0 Wholesome, God-centered Self-image

How you view yourself and your confession will determine your destiny.  God has great plans for your life, but you must cooperate with Him by seeing you as God sees you.  You must believe in you like God believes in you.  The following are suggestions for you to think on and confess to achieve a wholesome, God-centered self image:

1. I know God created me, and He loves me.  See Psalm 139:13-16; Psalm 103:2-5; I John 4:10.

2. I have faults and weaknesses, and I want to change.  I believe God is working in my life.  He is changing me bit by bit, day by day.  While He is doing so, I can still enjoy myself and my life.  See Romans 7:14-25; Hebrews 4:14-16.

3. Everyone has faults, so I am not a complete failure just because I am not perfect.  See the lives of

Jesus’ disciples Peter and John.

4. I am going to work with God to overcome my weaknesses, but I realize that I will always have something to deal with; therefore, I will not become discouraged when God convicts me of areas in my life that need improvement.  See Philippians 3:12-14.

5. I want to make people happy and have them like me, but my sense of worth is not dependent on what others think of me.  Jesus has already affirmed my value by His willingness to die for me.  My confidence should be in God.  See Jeremiah 1:5; Jeremiah 17:7.

6. I will not be controlled by what people think, say or do.  Even if they totally reject me, I will survive.  God has promised never to reject me or condemn me as long as I keep believing.  See Proverbs 29:25; John 6:29.

7. No matter how often I fail, I will not give up, because God is with me to strengthen and sustain me.  He has promised never to leave me or forsake me.  See Isaiah 41:9-14; Hebrews 13:5.

8. I like myself.  I don’t like everything I do, and I want to change, but I refuse to reject myself.

9. I am right with God through Jesus Christ.  See II Corinthians 5:17, 21.

10. God has a good plan for my life.  I am going to fulfill my destiny and be all I can be for His glory.  I have God-given gifts and talents, and I intend to use them to help others.  Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 49:1, 14-16, 23.

11. I can do all things I need to do, everything that God calls me to do, through His son Jesus Christ.  See Philippians 4:12, 13.

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0 How Do You Know What God Wants You to Do?

This past Sunday we ministered again in two services to the youth at Faith Fellowship Church in Wirtz, Virginia.  We spoke in part on discerning God's purpose for your life.  As we have written here before, not only did God create you to have a personal relationship with Him, there is something that God desires to accomplish that made your existence necessary and valuable.  Your purpose caused you to be born.  God has an assignment in mind that made you essential.  No one else can do it just the way you can do it.

But the question remains, how do you know what God wants you to do?  The answer is contained in Philippians 2:13:

[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

This scripture makes clear that God puts the desire in your heart for what He wants you to do.  Yes, it is that simple.  It can be identified through your natural desires and what you sense as your inherent assignment in life.  There is an awesome sense of destiny placed by God deep inside every human being.  There are several questions that you can ask yourself to help discover this purpose:

What is my deepest desire?  What am I truly passionate about?  What ideas are persistent in my heart and thoughts?  What do I constantly imagine myself doing?   What would bring me the greatest fulfillment?  What would I do for no money or other compensation?  What would I rather be doing besides my current job?  What would I do if I knew I could not fail?

Many people on earth are frustrated, depressed, or disillusioned every day because they go to jobs that are not what they were born to do.  Trying to be what you weren’t born to be is likely the most frustrating experience you could have.  When you know you are doing something that you were not born to do, you will feel irritated in your current job.  You will not feel comfortable in it.  You will strive hard like trying to push a large rock up a steep hill.  You will achieve few results, or, even if you are successful, you will lack the deep sense of satisfaction you would receive doing what God intended for you to do.

Just the opposite is true when you find your purpose in life.  If you are doing what God intended for you, you will be highly successful.  You will have fun while doing it, or, if not always fun, you experience a deep sense of satisfaction from it.  The activity will be natural to you because God has equipped you with the gifts, talents, and abilities to do what He has purposed for you.  Note in the verse above that it not only states that God gives you the desire to do His will, but the power.  This is what Paul meant when he said that he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him (Philippians 4:13).

We encourage you today to reflect on what you are doing in life.  If you are not where you should be, make the adjustments to get back on track.  The good news is that “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).  He will help you because He needs you for a specific assignment.  You are essential to God’s plan.  Only you can do what God has planned to do through you.  You are blessed and highly favored friends!

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0 You Are Not Just a Number to God

Have you ever thought to yourself “what difference does my life make to God?”  Have you ever wondered how a God so big could or would know you personally?  Have you ever felt like just a number among the many followers of Jesus Christ?  Have you ever thought “does God really pay attention to me?”  I think we all have at one time or another.  Maybe you have been waiting on something from God and it seems that He is uninterested.  Or maybe you have experienced loss or a tragedy and wondered if God was even paying attention.

I assure you today that indeed God does know your name and is very concerned about your life.  The Bible says in Matthew 10:30 that God has numbered the very hairs of your head.  He knows every intimate detail of your life, heart, and desires and is very concerned about you living an abundant, fulfilled life.

I was reading in the book of Isaiah the other day and came across a passage that the Holy Spirit had me stop and ponder.  Referring to God’s people who were oppressed and struggling, it says: “In all their distress, He too was distressed, and the angel of His presence saved them.”  Isaiah 63:9.  God wanted me to understand and now I communicate it to you, that when you hurt, God hurts too.  When you experience loss and tragedy, God mourns with you.  When you have a godly desire, God desires that it be fulfilled.  Jesus said in John 10:10 that “I have come that they might have life, and life to the full.”

You do matter to God.  God created you to have a personal relationship with Him.  He desires intimacy with you like a father with a child.  And ever more, there is something that God desires to accomplish that made your existence necessary and valuable.  Your purpose caused you to be born.  God has an assignment in mind that made you essential.  Thus, be of good cheer today.  You are important.  You are thought of.  You are loved.

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