One of the benefits of adding years to your life is that you really do learn a few things along the way—life lessons, if you will. So, I want to pass along ten life lessons I’ve learned, and perhaps they may be helpful to you.

Life Lesson No. 1: When you are not sure what to do, just take the next small step.

You know, life is full of turning points, small and large—times when you have to make a decision and you’re not sure about it. I’m not talking about black and white decisions, things that are clearly right or wrong. But other decisions like: Should I look for a new job or not? Should I offer to give this person some money? Is it time to sell my house?

Of course, prayer is our first order of business when we’re faced with decisions, and it’s always helpful to seek advice from trusted advisors. But I’ve often found that if I take the next small step and then see where that leads, I can usually tell whether it is the right thing or not. And sometimes I discover there really is no next small step; I would have to push and shove and maneuver to get to that next step. That’s always a red flag for me that says, “Slow down; make sure this is a good step to take.”

I think many people park-out at the starting line, thinking about what they might do, wanting to do something, but because of fear or double-mindedness, they never move. James says that a double-minded person is unstable in all her ways. Double-mindedness is that state of mind where you go back and forth and back and forth, but you never move forward! So, don’t be afraid to take that first step and see where it leads.

Life Lesson No. 2: Live in today rather than yesterday or tomorrow.

Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). Most of our stress and depression comes because we live either in the past, with regrets and anger, or we live in fear of the future. God gives us the strength to cope with today, but we keep adding on the past and the future and wonder why we can’t make it!

Yesterday is gone. You can’t change it; you can’t make it better. In Isaiah 43 the Lord said, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:18-19a). If you continually dwell on the past, you will miss the new thing God wants to do for you. Yesterday is over; let it go.

Tomorrow never comes. Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday! Fear of the future will absolutely stop you from the good things God has for you.

So, pray daily that you will live in the present, and then you’ll have the strength to make it through. It’s a matter of changing your attitude and your thought patterns.

It's very easy for any of us to fall into a trap of comparing ourselves to other people. We see it all around us, especially on our jobs. But the consequences can be devastating, and sinful as well.

Usually when we compare ourselves to others, we come to one of three conclusions:

First, we conclude that we're better than they are.

Or we decide that they're better than we are.

And that leads us into thinking we'd rather be them than us since they are better than we are.

Think, first of all, about the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, as given in Luke 18:9-14:

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.

We look at this Pharisee and think, "How awful!” And yet how easy it is for us to compare ourselves to others with that same type of attitude. Like the Pharisee, we compare outward appearances and end up thinking we're pretty hot stuff. That kind of comparison leads us to a false security about ourselves and it leads us into pride.

Have you noticed how insidiously pride creeps into our thinking? Have you been looking at others lately and thinking: "Well, I look better than she does," or "I perform better than he does," or "I've got more to offer than they do.” When you make these kinds of comparisons, the sin of pride is taking over your mind. Jesus said at the end of this parable: "For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:14b).

Listen to yourself think and talk and see how often you compare yourself to others and end up feeling pretty proud of yourself. It's a very dangerous road to be on. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians that they should consider others more important than themselves. That's the attitude we need to have toward others.

What I find is particularly prevalent among business people is that they compare their positions and our salaries, and think they’re more important than others because they’ve climbed the ladder higher or gotten another raise. Certainly, that's one of the real dangers we face if we are ambitious—the sin of pride in thinking that we're better than others because we've got a bigger salary or a better title.

Remember that in eternity those titles and salaries will have no meaning. Everything we are and have are gifts from God to us. We truly can take no credit for our abilities or accomplishments. Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers:

For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? (1 Corinthians 4:7).

So, that’s one deadly result of the sin of comparison—we think we’re better than others. Secondly, comparing ourselves to others can lead us to think that others are better than us. Consider the parable of the talents that Jesus gave us (Matthew 25:14-28). Before leaving on a long trip, the Master gives three servants certain talents, or resources. One servant received five talents, one two, and the third servant received only one talent.

