You Are Loved

Most of us are aware of our shortcomings and imperfections. We attempt to overcome these things we know about ourselves in various ways. We are constantly trying to prove our value and worth not only to ourselves, but to others.
I would like to suggest something else. Find your value and worth in this.....there is a God.......and He is in love with you.

Most of us may acknowledge this truth with our head, but we haven't let it penetrate our hearts. When the truth gets into our hearts, it will help us to realize that in spite of our shortcomings and weaknesses we have worth, and in the process we begin the process of not trying as often to prove our value and worth to ourselves and others.

I mean think about it , if we actually believed God loved us , think of the pressure that would remove from us. Think of the weight that removes from your life.

Here is one more truth I would like to add...........
The reality of God's love changes our lives. Religious rules won't do it. Only the reality of God loving you will change lives.
Think about it, anytime someone truly falls in love with someone who truly loves them back, they change. Not because the other person is making them, but because they want to become a better person for that other person who is showing them love. So how much more does this happen when the reality of being loved by the perfect love of God?

So remind yourself of God's love for you constantly.
Think you have made a mess of your life? God is still in love with you.
Think you are the reason for other people's problems?
God is still in love with you.
Ashamed of things you have done in the past?
God is still in love with you.
Have you hurt those you love?
God is still in love with you.
Messed up this past week ?
God is still in love with you.
Feel like you don't measure up?
God is still in love with you.
Feel like a failure?
God is still in love with you.
Think you don't need God?
God is still in love with you.
Mad at God?
God is still in love with you.

I think you get the point I am trying to make. Be encouraged today, constantly think on the reality of God's love for you.
As you do, watch old and bad habits begin to fall away.
God is in love with you.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:4-5‬ ‭

“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:37-39‬ ‭

“My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:7-10‬ ‭

“But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭86:15‬ ‭

Troy

Getting Your Value And Worth From The Correct Source

The Spirit also tells us who we are. Identity is a never ceasing issue for most of us. We want so badly to think well of ourselves, to believe we are valued and important. But on our own all we have are opinions from others and from ourselves. We tell ourselves we are good ( or bad), and we spend each day searching for some evidence to prove it, only to have to do it all over again the next day. The verdict never comes in. Our egos are always on trial. But the Spirit witnesses with our spirit, telling us we are our Abba's child, in whom he is well pleased (Romans 8:16) - not because of our performance or accomplishments, our holiness or virtue, but because we are sacred beings of invaluable worth. 

How do we know this? The Spirit imparts this crucial knowledge as we dwell on the mystery now disclosed in the sacrifice of the Son. The Lamb of God willingly laid down his life for us while we were yet sinners, sinners that God desperately loved. That is what the cross means, but it is foolishness to the human mind on its own. Only by the witness of the Spirit can we grasp this incredible mystery. And when we do, it changes everything. We now know who we are: beloved children of God. Yes, still sinful, imperfect, flawed and at times downright despicable in our thoughts, words and deeds. But loved nonetheless. And forgiven forever, made holy by the Christ who dwells within us.

This is a knowledge that changes everything, the most important knowledge any human can know. But it is not to be understood as a theory; it must be grasped as a living reality. It is experiential knowledge; this knowledge must be lived. And when we grasp this knowledge, we are renewed. Our lives are transformed. If knowledge is, in fact, power, then this knowledge is the most powerful reality anyone can know- not knowledge about God, but rather knowledge of God. Thanks be to God, through Jesus and the Holy Spirit we can know it. 

Excerpt from Hidden In Christ by James Bryan Smith

Closed Doors

Have you ever had a plan for your life that fell through? You thought the door was open, but then it closes on you. Most of the time our initial response is panic or discouragement.  We ask ourselves, now what? Why is this happening? We ask other questions and make other statements.

In the midst of a closed door situation, generally, we never think maybe God is up to something good in this situation. We usually question God's goodness, or God's timing.

It's funny isn't it? Sometimes if a door hadn't been closed we wouldn't have looked for another open door. If that person hadn't broken up with you, you might have married a person who you would have ended up divorcing within five years. Instead, you are married to a wonderful person who is good for you. If you hadn't loss that job, you might be stuck in a dead end job with no future. Instead, you are at a place where you aren't just making a living, but making a life.

Please understand, I'm not saying , where God closes a door, He opens another. No, I'm wanting to emphasize the goodness of God, in that at times when we think we knew what was good for our lives , God knew what was best and led us to that place. Even tough there may have been hurt, or pain involved for us, He brought us to a place of blessing.

So, there are times we need to thank God for the closed doors in our lives. It's not easy, we usually don't look at the big picture with our lives, we usually just think of the immediate moment. But, I bet if you looked back over your life, a lot of closed doors in your life were blessings in disguise, but you just couldn't see it at the moment. God knew what was best for you, but you and I couldn't see it at the moment.

Thank God for the closed doors. Thank God for some of our prayers that went unanswered and saved us from a life of heartache. He is a good God.

