See yourself as valuable (2)

"You are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you." Isa 43:4 NLT

If you want to be a 10 but your self-esteem is a 5, you will never achieve at the level of a 10.

You will achieve a 5 or lower. Why? Because you cannot surpass the image you have of yourself. Low self-esteem puts a cap on your potential. So where does our low self-esteem come from? Other people. When the most important people in your life repeatedly tell you that they expect you to go nowhere and achieve nothing of worth, that's what you eventually start believing about yourself.  And it's like downloading a virus into your computer; it destroys your God-given potential. 

What's the answer? Instead of believing what others say about you, find out what God says about you. After all, who knows the value and potential of a product better than the manufacturer who made it? When God called Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nation of Israel, Jeremiah said, "I can't speak for you! I'm too young!" (Jer 1:6 NLT). Perhaps you can identify with Jeremiah: 

• "I'm too young, or too old, 
• or not the right nationality, or not educated enough, or not rich enough." 

Note what God said to Jeremiah next: "Don't say, 'I'm too young,' for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you" (vv. 7-8 NLT). Changing your self-image begins with changing your self-talk. In order to see yourself as valuable, begin to see yourself as God sees you.

See yourself as valuable Low self-esteem puts a cap on your potential.

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See yourself as valuable (1)

"I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency." Php 4:13 AMPC

When God made the first man, He saw that his creation was "very good." That means every person that has ever been born, including you, has seeds of success within them. All you need to do is water them and feed them, and they will grow. So why do many people fail to reach their God-given potential in life? 

One of the key reasons is low self-esteem; they don't believe in themselves.

They possess hundreds of possibilities, but they never nurture them because they have persuaded themselves that they're incapable of learning and growing into something amazing. 

If you don't believe you're valuable and worth investing in, you will never spend the time and effort necessary to develop into what God made you to be. Zig Ziglar said, "It's impossible to consistently behave in a manner inconsistent with how we see ourselves. We can do very few things in a positive way if we feel negative about ourselves." 

Paul was humble. He was aware of his total dependence on God. But He also had a healthy sense of self-worth. Here is what he wrote to those who believed in him and supported his ministry: "I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]. But it was right and commendable and noble of you to contribute for my needs and to share my difficulties with me" (vv. 13-14 AMPC). 

So, the word for you today is-see yourself as valuable, because God does. See yourself as valuable!

Overcoming low self-esteem

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JAN. 8, 2025

Just sow the seed

“We are only God's servants through whom you believed the Good News." 1Co 3:5 NLT

One day when Charles Colson was scheduled to preach to three hundred inmates at San Quentin prison, a lockdown was called and most of the prisoners were confined to their cells. To the few who were allowed to attend, Colson decided to go ahead and give the complete message he had prepared. Later when he expressed disappointment that the three hundred were unable to attend, he was told, "We videotaped your message and will be showing it numerous times to all twenty-two hundred prisoners."

What if Colson had given way to disappointment and just delivered a short devotional instead of the full evangelistic message he had prepared? More than two thousand prisoners would not have heard the gospel. An occasion may arise when you are the only person available to speak for God. Will you be faithful in such a moment? You are the most important person in the world to God when you are the one He has called to do something for Him. And the message is more important than the messenger. 

Paul writes: "We are only God's servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work" (vv. 5-8 NLT).

Just sow the seed

Will you be faithful?

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You are commanded to love.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another." Jn 13:34 NKJV

Love is not an emotion, because you cannot command someone to feel a certain way.

Loving someone is a choice that manifests itself in your attitudes and actions toward that person. Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (vv. 34-35 NKJV). 

Jesus called this "a new commandment." What's new about it? These words: "as I have loved you." Since Christ lives in you, you can love others with His love. Jesus always put His disciples first-washing their feet, saving them from storms, patiently teaching them. He didn't look out for number one; He looked out for the twelve. 