When the master returned, he asked each of them to give an account of what they had done with those resources. The first servant reported that his five talents w...

Presented by Lisa Bishop

It’s easy to try to get our identity from all the wrong places rather than from the very of truth of God. And when it comes to identity, we can get hyper-focused on ourselves when we were created to fix our eyes on Jesus.

During my quiet time I found myself meditating on a familiar passage in 1 Peter. As a bit of background, the apostle Peter is writing this letter to God’s elect. Strangers in the world (those who look out of place to the world because they do not follow its customs) who God chose before creation for “obedience to Jesus Christ.” In other words, Peter is penning this letter to believers like you and me. Men and women who have been born again. Those called to a living hope in Jesus and to be a living hope displaying Jesus to a corrupt world that denies Him with its evil practices. Much like the world we are living in today.

Peter is essentially saying, “don’t follow the world, obey the Word and set yourself apart.” And that is where we come to 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

As I read this passage these words came to mind, “It’s not about you.” Let me explain. While it is absolutely essential that you are confident in your identity in Christ, the reason that God has set you apart and made you holy is to reveal his glory.

You are chosen, holy and fully possessed by God in order that you proclaim the name of Jesus with your life. And if you are not living from your identity in him, people around you will miss out on experiencing Jesus in you. You are the Imago Dei. You reveal Christ to a world in desperate need of hope.

It’s not about you. It’s about Jesus.

What if you lived out your calling as an ambassador for Christ. Sharing your testimony of how God called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, displaying hope to your neighbors, coworkers, kids, and the cashier at the grocery store.

This does not mean you will live a perfect life but a credible life as one following after the heart of God. How will you stand firm in your identity in him and declaring his praise to those around you?

Presented by Lisa Bishop

Has anyone ever said something hurtful about you that you had a hard time shaking loose? I want to talk about lies others have spoken about you or over you that have negatively impacted how you see yourself.

When I was growing up there was a saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” You’ve probably heard it. I don’t know who made that little jingle up but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Often, healing from painful words that have been hurled at you can be a much harder process than mending from a physical injury. Because words hurt. They wound. And if you are not careful you can internalize them and they will become part of your identity.

I will never forget coming back from summer break and entering into my second year of middle school. As if middle school was not brutal enough, living through the awkward phases and just having an overall feeling of insecurity, what one of the 8th grade boys said to me stuck with me for a long time. He looked across the cafeteria and shouted, “Hey, Bishop, you actually kind of look good this year.” Needless to say, I was mortified. I am not certain of the full intention of his words but this is what I heard when his words thundered across the room, “Hey Lisa, you were really ugly and unattractive last year but this year you're not so bad.” Let’s just say that is not something an already self-conscious 8th grade girl wants to hear. I still remember his words 40 years later like it was yesterday. Thankfully they no longer have an impact on me, but they did for years. I internalized his view of me and allowed them to feed into my insecurity and inform my identity. Ugly. Not chosen. Overlooked. Undesirable. I know it may seem silly now, but the reality is, words sting. And if you are not fully grounded in your identity in Jesus, people’s careless words can stick to you like glue and you will start believing they are true.

What hateful, harsh, or harming words have been spoken over you and into your life? Maybe they were reckless words released from a parent, teacher, boss, spouse, or friend. What has someone said to you that you have consciously or unconsciously taken in as truth? What lies have you let settle in that have impacted the way you see yourself and are not in alignment with what God says about you? It takes intentionality to name the lies and rehearse the truth. And the truth is you are made in God’s image as Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

And Psalm 139:13-14: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful.” The bigger picture here is knowing who God is and he does not make mistakes. What words need healing from Jesus? Bring them to the cross, release them to Jesus, rebuke them and rehearse what is true. Release. Rebuke. Rehearse. Thank God for who he is and how he has made you.

Presented by Lisa Bishop

Are you living in fear today or are you living by faith?

