I Choose Today

After fifty episodes and a full season together, it feels fitting to pause and reflect on where God has led us.

Over the past several episodes, we have walked through one of the most foundational truths of the Christian life — identity.

Because everything changes when we understand who we are in Christ.

When we don’t know who we are, we strive.

We compare.

We perform.

We try to earn what has already been given.

But when identity settles into our hearts, something shifts.

We stop striving…

and we begin living.

In this season, we explored what it means to:

• Receive our identity instead of carving it
• Rest in being loved and secure
• Live from acceptance instead of striving for approval
• Walk in favor rather than labor
• Understand what it means to be image-bearers
• Reflect Christ in everyday life
• Carry His name into the world

This episode brings all of those truths together.

Because identity is not something we understand once and move on from.

It’s something we grow into.

And each day, we are invited to live from who we already are in Christ.

Loved.

Chosen.

Accepted.

Secure.

Children of God.

When identity settles in our hearts, transformation follows.

And when transformation happens, Christ becomes visible in our lives.

This episode is a reflection, a reminder, and an invitation to live from identity moving forward.

Next week marks the one-year anniversary of the I Choose Today Podcast, and I would love to celebrate it with you.

For that episode, I will be answering your questions.

If there is something on your heart — about faith, identity, hearing God’s voice, or something you are walking through — I would love to hear from you.

You can submit your questions here:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @i.choose.today (DM)

Instead of asking what you need to do today, pause and ask:

“Who am I in Christ?”

Then choose to live from that truth.

Because identity is not something you achieve.

It’s something you live from.

You don’t have to become someone new.

You simply need to live from who you already are.

So today…

choose to live from your identity.

Website: ichoosetoday.org

Instagram: @i.choose.today

Email: [email protected]

Hey! I love using YouVersion, and I think you will, too. You can study God’s Word, read and watch daily devotionals, pray with friends, and more! Get it here: https://www.bible.com/app

And as always…

keep choosing today.

What does it actually mean to honor God’s name in everyday life?

Not just in prayer.

Not just in what we say.

But in how we live.

In this episode, we take a deeper look at what it means to carry God’s name into the world—not as pressure, but as a reflection of who we already are in Christ.

From the beginning, we were created as image-bearers—designed to reflect God’s character into the world. Through Jesus, that reflection is being restored. And through the Holy Spirit, our everyday lives become the place where His character becomes visible.

This isn’t about striving to represent God perfectly.

It’s about living from identity.

Because we don’t represent Him to earn His love…

We represent Him because we belong to Him.

• What it means to be created in the image of God
• How the image was distorted—but not erased
• Jesus as the perfect image of God
• Transformation through the Holy Spirit
• What it means to be an ambassador for Christ
• How we reflect God in ordinary, everyday moments
• Why honoring God’s name is lived—not just spoken

• Genesis 1:27
• Matthew 6:9
• 2 Corinthians 3:18
• 2 Corinthians 5:20
• Colossians 1:15
• 1 Corinthians 11:1
• 2 Peter 1:5–7

The I Choose Today Podcast is coming up on its one-year anniversary, and I would love to celebrate it with you.

For that episode, I will be answering your questions.

You can ask about:

• Faith
• Identity in Christ
• Hearing God’s voice
• Something you are walking through
• Or anything from a past episode

I would truly love to hear what is on your heart.

Submit your question here:

• Instagram:@i.choose.today
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082739117458
• Email: [email protected]

Before you begin your day, pause and pray:

“Lord, help me represent You well today.”

Not perfectly.

But intentionally.

Let His patience, kindness, humility, and love be visible in the ordinary moments of your life.

You were created in His image.

You were invited to reflect His character.

And you carry His name into the world.

So today…

choose to represent Him well.

Hey! I love using YouVersion, and I think you will, too. You can study God’s Word, read and watch daily devotionals, pray with friends, and more! Get it here: https://www.bible.com/app

If this episode spoke to you, consider:

• Sharing it with a friend
• Leaving a review
• Sending it to someone who may need encouragement

And as always…

keep choosing today.

Have you ever heard a lyric in a worship song that sounded beautiful… but made you pause and wonder what it actually looks like in real life?

We often talk about glorifying God, but what does that actually mean outside of Sunday morning worship? What does it look like on a Tuesday—in the ordinary moments of everyday life?

In this episode, Mo explores a simple but powerful truth: glorifying God is simply reflecting Christ.

Using the imagery of a mirror, she explains how the Holy Spirit transforms our hearts so that the character of Jesus becomes visible in our lives. When love, patience, kindness, humility, and faith begin showing up in our everyday interactions, the reflection of Christ becomes clear—and God receives the glory.