You say, "But how can I love someone I don't even like?" Jesus answers, "As I have loved you." C. S. Lewis tells of how he came to view others' faults differently: "There is someone I love, even though I don't approve of what he does. There is someone I accept, though some of his thoughts and actions revolt me. There is someone I forgive, though he hurts the people I love the most. That person is me...lf I can love myself without approving of all I do, I can also love others without approving of all they do." And what Jesus commands you to do, He empowers you to do: "The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Ro 5:5 NKJV).

You are commanded to love

"You are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

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Intimacy, dependency, obedience (2).

"The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing." Jn 5:19 NIV

The second thing that defines Jesus' relationship with His Father is this: Dependency. Corrie ten Boom used to say, "I am just the glove, Jesus is the hand that fills it and works through it." That's a picture of Christ's relationship with His heavenly Father, and it's a blueprint for the kind of relationship you can have with God. 

In the Bible you will notice two all-important things about Jesus:

(1) He never seemed to suffer from the fear of failing, like we so often do. Why? Because He prayed regularly and got direction from His Father. Knowing He was acting on the Father's Word and operating in the Father's will, He never doubted. 

• Until you have heard from God, you are a question mark. 
• But once you have heard from God, you are an exclamation mark. 

(2) Jesus knew He couldn't accomplish anything of significance without His Father's direction and power, so He never attempted to. We, on the other hand, say we trust God but act like everything depends on us. And the result? We fall flat on our faces and keep wondering why. Every action of God in your life is intended to increase, not decrease, your dependence on Him. 

Someone wisely said, "You'll never know that Christ is all you need until Christ is all you've got." To bring you to the place of total dependence on Himself, God will allow your ego to be crushed and your self-sufficiency to be stripped away. At that point you make a life-changing discovery: When you have nothing left but God-God is enough!

Intimacy, dependency, obedience When you have nothing left but God-God is enough!

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Intimacy, dependency, obedience (1).

"For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does." Jn 5:20 NIV

These three things define the relationship Jesus had with His Father, and they are a blueprint for the kind of relationship you need to build with God: 

• intimacy, 
• dependency, 
• obedience. 

First: Let's look at intimacy. Jesus said, "For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does." You only reveal yourself, including your innermost thoughts and secrets, to someone with whom you are intimate. And when you become intimate with God, He will share with you things that others are not privy to. David's greatest passion was to know God intimately. 

In Psalm 25:4 he writes: "Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths" (NIV). Then he follows up by saying, "The Lord confides in those who fear [honor] him" (v. 14 NIV). 

Having an intimate relationship with God involves three things:

(a) Desire. The truth is that you are as close to God right now as you desire to be; otherwise, you would rearrange your priorities to make it happen. 

(b) Discipline. This calls for spending time alone with God in prayer and Bible . reading each day. When you pray, you're talking to God. When you read the Bible, God is talking to you. 

(c) Delight. "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Ps 37:4 NKJV).

Something wonderful happens when you

"delight yourself in the Lord." His desires become "the desires of your heart," so He can trust you with them. Do you want a more intimate relationship with the Lord? If you are willing to pursue it, you can have it.

Intimacy, dependency, obedience Know God intimately.

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Are YOU feeling unqualified?.

"I replied, 'The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall.'" Ne 2:20 NLT

With its walls torn down, Jerusalem was defenseless against her enemies. So, Nehemiah assembled a team to rebuild the walls. He had no training for this job. He wasn't an architect or a builder. Jerusalem was far away, and he had never been there. Any way you look at it, he was unqualified for the job. 

That's a common denominator with many of the people God has used in a remarkable way. 

• Noah was a farmer, called to build a boat in the desert. 
• David was a shepherd, called to topple a Philistine champion. 
• Nehemiah was a cupbearer, called to rebuild Jerusalem's walls. 

When it comes to doing God's will, God-ordained passions are considerably more important than any human ability we can contribute. In fact, God often uses us at our point of greatest inability. That way He receives all the credit. 