It can be so easy to let anxiety, worry, and fear overwhelm you when life is hard and your circumstances look bleak. Whether it’s a job loss or negative performance review, you’ve been blindsided by a breakup, your kids are wayward, or your marriage is on the brinks--there is no end to the list of concerns that can consume you on a daily basis and it can be easy to slip into worry and fear of the future.

I read a quote the other day that stood out to me. It said, “The antidote of fear is the presence of God.” The definition of antidote is, “an agent that counteracts a poison.” If you think about it, fear is a poison. It aims to pollute your mind, cloud your vision, and destroy your hope. To cancel out fear, remember that as a follower of Jesus, you cohabitate with God! He is omnipresent which means his presence is everywhere. He never leaves you, He is always with you, Jesus is always by your side. The problem is when we fret, we forget.

When your mind gets caught in the hamster wheel of worry it will take intentionality to turn your thoughts to God and remember his presence.

It reminds me of Psalm 23. The Psalmist in his deep distress declares, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me” (Psalm 23:4 NLT). Sometimes we just want the difficulties in life to go away. I've got some bad news for you. It doesn’t. But the good news is that we have hope in the darkness and his name is Jesus!

In the midst of darkness, the Psalmist remembers the presence of God and it is a reminder and encouragement for you to do the same. I know that you do not always feel God’s presence so that can cause you to doubt his nearness. But this is where you can’t allow your feelings to inform your faith, but instead determine to focus on what is true. Snap yourself out of your distress and direct your attention to the prescription for peace found in Philippians 4:6-7:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

When you feel distress trying to take up residence in your mind, instead of giving into fear, fight back with prayer. Don’t let anxiety win. Start praising God. Thank him that he is near. Thank him for his peace and presence. One of my favorite worship songs is, “Raise a Hallelujah.” I crank it up when I need a reminder to praise in the midst of the darkness. Let these lyrics be your anthem in the worries of life.

 

“I raise a hallelujah, with everything inside of me

I raise a hallelujah, I will watch the darkness flee

I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody.

I raise a hallelujah, fear you lost your hold on me!”

Presented by Lisa Bishop

Are you living a transformed life in Jesus Christ?

The other day I was at my mom’s house. We got into a bit of a disagreement about something. We didn’t see eye to eye. She asked if we could talk to which I obliged but I am sorry to say that I became a bit impatient in the conversation. I reacted from my flesh and not in the fruit of the Holy Spirit. I’m guessing you can relate.

Galatians 5:22-23 says, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

The Holy Spirit kindly convicted me that I was not bearing much fruit in my response to my mom. He kindly and gently reminded me what it looks like to live from my identity in Christ. You and I are made in God’s image and his number one priority as followers of Jesus is to make us more like him. To radically transform us into his likeness. It reminds me of growing up as a kid, I looked a lot like my dad. People would always comment on how much I resembled my father. We had a lot of the same features; people knew I was my dad’s daughter. As a son or daughter of Jesus, you are meant to look like him, which means that when people see you and interact with you, they will encounter Jesus in your words, attitudes, behavior and responses.

I certainly did not take the opportunity to reflect Jesus with my mom. There will be times that you and I will miss the mark in our interactions with people because transformation is a process. A process of becoming who you already are in Christ. The important thing to consider is this. Are you making it your aim to grow more and more into the likeness of Jesus?

An increase of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life is evidence of spiritual growth and maturity. Where old patterns of reacting will be broken and an increase of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control will flow from you.

I am a work in progress and so are you. God knows that and he wants to help you as you grow in reflecting him. Remember what Romans 8:26 says, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness.”

What fruit of the Spirit is God inviting you to grow in? Take a look at the past few interactions you have had with people in your life. What flesh response does the Holy Spirit want to transform into a fruit response? Confess where you are falling short and ask God for help as you become more like him.

