GDLC Audio

It’s no secret that everyone feels better when we’re grateful, but ingratitude is difficult to see in yourself. We believe thanksgiving should feel authentic, not forced when it’s insincere. Yet too often we let dissatisfaction weigh us down. We can justify our bad attitudes, why we deserve better for our life, but the truth is there’s no moving forward without gratitude. Thanksgiving is the truth, that life is more about what we’ve received than what we’ve achieved. It takes a village to make us who we are, and gratitude frees us. Will we choose to be thankful even on the days when we don’t feel it, and let the truth set us free this Thanksgiving? Because the perspective of all of what God has done for us is beyond what we could ever ask or imagine. May we give thanks to the Lord for He is good, because no matter your circumstances, His love endures forever! 

If you asked people today what it means to find true freedom, the answers always seem to point back to you. “Love yourself.” “Treat yourself.” “Take care of yourself.” “Believe in yourself.” But if we can be prisoners of our own struggles, like anxiety, and addiction, and despair, are we really the answer to setting ourselves free? To dig a little deeper behind our belief in self-fulfillment: is happiness what life is all about? While it’s natural for parents to want happiness for their children, God wants holiness for you and for me. Instead of fitting in, God calls us to stand out, we are wholly fulfilled in Him. Have you discovered the freedom of abiding in His love? Because holiness is “Christ in me”.  

If you asked people today what it means to find true freedom, the answers always seem to point back to you. “Love yourself.” “Treat yourself.” “Take care of yourself.” “Believe in yourself.” But if we can be prisoners of our own struggles, like anxiety, and addiction, and despair, are we really the answer to setting ourselves free? To dig a little deeper behind our belief in self-fulfillment: is happiness what life is all about? While it’s natural for parents to want happiness for their children, God wants holiness for you and for me. Instead of fitting in, God calls us to stand out, we are wholly fulfilled in Him. Have you discovered the freedom of abiding in His love? Because holiness is “Christ in me”.  

The days that we’re living in are called “the age of anxiety”, where people are crippled with worry and fear. While people boast on social media the best versions of themselves, inside we feel that we’re never enough. There’s always someone prettier, there’s always someone more successful, someone more confident, someone more powerful, everyone else seems to be competent on their own. No matter how hard we try, deep down we feel a void. We can be afraid to admit that we need help, that we’re not enough. When God calls you to stand strong, it’s about freedom, not pretending. He never created us for the purpose of making it on our own. Are we living for the goal of independence, or will we find freedom in trusting where He leads? Because true strength depends on the One who cares for you.  

The days that we’re living in are called “the age of anxiety”, where people are crippled with worry and fear. While people boast on social media the best versions of themselves, inside we feel that we’re never enough. There’s always someone prettier, there’s always someone more successful, someone more confident, someone more powerful, everyone else seems to be competent on their own. No matter how hard we try, deep down we feel a void. We can be afraid to admit that we need help, that we’re not enough. When God calls you to stand strong, it’s about freedom, not pretending. He never created us for the purpose of making it on our own. Are we living for the goal of independence, or will we find freedom in trusting where He leads? Because true strength depends on the One who cares for you.  

How many of us feel the need to describe ourselves as “busy”? That even though it may be true of your schedule, is it a defining characteristic of who you’re proud to be? “I’m the kind of person who’s busy!” We live in a world that celebrates efficiency, where productivity is value number one. But have we become products of performance, where we’re addicted to achievement? Does what we do tell us who we are? Too often we listen for freedom in the approval of our accomplishments, but the God of the universe claims He knit you together - His Word should tell you who you are. The road to freedom doesn’t begin with our doing, but “being still and knowing He is God.”  

How many of us feel the need to describe ourselves as “busy”? That even though it may be true of your schedule, is it a defining characteristic of who you’re proud to be? “I’m the kind of person who’s busy!” We live in a world that celebrates efficiency, where productivity is value number one. But have we become products of performance, where we’re addicted to achievement? Does what we do tell us who we are? Too often we listen for freedom in the approval of our accomplishments, but the God of the universe claims He knit you together - His Word should tell you who you are. The road to freedom doesn’t begin with our doing, but “being still and knowing He is God.”