But understand this: When God gives you a 

• "burden," or 
• a "passion," or 
• a "vision," 

you have a choice to make. Nehemiah already had a good job. Being the king's cupbearer was like being his right-hand man. He didn't simply enjoy job security, he enjoyed the perks and privileges of his position. He would have been comfortable staying right where he was. But if he had chosen to do that, he would have missed God's will, missed having a book named after him in the Bible, and you wouldn't be reading about him right now.  Are you feeling unqualified? 

• When God calls you, 
• He equips you, 
• resources you, 
• guides you, 
• and guarantees your success.

Are YOU feeling unqualified? When God calls you, He equips you.

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"Lord, teach us to pray." Lk 11:1 NKJ

Demonstrating an uncommon level of honesty, a well-known pastor says: "Prayer is the biggest struggle I have... It's difficult to maintain a consistent prayer life, and especially difficult to sustain the conviction that it does any good at times." Prayer doesn't come naturally for the majority of us.

We know it's supposed to be a dialogue, but often it feels like a monologue. There is nothing worse than trying to talk with someone who won't talk back. We don't like to admit it, but often what we are really wondering about prayer is, "How can I pray so that God will give me what I want?" One little boy was asked if he said his prayers every night. He replied, "No, some nights I don't need anything." Prayer is not about the particular words you use or the length of time you spend praying. It's about getting acquainted. It's about building a relationship.

If you have something to talk to someone about, you may say, "We need to find somewhere we can talk." You want to make sure you're heard, and that you hear what the other person has to say. When you eliminate the noise of this world, you maximize your ability to hear God. It shows God you're taking your relationship with Him seriously. The psalmist said, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Ps 91:1 NKJV). Do you have a "secret place" where you can be alone with God? It can be anywhere. But you need a place where you can go and show you mean business with God.

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DEC. 3, 2024

Faithfulness.

"Well done, good and faithful servant." Mt 25:23 NKJV

Jesus begins the parable of the talents with these words: "For the kingdom of heaven is like" (v. 14 NKJV). And one of the strongest points He makes is the importance of being faithful. Whether God gives you five talents, two talents, or one talent, the thing that matters to Him is your faithfulness. "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord'" (v. 21 NKJV). 

You will notice that He did not say, "Well done, popular servant," or "brilliant servant," but

"faithful servant." Christ is talking about those who are often unnoticed but indispensable to His purposes. He is talking about those who blow no trumpets, wave no banners, and demand no applause. He is talking about those who show up day after day and use the talents God gives them, to do the job He has assigned to them. Unnoticed by men, but noticed and rewarded by God! "For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister" (Heb 6:10 NKJV).

These words describe those who shun the limelight and are happy to serve in the shadows. They describe those who not only start the race but run the race day after day, who don't stop until they reach the finish line. Others may not think that you make much of a difference, but God does. While others make much out of skill levels and success levels, God measures you by your faithfulness.

Faithfulness Unnoticed by men, but noticed by God

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You choose: your calling or your comfort.

"When they came to Harran, they settled there." Ge 11:31 NIV

The Bible says, "Terah took his son Abram... and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there" (v. 31 NIV). 

A Christian author writes: "Terah accompanied Abram for part of the journey to Canaan, but then he stopped...Terah and his family begin their story in Ur, the great center of wealth and education and the land of idols.

Then they continue on this road, which passes through the city of Harran and then down into Canaan…

For Terah, the father of Abram, the road ends in Harran. Now we know from other passages in the Bible that Harran was a city a lot like Ur. There was a lot of wealth there. There were idols there.What's going on? It may well be that... Terah thinks to himself, 'If I were to go any farther than this, I could lose everything I have. For sure, I would have to give up my idols. So he chooses comfort. 

But Abram chooses to say yes to his calling." That's a choice you will have to make too. And you will have to make it more than once. As your circumstances change, and the seasons of your life progress, you will have to decide whether to walk with God into the unknown or settle for the security of what you know. 

• Terah settled; 
• Abram moved on. 
• What are you going to do? 

You don't have to do anything to be worthy of God's love and grace; those are gifts. But to walk in God's blessing, you have to choose your calling over your comfort.

You choose: your calling or your comfort Walk with God—or settle.

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