Meet Marva | Confidence Without Compromise #15

Marva, British Virgin Islands

Founder, SunSparkleShine.com

Meet Marva. A writer, content creator, sun-lover, and follower of Christ. In this week’s feature, Marva talks about being tested in the faith, overcoming painful seasons, and experiencing God’s true love.

Q: What does “Confidence Without Compromise” mean to you?

A: Confidence without comprise means to live fully as the person God designed you to be without compromising His standards.

It’s so important for us as women to know where our confidence comes from.

It doesn’t come from our looks, our accomplishments, or how well put together we feel on any given day. Neither is our confidence based on comparison and how we measure up to the woman in the next house, cubicle, or blog. But if we listen to the world, we could easily fall for those lies. That’s why we need to stand on God’s Word and allow His standards to become our own.

Q: How has your faith given you confidence?

A: Over the last three years or so, I’ve really had my faith tested through different seasons of loss. Every year seemed to bring another calamity. One time it was the loss of my father. Another time, it was the loss of my youngest brother who never made it home from a fishing trip. Then it was the catastrophic loss of life as I knew it in the wake of the strongest hurricane ever to hit the Atlantic. Before we could recover from that, we lost my father-in-law. It just seemed to be one difficult season after another.

Yet during those painful times, I felt God leaning in close and reminding me that ‘this too shall pass,’ and you know what? It always did.

Now, when I’m faced with a difficult situation I remember those times, and my faith is strengthened. I can confidently claim that God is good–all the time. He’s been good in the good times, and He’s certainly been good in the bad times. Those faith-testing seasons have grown my confidence and my faith in God like nothing else could.

Do I want to go through any of that again? Certainly not. But I think about James 1:2-3, which tells us to count it joy when faced with trials. Why? Because this testing of our faith helps to mature us and make us complete in Christ.

Q: What is a go-to Bible verse that you turn to when you need confidence or hope?

A: Jeremiah 29:11 would have to be my go-to verse: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” It’s such a beautiful reminder that life isn’t happening TO me, it’s happening FOR me because of the plans God has already set in place on my behalf.

Q: What encouragement would you give to other young women regarding living for the Lord?

A: The first thing I’d like to say is that you deserve better. And I say that because I know from my own story how easy it was to compromise my values, particularly when I was younger and wasn’t a Christian yet.

Looking back now, I’m glad that God had a better life for me, and He led me to find it.

I think that’s why I love that scripture in Jeremiah 29 so much, because as we read a bit further in verse 12 and 13, we see that not only does God have good plans for us but He also wants a relationship with us. He offers a better life than what the world could ever tempt us with. So, my encouragement is don’t compromise, seek God, and you will find Him. You will experience the good life, the life to the full that He designed for you.

Learn About SunSparkleShine

SunSparkleShine is an online ministry meant to encourage women to life fully in the lives God designed for them. I actually created the website weeks after my father died as a way to focus my attention on positive things and not on my grief. I wanted to offer encouragement to women in different seasons of life to help them shine for Christ. So, that includes resources and articles on Christian faith, intentional living, and overcoming difficulties, for example.

Q: How have you seen God work in your life and the lives of others during your involvement?

A: I’ve been amazed over the years at how God has used this ministry to minister to my own soul as well as those of the women who visit and engage with either the website or newsletter. I’m just humbled that from my tiny island in the Caribbean, I’ve been able to interact with women in the USA, Asia, Africa and Europe–all to the glory of God. It is my hope that God uses my words and my story to remind them that they can shine and live fully the way He intended.

Connect With Marva

Instagram: @spreadtheshine

Twitter: @spreadtheshine

Facebook Page: SunSparkleShine

Pinterest: @sunsparkleshine

Learn more about Confidence Without Compromise here. 

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