Here are a few verses to reflect on:

“The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:9‬ ‭

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:28‬ ‭

Let's remember the next time that a door closes that just maybe God is working something out for our good. Maybe He is directing our steps. He's done it in the past and He will do it again.

Troy

Forgiving Others

Forgiving others is a challenge. Advising others to forgive someone can set off a canon. Nevertheless, I have found that learning how to forgive does more good for us than holding on to grudges, and having bitterness. No one likes to be wronged, but it is going to happen to all of us. Being unforgiving is unhealthy for us. The longer we hold on to the wrong that has been done to us the more it becomes a chain we can't break free from.

So here are just a few tips to remember when someone has wronged you.
1. FORGIVE QUICKLY
The best way to do this is to think about forgiveness from God's perspective. If we don't see forgiveness from God's perspective we can easily justify harboring ill feelings and try to make someone pay for what they did to us. We want to make sure certain conditions are met, that the person will never do it again.  That's why we need to think about it from God's perspective. Have you met the standard that you put on others when it comes to wanting God to forgive you? Or let me ask it this way, what if God put the same standard on you as you do with others before you forgive them? Would you ever experience God's forgiveness?

bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
Colossians 3:13 

2. YOU ARE GOING TO NEED FORGIVENESS EXTENDED TO YOU AT SOME POINT
We often forget that we are going to wrong others. Maybe not intentionally but it will happen, and we will need someone to forgiveness to us. And of course we will need God to extend forgiveness to us. Sometimes we dwell on the wrongs that have been done to us that we tend to forget or think lightly of the wrongs that we have done to others. Jesus put it this way:


Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.
Luke 6:38 

3. FORGIVENESS IS A LIFESTYLE
Extending or receiving forgiveness goes on constantly in our lives. As we remember to see things from God's perspective, and as we see our need for forgiveness, we begin to make forgiveness a lifestyle. We learn to not hold grudges. We extend forgiveness to others and others extend forgiveness to us. 


Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:32

Troy

When Life Doesn't Go As Planned

There are times in our lives where we get an idea that comes from God about something that we can accomplish. Maybe it's a promise from God about things getting better or certain situations changing in our lives. Then as things get complicated or it looks like it won't happen or things get worse we give up.

Let me encourage you today that nearly every person you read about in the Bible experienced things not going as planned or things getting worse before they saw the realization of the promise.

Here are just a few examples:

1. Joseph was promised he would rule over his brothers. But as his life unfolds he is sold into slavery by his brothers, lied about by a woman and winds up in prison for years. Initially forgotten by a person who was set free from prison . But eventually through a turn of events Joseph became second in charge in all the land.

2. Moses was told that God would use him to deliver His people . But when he goes to pharoah and tells him to let God's people go things got worse and pharoah increased their workload. There were many other setbacks before pharoah released the people.

3. David was anointed to become the king of Israel, but he experienced years of being on the run from the current king as that king sought to kill David. Eventually though David became king.

4. Mary was told by a angel that she would give birth to the Son of God. Instead of a palace she had to give birth in a manger. Instead of a life of triumph and ease she had to watch her son die on a cross. But He did rise from the grave.

I could go on and on about people in the Bible who had similar experiences. I would just like to encourage you to not give up on your God given promises. Just because things get difficult doesn't mean it won't happen. 

Here is how another person in the Bible summed up things as he was getting ready to die :

“"Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.”

Joshua 23:14

Not one word failed which God spoke. They experienced difficulties and hardships and setbacks, but God was faithful to His Word. 

May I encourage you today to let you know that God is faithful. He doesn't promise ease, but He will be faithful. Things won't happen as you think , but He is faithful. There will be setbacks ,but He is faithful. Don't give up on Him.

Troy

Grace Notes: God Loves Us At Our Worst

Grace Notes: God Loves Us At Our Worst

Life Is Short

"Life is short even in its longest days"

John Mellencamp 

The above line is a line from one of my favorite John Mellencamp songs. The first time I heard it the truth of it resonated with me. 

The Bible has many verses that talk about the brevity of life. 

“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

James 4:14

Whether you are a believer in a personal God or not you can relate to the truth that life is short. All of us can relate to the idea that playing with childhood friends or our days in High School though they may have been decades ago at time they seem just like yesterday. 

I read a quote the other day that talked about life being short and some actions we can take:

"Life is so short. Grudges are a waste of time. Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and trust God with what you cannot change."

Glenn Burris 

In my 20 some years of ministry I am constantly amazed at how many people I run into who are holding grudges. Some are short, some have been holding these grudges for years. Yet, they can't see that it's not accomplishing anything good in their lives. Most of them don't see the damage that it is doing to their lives and others who are close to them. 

Laugh, apologize, and trust God I believe is some good advice to follow with our time we have been given. 

Let me sum all this up by saying that since life is short let's be encouraged to choose our actions wisely with the time we have been given. Let's enjoy life and not waste our time with actions that in the long run really don't bring anything good into our lives. 

Troy