Richard Ellis Talks

Scripture tells us that God made us on purpose, by design, just the way we are. From the moment we became life in the womb, He had plans for us, and He's faithful to fulfill those plans no matter what detours we take along the way. He knows us completely and loves us more than anyone else could -- and when He calls us to protect others, it's our job to submit ourselves in obedience and stand up for the value of human life.

God is calling you and me to make a difference -- not an excuse! We've been put in place to carry out His work for His glory, knowing it has eternal impact on the lives of those around us. Instead of looking for reasons why He can't or shouldn't use us, we should be seeking out the purpose He wants to see fulfilled in us and through us.

The more sand that's fallen from the hourglass of our life, the more clearly we can see through it. That's why it's better for us to decide early on that we're going to let our time be used by God, rather than wait until our time is up and our life expires. The Lord alone has already determined the length of our days; it's our job to submit to His will and let Him use that time in whatever way He sees fit.

One of the most important steps we have to take once we choose to follow Jesus is tune our ears to listen for His voice. As we go through each day, He'll lead us to specific action, and our job is to hear and respond, no matter how crazy a prompt it might seem. The more time we spend in relationship with Him, the more we'll find ourselves moving in instinctive obedience to the things He calls us to do.

God loves us so much that He literally gave up His own Son to get us into His family. And as members of His family, the people He cares about should become the people we care about, too. When He lives inside us, He changes our hearts to care for the poor, the widows, the orphaned, the imprisoned, and every other person who He calls His beloved child.

To prostrate ourselves before the Lord is to humble ourselves and submit to His will above our own. Jesus warned us that we must deny ourselves and take up our crosses if we want to follow Him. In order to obey that command, we have to be willing to commit to going where He leads us -- no matter what suffering it may involve.

There's a saying that goes, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." And while that might sound like a bit of a cliché, there's truth in those words! We serve a God who came down in person to live and love among us here on earth before He ultimately died for our sins. In the same way, people feel valued when we show up in their lives, in person, to journey with them through life's ups and downs -- and when we do that, it opens the door for us to share God's love with them.

God had a purpose for the lives of Jacob and Esau, and even when they got in the way of themselves, nothing they did could ultimately change His plan. Our number one goal should be to live in such a way that it pleases God, but for those times when we inevitably screw up, there's good news: He can take any mess in our lives and use it for His glory.

Did you know that as followers of Christ, we're not "only" human? We have the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit inside us! And that means even though we're prone to being tempted, God's given us all the tools we need to resist temptation and overcome sin so we can live a godly life.

There's a reason that Scripture focuses so much on the name of Jesus. It's because there is no other name that carries power and authority on earth and in heaven -- and when we use His power in His name, we bring Him glory and honor.