This episode will encourage you to see that glorifying God isn’t about doing something extraordinary. It’s about allowing the character of Jesus to be reflected in the ordinary moments of your life.

• Glorifying God isn’t just something we sing about—it’s something we live.
• Our lives are like mirrors that reflect what we are facing.
• The Holy Spirit transforms our hearts so the reflection of Christ becomes clearer.
• The fruit of the Spirit reveals the character of Jesus to the world.
• Every ordinary moment is an opportunity to reflect Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:31

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

2 Corinthians 3:18

“And we all… are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory.”

Galatians 5:22–23

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Matthew 5:16

“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Before you begin your day, pause and ask the Holy Spirit one simple question:

“Lord, help me reflect You today.”

Look for the ordinary moments where His character can shine through your life—through patience, kindness, humility, and love.

Every time the character of Jesus shows up in your life, the mirror reflects Him… and God is glorified.

“Glorifying God is simply reflecting Christ.”

If this episode encouraged you, consider sharing it with a friend who could use a reminder that faith is lived out in the ordinary moments of life.

Visit ichoosetoday.org for more encouragement, blog posts, and podcast episodes designed to help you live out your faith one intentional choice at a time.

Hey! I love using YouVersion, and I think you will, too. You can study God’s Word, read and watch daily devotionals, pray with friends, and more!

Get it here: https://www.bible.com/app

In this episode of the I Choose Today podcast, we continue our Identity series by returning to the beginning — to the foundational truth that shapes everything else: we were created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:27 tells us that humanity was created in God’s image, and that what He made was “very good.” Before performance, before reputation, before failure or success, God declared inherent dignity over His creation. That declaration still echoes today.

But when doubt about God’s goodness entered the story in Eden, something shifted. The image was not erased, but it was distorted. Instead of reflecting God outward, humanity turned inward in self-protection and insecurity. The mirror became clouded — not destroyed.

In this episode, we explore what it means to be an image bearer in a world shaped by distortion. We talk about how self-deprecation and self-criticism can quietly contradict what God has declared. Sometimes what feels like humility is actually disagreement with our Creator.

Drawing from 1 John 3, we are reminded that God is greater than our worried hearts. His declaration over us is stronger than our internal criticism. Being made in His image means our worth was established before our performance.

We also consider what it means that every person we encounter bears God’s image. Even when the reflection is clouded by hurt or sin, the inherent dignity remains. Seeing others as sacred image bearers changes how we speak, correct, forgive, and love.

Colossians 1:15 tells us that Jesus is the perfect image of the invisible God. Through Him, the distorted mirror is restored. As 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, we are being transformed into His image from one degree of glory to another. This restoration is not forced — it is formed as we behold Him.

Today’s Step:

Pay attention to how you speak about yourself — especially internally. When self-deprecating thoughts surface, pause and ask: “Is this aligned with what my Creator says?” Invite the Lord to help you see yourself — and others — as sacred image bearers.

Key Scriptures:

Genesis 1:26–27

Genesis 1:31

1 John 3:18–20

Colossians 1:15

2 Corinthians 3:18

Zephaniah 3:17

Ending Takeaway:

You were created very good. The image was not erased — it is being restored. Remember who you are.

In this episode of the I Choose Today Podcast, we continue our Identity in Christ series by exploring the difference between favor and labor.

Many of us have been conditioned to believe that blessing follows effort and that closeness with God must be maintained through performance. But Scripture reveals a different reality. Favor is not something we earn. Favor flows from our identity as those who belong to Christ.

In Luke 2, we see that Jesus grew in favor with God — not because He was earning approval, but because He lived fully rooted in His identity as the Beloved Son. Favor did not begin with His labor. It began with His identity.

Favor with God is not about preferential treatment or circumstantial ease. Favor is the presence of God resting on your life. It is the assurance that you belong to Him, that His hand is upon you, and that His purposes are working through you.

In Exodus 33, Moses makes it clear that favor is not about outcomes, but about God’s presence. He tells the Lord that he does not want to move forward without Him. This reveals that favor is not about what God gives, but about God Himself going with us.

The apostle Paul reinforces this truth in 1 Corinthians 15:10, explaining that grace defined who he was, and his labor flowed from that grace — not to earn it, but because of it. Favor is not the reward for labor. Favor is the source of it.

Psalm 90 further shows that favor establishes the work of our hands. We do not labor so favor will come. Favor comes, and God establishes what He has called us to do.

When we understand favor correctly, pressure lifts. We stop striving to prove ourselves and begin living from the security of belonging.

Today’s Step:

Notice where you feel pressure to prove something. Pause and remind yourself: “I am not laboring for favor. I am living from favor.” Ask God to help you trust what He has already given instead of striving to earn it.