Presented by Lisa Bishop

Have you ever felt unqualified? That sinking feeling like you just do not measure up? Recently a friend was sharing how she had been experiencing anxiety in her job. She went from being an individual contributor to being promoted to VP and leading a team of people. Even though God had clearly opened this career door and called her into this position, her new role had induced a case of imposter syndrome.

If you have ever felt like you didn't deserve a raise, that you are not smart or qualified enough to succeed at an assignment, or that you fooled everyone when you landed a new job or position, you too have experienced imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is when you doubt your competency and ability to do your job. It’s the feeling that you don’t deserve to be in the position you are in because you are not qualified. If you have ever felt this way you are not alone. This type of self-doubt affects millions of people across various demographics and job types. Imposter syndrome messes with your identity because of the fear of inadequacy and sinking feeling of being found out to not have “what it takes.”

When I think about imposter syndrome it reminds me of Moses. In Exodus chapter 3 we read the familiar story of God revealing himself to Moses in a burning bush. This was the beginning of God’s call on Moses’s life to be the one who would bring redemption to God’s people and lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. In Exodus 3:11 we see Moses grappling with his version of imposter syndrome when in response to God’s assignment he says, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” To which God responds, “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12a). Regardless of God’s continued reassurance that he will be with Moses, equipping him and leading him every step of the way, Moses’s fear and doubt induces an endless list of rebuttals as to why he is not qualified for the position God is calling him to.

“What if they don’t believe me or listen to me?” (Exodus 4:1a).

“Pardon your servant Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10).

“Pardon Your servant Lord, please send someone else” (Exodus 4:13).

When God invites you into a new opportunity you might be tempted to let imposter syndrome cause you to shrink back and like Moses, say “Who am I?” Know that God isn’t surprised by your imposter syndrome, he just asks you to say, “Yes!” God was not sending Moses in his own strength but by the power of the Lord. God is not sending you in your own strength but inviting you to trust in and rely on him.

When God calls you into something, remember it is ultimately for his glory. You can trust him as he calls you to partner with him.

This is an incredible truth that we often just take for granted, or it’s become so familiar that we don’t grasp the depth of it. But try to focus on this—the marvelous fact that you are loved—individually and personally—by Jesus, by our Heavenly Father.

Five times in his Gospel, the Apostle John referred to himself as the one whom Jesus loves. These all occurred on the day before his crucifixion and immediately after his resurrection. For example, John writes about this scene at the cross:

John 19:26:  When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,”

And then he writes about the time when he and Peter were fishing in the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus appeared them in his resurrected body:

John 21:7: Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.

No other disciple referred to himself in that way, as the one Jesus loved. Why did John choose that description? Well, it wasn’t because he thought Jesus loved him better than anyone else. It was simply because that was his identity—an identity that was grounded in knowing that Jesus loved him. If you asked him, “Who are you?,” he would say, “I am the one Jesus loves.”

This is something I’ve talked about a good deal to the women in my church, where I served as director of women’s ministries. After studying John, we began the tradition of starting every class asking: Sisters in Christ, who are you? And they readily and heartily reply: I am the one Jesus loves. It’s a great way to encourage each other to remember who you are in Christ. If you know Jesus in a personal relationship and you’ve placed your trust in him, then you can join with us in this joyous declaration that you are the one Jesus loves. It should be your number one identity, the most important thing about you.

When Lazarus was ill, the sisters sent for Jesus and they said, “Lord, he whom you love is sick” (John 11:3). That was their approach to Jesus—they appealed on the basis that they knew Jesus loved Lazarus. They didn’t even mention his name because they knew Jesus would know who they were talking about. They were totally confident that Jesus loved Lazarus, and they appealed to him on that basis.

