity and real change are what people are wanting to hope in. Peace and stability in Christ are real. Being rooted and grounded in the love of Christ is possible.

A lady stopped me yesterday as I was putting away my equipment. She said, “I admire your confidence.” She told me she had been watching me and that she admired how confident I am in this class. In this class, I am the big girl. I will not be the small girl; there will not be a huge transformation about from big to small. Very little is known about lipedema, other than there is no cure. That is not why I go to the gym. I go so that I can be healthy. Mobility is health. Skinny does not mean healthy. We all grow older. What matters is that we do not quit because we do not see a change. Others see the consistency.

We are called into the body of Christ. What happens when we think that it does not matter if we show up on Sunday? Who are we really thinking of? I love my gym community. We watch out for each other and look for each other. That is called being the church. It is through the obedience of the Word in my every day that He reveals Himself more to me. I have to get outside of myself. When we think we do not matter, it is because we are still rooted in self. There is no peace in self-reliance.

John 14:21 (AMP) The person who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him [I will make Myself real to him].

John 15:12 (AMP) This is My commandment, that you love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you.

I ask that of myself daily. I pray for opportunities daily to show others His grace, mercy and love. I also have not attachment as to whether I receive it back from them or not. That is called keeping score, and love keeps no account of suffered wrongs. Jesus never looked to received back; He continually gave. How does He show me that He loves me? In the moments that I do not expect it. From the stranger that told me they see the confidence in me. That confidence does not come natural to me. It is from a surrendered life that confidence came. It was where being rooted and grounded in the love of Christ came from. It is where my peace is found. I grieve for those who look for it any other place than in Him. I hear the resentment in their voices. I hear the lack of love for others when they speak of what others were willing to do for them, yet they will not do something small for someone else. Yet I continue to serve, not that they deserve it, but because I love Jesus.

Peace is so important, that He said He would leave it with us. Peace brings courage. Peace brings confidence. Peace opens the door to wholeness. Worry is an enemy of peace. Depression is not resting in peace. Afraid of being uprooted from what you think is safe is not peace. Peace comes because we are confident in who Christ is in our lives. Others should see that confidence. Jesus will not turn away from confidence (Matthew 15:28).

Abba, Father, our Banner, You are Mighty and Wonderful. You Name is Holy. Thank You for Your Son, that we may have Peace. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, that we may know Comfort and Confidence. We repent for the times we made our days about just us. We repent that we approach Your church the same way. We love You. Jesus said that if we loved Him that we would obey His commandment. We are sorry that we have fallen short in seeking the best for others. We repent for keeping score and only serving those that we thought deserved it or would return it. We did not deserve the Love You so freely gave when you sent Your Son. Let us look for the best in each other. Let us no longer keep accounts. Let us love like You love. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. We stand in Your Perfect Peace today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.