Key Scriptures:

Luke 2:52

Matthew 3:17

Exodus 33:14–17

1 Corinthians 15:10

Psalm 90:17

Ephesians 1:6

Ending Takeaway:

Favor is not the reward for your effort. It is the presence of God resting on your life because you belong to Him.

In this episode of the I Choose Today Podcast, we continue our Identity in Christ series by exploring a truth many of us struggle to fully live from:

There is a difference between being accepted and seeking approval.

Approval is performance-based.

Acceptance is position-based.

Many of us say we believe we are saved by grace, yet we quietly live as though we must continue proving our worth—to God, to others, and even to ourselves.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The subtle ways approval-seeking shapes our spiritual lives

• How performance can masquerade as devotion

• The difference between laboring for worth and living from worth

• What it means to be accepted “in the Beloved”

• Union with Christ and why our acceptance is positional, not probationary

• Adoption as identity, not achievement

• How living accepted changes the way we work, serve, and obey

Mo shares part of her personal journey of striving for approval through academic and career achievement, and how God used a quiet “in-between” season to heal her heart and re-anchor her identity in being His beloved daughter.

Scripture references include:

Ephesians 1:6

Romans 5:1–2

Romans 8:15

John 1:12

Matthew 3:17

Today’s Step:

Notice where you are still trying to prove something. Pause and ask God, “Am I living from acceptance, or striving for approval?” Then choose one small act of obedience this week that flows from gratitude, not pressure.

Ending Takeaway:

You are not working to be accepted.

You are living from acceptance.

Your value was set at the cross.

In this episode of the Identity series, we explore one of the most stabilizing truths of who we are in Christ: we are securely loved. After learning that our identity is received, that we can rest from striving, and that we are chosen and known, the question many hearts still carry is whether God’s love will last. Scripture reveals that love is not something God turns on and off — it is who He is. Through 1 John 4, 1 Corinthians 13, Romans 8, and John 10, this episode shows what God’s love toward us actually looks like and how that secure love drives out fear.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• What it means that “God is love” (1 John 4:8)
• How 1 Corinthians 13 describes God’s love toward you
• Why perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18)
• The difference between emotional distance and relational distance
• Why many of us struggle to trust secure love
• What it feels like to begin living as someone securely loved

Key Truth from This Episode:

God’s love is not fragile or performance-based. It flows from His unchanging nature, and nothing can separate us from that love in Christ.

Signature Line:

“You don’t have to hold onto God. He is holding onto you.”

Scripture References:

1 John 4:8

1 John 4:18

1 John 4:19

1 Corinthians 13

Romans 8:38–39

John 10:27–29

What Living Securely Loved Looks Like:

• Coming to God sooner instead of hiding
• Less spiraling in shame
• Praying honestly instead of carefully
• Trusting that His heart toward you has not shifted
• Obedience flowing from security, not fear

Today’s Step:

When you notice fear that you’ve disappointed God, pause and say:

“His love for me has not shifted.”

Then come to Him honestly instead of withdrawing.

Study God’s Word with Me:

Hey! I love using YouVersion, and I think you will, too. You can study God’s Word, read and watch daily devotionals, pray with friends, and more.

Get it here: https://www.bible.com/app

In this episode of the Identity series, we explore one of the most personal and healing truths of who we are in Christ: we are chosen and known by God. After learning to receive identity and rest from striving, the next question many hearts carry is whether we truly belong. Scripture reveals that we were fully known and intentionally chosen before we ever tried to prove ourselves. Through biblical truth and the story of Hagar — the woman who encountered “the God who sees me” — this episode reminds us that we are not overlooked, forgotten, or barely tolerated in God’s family. We are wanted.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• What it means that God knows you personally (Psalm 139)
• How being chosen in Christ is rooted in love, not performance (Ephesians 1:4–5)
• The story of Hagar and the God who sees (Genesis 16; Genesis 21)
• Why feeling unseen in life can make this truth difficult to believe
• How identity in Christ is secure before calling or usefulness (Jeremiah 1:5)
• What it feels like to live as someone known and wanted by God

Key Truth from This Episode:

God’s knowledge of you is compassionate and complete, and His choosing of you is intentional and secure. You are not an afterthought in His story. You belong in His heart.

Signature Line:

“You are not tolerated in God’s family — you are wanted.”

Scripture References:

Psalm 139

Ephesians 1:4–5

Genesis 16:7

Genesis 21:17–19

Jeremiah 1:5

What Being Known and Chosen Feels Like:

• Not having to perform to keep God’s attention
• Being seen in weakness without losing your place
• Coming to God honestly, not rehearsed
• Belonging without auditioning
• Resting in a love that is not reconsidering you

Today’s Step:

Ask God, “Where in my life do I still feel unseen or overlooked?”