Maybe this should inform us in our own prayer lives. How do you approach Jesus when you pray? Do you ever pray: Lord, the one you love needs you. Or Lord, I come to you because I’m the one you love and I know you care about me. I’ve begun to do this, and it has a beautiful effect on my prayer time. You begin with your one credential, that one thing that qualifies you to present your requests to God: Lord, I’m the one you love. It establishes that family relationship you have and reminds you that your heavenly Father invites you to come into his presence with confidence and boldness and approach his throne where you’ll receive mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

What difference will it make in your everyday life if you truly bask in the daily knowledge that you are the one Jesus loves? Judah Smith writes: “People who know that Jesus loves them, who know that Jesus is with them and for them—those people can not only endure pain and loss and difficulty, they can come out the other side stronger and better people” (Jesus Is_______ pg. 159).

It will indeed get you through some tough times and cause you to be victorious. It will make you sit up straighter and hold your head up higher, not from pride or self-righteousness, but from gratitude and joy in knowing that you are the one Jesus loves. So, regardless of what’s going on around you or what other people think, you are less and less vulnerable to their opinion...

It is important for us as Christians to understand that we are each uniquely and specially made by God for good reasons. We are not mistakes; I am who I am by design of God, and you are who you are by that same eternal plan and design.

God looked at his creation, we read in Genesis, and declared that it was good! Since we're part of that creation, we can learn to accept who we are as created by God as good and right.

Now let me add that learning to accept who we are doesn't mean we give up on trying to improve. While it's true God has given me a certain type of personality, it's also true that my personality has a lot of rough edges that need polishing. We have to remember that sin has affected God's perfect creation, and so until we get to heaven, we are damaged by sin.

The Apostle Paul told us we are in the process of being conformed to the image of God's Son, Jesus Christ. So, using the personalities given to us, the gifts and abilities that have been entrusted to us by God, we are to be constantly growing into the image of Jesus.

Remember, that when you can accept yourself and believe that God has made you for special and unique purposes, then you're free. Now the person God has created starts to shine through beautifully; now you begin to see just why God made you the way you are, now you discover that there was a lot there you didn't even recognize before. God is free to work in and through you, to keep shaping you into the image of Jesus. And you're free to say, "Thank you, Jesus, you didn't make a mistake when you made me. Now, please take what you have made and use it for the purposes you intended."

If you have been trying to be someone els­e or you feel as though what you are is second-best, a mistake, I encourage you to go to God in prayer right now, as soon as possible. Confess your lack of trust in his creative abilities, ask him to forgive you, and give him permission to continue to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ for eternal and significant purposes.

If you will do that, and continue to do that each day, you're going to discover incredible and marvelous freedom, and the real you God has created will be a joy to everyone, including yourself.

Do you find yourself frequently wishing you were someone else? Do you often feel that a different personality would be much better than the one you have? Well, if that's true, then not only are you prevented from knowing and appreciating the uniqueness of who you are as created by God, but it keeps you from being able to appreciate others as well.

I know that as I've begun to learn to accept that who I am is not a mistake, but rather a plan in God's eternal purpose, I am able to look at other people with a much-changed attitude. Now those who are very different from me no longer present a threat nor cause me to feel inadequate or short-changed.

Now when I see people whose personalities and gifts I admire, I can just enjoy them for who they are. I don't have to compete with them, I don't have to feel jealous or envious, because I know that they are unique for God's purposes and so am I.

Can you see what freedom and happiness that can bring into your life, when you are able to appreciate who you are? You are free from that foreboding sense that something is wrong with you; you are free not to have to think or worry about yourself all the time; you are free to be involved with others. You are free from the pain of jealousy and envy, and the dreariness of self-pity.

And then when you can accept that you were created by God just the way you are for his good purposes, you’re also able to understand that God has made us all very different for good reasons. Sometimes we subconsciously think that everybody should be like us—think like us, feel like us, see everything the way we do. But that's not how God has created us.

I'm reminded that it would not have been good if we were all alike. God is so incredibly creative, that it is no problem at all for him to design each of us as unique people, no two of us alike. How wonderful, how marvelous.

Will you ask God to help you appreciate who you are? Will you ask him to set you free from trying to be someone else? Will you start consciously thanking God that you are who you are, and commit to him that you want to be all he has planned for you to be? That's the way to have a contented and fruitful life.