What You Believe About Yourself Will Form Your Future
If you had to pick three words to sum up your life, what would they be? Be totally (even brutally) honest with yourself. Depending on your season of life and the state of your faith, your words may be optimistic, cynical, or anything in between.
What would you say to a friend who chooses the words below?
Voiceless. Overlooked. Unimportant.
These are the words Gunavati used to describe her life. Although she had loving parents, they belonged to a very religious community with strict rules—especially for girls. Unlike their brother, Gunavati and her sisters had no freedom. Besides attending school, Gunavati was not allowed to play outside or visit friends. Instead, she stayed indoors doing housework or sewing clothes.
Gunavati hated how restrictive her religion was. She longed for joy and purpose, but she just felt empty. When she was totally honest with herself, she questioned whether her life mattered at all. Then God stepped into Gunavati’s story.
Thanks to generous friends like you, a woman named Acira was equipped to start a Children’s Bible Club in Gunavati’s village. Acira met Gunavati’s parents and encouraged them to send her to the Bible Club. They had hesitations, but seeing Gunavati’s eagerness, they allowed her to give it a try.
At the Bible Club, Gunavati felt like a bird finally loosed from her cage. She sang, danced, and laughed with other girls and boys her age. The tutoring time helped Gunavati improve in her schoolwork, and she gained confidence along the way. Finally, Gunavati had a place where she felt she belonged and her voice mattered.
Then the town gossips struck, shaming Gunavati’s parents for letting her play in public and—even worse—associating with Christians. They panicked and made Gunavati quit the Bible Club, reinstating all their restrictions.
As she returned to her old life, Gunavati’s despair was overwhelming. But God was still at work. Acira noticed Gunavati’s absence almost immediately, and her friends constantly asked about her. Acira visited to find out why Gunavati wasn’t attending the Bible Club, and she was able to advise Gunavati’s parents about how much the experience and relationships meant to Gunavati. Their hearts softened, and they allowed her to rejoin!
As the weeks passed, new truths began to take root in Gunavati’s heart. Through Acira’s gentle teachings on the Gospel and the joyful songs about God’s love for all, Gunavati finally began to believe that her life mattered.
Gunavati soon received salvation, and she allowed God to redefine her story with new words: Precious. Loved. Chosen.
Take a moment to recall your three words from the beginning of this story. What new words would God write for you, if you asked Him?
Pray
- Pray that Gunavati’s family will be open to the Gospel, which she shares with them regularly
- Ask God to reveal what words He would choose for your life
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