Bring that place into His presence and invite Him to remind you that you are known and chosen.

Closing Prayer Summary:

A prayer asking God to help us believe we are chosen in love, to heal places that still feel unseen, and to rest in the security of being known and wanted by Him.

Study God’s Word with Me:

Hey! I love using YouVersion, and I think you will, too. You can study God’s Word, read and watch daily devotionals, pray with friends, and more.

Get it here: https://www.bible.com/app

In this third episode of the Identity series, we move from receiving identity to living from identity. Many believers say they trust grace, yet still live as though God is grading them. This episode addresses the hidden striving many of us carry in our spiritual lives — the quiet pressure to prove we are serious, consistent, or worthy.

Jesus’ words, “It is finished,” change everything. Through Scripture and personal reflection, Mo explores the difference between effort and striving, and what it truly means to rest in Christ’s completed work. This conversation invites listeners to lay down performance-based faith and step into the peace, security, and relational rest God offers.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• How striving can disguise itself as devotion
• The difference between serving from rest and serving to reach rest
• What Jesus meant when He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30)
• Why salvation and identity are gifts, not achievements (Ephesians 2:8–9)
• The meaning of God’s rest in Hebrews 4
• The difference between effort (love responding) and striving (fear performing)
• What rest in Christ actually feels like in everyday life

Key Truth from This Episode:

Identity in Christ frees us from self-justification. We are not working toward acceptance with God — we live from acceptance already secured through Jesus.

Signature Line:

“We don’t build on striving. We build on grace.”

What Rest in Christ Feels Like:

• Shoulders dropping
• Praying without trying to impress God
• Serving without needing recognition
• Sitting quietly with the Lord without rehearsing failures
• Trusting that God’s love has not shifted

Today’s Step:

When you catch yourself thinking, “I should be doing more” or “I’m not doing enough,” pause. Take one breath and say:

“Jesus already finished what I could never complete.”

Then ask God, “Where am I still striving instead of resting in Your finished work?”

Closing Prayer:

Father God,

Thank You that the work of salvation is not resting on my shoulders. Thank You that Jesus finished what I could never complete. Forgive me for the ways I still try to prove myself. Teach me to live from acceptance instead of striving toward it. Help me rest in Your grace and trust that what You have done is truly enough.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Study God’s Word with Me:

Hey! I love using YouVersion, and I think you will, too. You can study God’s Word, read and watch daily devotionals, pray with friends, and more.

Get it here: https://www.bible.com/app

In this second episode of the Identity series, we move from why receiving is hard to how we actually learn to receive. Mo shares a personal story from her teenage years that revealed her struggle to accept even simple compliments — a struggle that mirrors how many of us approach God’s grace.

This episode explores what we truly receive in Christ — His rest, His glory, and intimate relationship — and why learning to receive is not just for our own healing, but essential to loving others well. As Jesus said, “Freely you have received; freely give.” If we have not learned to receive freely from God, we will struggle to give freely to others.

This is an invitation to stop striving, rest in Christ’s finished work, and practice opening the door of your heart to receive what God has already given.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• Mo’s personal story about learning to take a compliment
• What it means to receive Christ’s finished work rather than strive
• Why receiving is relational, not transactional (John 1:12)
• What we receive in Christ: His rest, His glory, and intimate relationship
• Why receiving is difficult — and holy
• How “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8) shapes our ability to love others

Key Takeaway:

Learning to receive is not just about your own healing — it shapes how you love, serve, and give to others. We receive freely so that we can give freely.

Signature Truth from This Episode:

“My identity is not something I achieve — it’s something I receive in Christ.”

Today’s Step:

Practice opening the door to receive one small gift today — a compliment, help, kindness, or even a quiet moment of rest. Resist the urge to deflect or return it. Simply say, “Thank you.”

Later, ask God:

“Where am I still working instead of resting in Your finished work?”

Closing Prayer:

Father God,

We confess that receiving can be hard for us. Sometimes we are more comfortable striving than resting, and more willing to work than trust.

Thank You that Your love is safe. Thank You that Your gifts are freely given. Thank You that Your finished work is enough.

Teach us how to receive — not just with our minds, but with our hearts. Help us open the door when You knock. Help us rest in what You have already done and live from Your grace instead of our effort.

We surrender our striving to You today and choose to receive Your peace, Your presence, and Your love.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Study God’s Word with Me:

Hey! I love using YouVersion, and I think you will, too. You can study God’s Word, read and watch daily devotionals, pray with friends, and more.

Get it here: https://www.bible.com/app