2021-11-14
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 NIV
Insecurity can sideline you. When you feel like you’re unqualified and unworthy of success, self-doubt can make you act in ways that sabotage your chances to be successful. The truth is, it’s impossible to live for long on a level that’s inconsistent with how you see yourself. And one of the biggest problems with insecurity is that it’s almost impossible to acknowledge, so you don’t deal with it and overcome it.
Why is that? Because you’re afraid that an admission of vulnerability will (1) weaken you in other people’s eyes, (2) empower and embolden your critics, and (3) give your competitors an advantage. Insecurity makes you keep others at a distance. It means living without the counsel and support of the very people whose input can help you to succeed. Bottom line: You have a hard time trusting other people because you have a hard time trusting yourself!
It’s not a new phenomenon. Recorded in the Old Testament, Zophar said to Job, “In his self-sufficiency he will be in distress” (Job 20:22 NKJV). Note the word “distress,” then think of the word “stress.” Your insecurity will whisper, “If people really knew me, they wouldn’t love me, respect me, follow me, invite me, or invest in me.” So…what’s the answer?
Paul has it! He writes, “Not that we are competent…to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent.” The first step to overcoming insecurity is to draw your self-worth from God and learn to see yourself through His eyes. And you can only do that by spending time with Him in prayer and reading His Word each day.
Soul food: Num 9:15-23; Exo 24:15-18; Matt 17:1-8; Acts 1:9-11
2021-11-13
1 John 4:7 NIV
When we watch celebrities move through multiple marriages and hop from one relationship to another, it reminds us that you can have charisma without character, talent without trustworthiness, and skill without staying power. A cartoon in a magazine showed a couple standing before a minister during their wedding ceremony. The minister, looking at the bride, said, “The correct response is, ‘I do,’ not, ‘It’s worth a try.'”
Love – in marriage and in any other relationship – requires unselfishness and commitment on our part. And contrary to popular opinion, it doesn’t come easily or naturally to any of us. Love is others-centered and self-sacrificing. The truth is that we’re all self-centered; in our own natural selves, we care little about making sacrifices for others unless we’re highly motivated and well rewarded.
That’s why the Bible teaches us that one of the secrets of having an intimate relationship with someone else is having one with God. John the Apostle writes, “Love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (vv. 7-8 NIV). And if you ask Him to do it, God will download that kind of love into your heart. Here’s how He does it: “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5 NIV). This kind of love grows as we mature it. It develops as we feed it. It expands as we persist in it. Bottom line: This kind of love has staying power!
Soul food: 2 Chr 1-4; John 10:22-42; Ps 83:1-8; Prov 26:13-16
2021-11-12
Joshua 5:14 NKJV
In the New Testament, God emphasized different things to each of the seven churches in Revelation. Why? Because they each had a different assignment and faced different challenges. It’s wise to read good books and listen to good mentors and teachers, but don’t assume that what God told them is what He is telling you. There are times when you need to hear from Him for yourself. You may adopt certain principles, but you must get your plan from God.
That’s why it’s sometimes hard for God to get through to preachers. When He speaks to them personally, they give it an introduction, three points, and a conclusion – and preach it to others! And as a spiritual leader, there is another potential pitfall: trying to get “a word” for others because they happen to be bothering you. Let God straighten them out and get back to where you belong! Paul wrote, “We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us” (2 Corinthians 10:13 NLT).
Your authority and anointing depend on being where God wants you to be, doing what He wants you to do. When you’re driven by ego, or other people’s expectations, or a goal God gave to someone else, you’re setting yourself up to fail. You must hear from God for yourself. If you’re assigned – you’re confined! You can’t go where you like and do as you please, so ask God to crown your efforts with success. If you’re in the wrong place, doing the wrong thing, don’t let pride keep you there. Pray, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” Then, do it!
Soul food: 1 Chr 26:20-29:30; John 10:11-21; Ps 133; Prov 26:7-12
2021-11-11
2 Corinthians 2:11 NIV
One of Satan’s Favourite schemes is getting us to use legitimate things in an illegitimate way. During the wilderness temptation, he tried to take advantage of Christ’s hunger by saying, “Turn these stones into…bread” (Matthew 4:3 MSG). But Jesus knew the Scriptures, so He replied, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'” (v. 4 NKJV). Had Jesus given in to His human impulses, He would have gone along with Satan’s scheme and forfeited His heavenly Father’s supply that was just about to arrive.
We all need money, but Satan will tempt you to cheat on your taxes, shortchange your customers, cut corners on the job, or withhold your tithe. We have all been created with the need for companionship and sexual fulfillment. But Satan will tempt you to fulfill those needs by having an affair or trapping you into online pornography. We all long to be successful in our career. But Satan will tempt you to achieve it through lying, manipulating, or blowing someone else’s light out in order to let yours shine.
One of his oldest schemes is to confuse our values so that good appears to be evil, and evil appears as good. So what’s the answer? Paul says, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11 NIV). There is only one way to unmask Satan and defeat his schemes, and that’s through a close walk with God, a daily study of the Scriptures, and a consistent prayer life. That’s how you guard your mind, your mouth, and your morals.
Soul food: 1 Chr 23:21-26:19; John 10:1-10; Ps 99; Prov 26:1-6
2021-11-10
Jeremiah 31:3 NIV
Let’s take a moment and look at the kind of self-talk that leads to depression – and keeps us stuck there. For example, instead of simply saying, “I made a mistake,” we say, “I’m a total failure.” Instead of saying, “I accidentally tripped,” we say, “I’m a klutz.” Instead of just saying, “I ate too much,” we say, “I’m a pig.” And when we label ourselves with such titles, we reinforce our problems and make ourselves feel worse.
Let God change the harmful misconceptions you have of yourself, such as (1) “If somebody criticizes me, it means I’m worthless,” or (2) “I have to be loved and accepted by everybody in order to feel fulfilled,” or (3) “I can’t admit an area of weakness; I must be perfect or else I’m a failure.” Those are the kinds of misconceptions that cause depression in the first place. Jesus knew the importance of correct thinking when He said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NLT).
The good news is – you can live free from depression! How? By establishing a personal relationship with Christ. This may not automatically cure all your depression, but without Him in your life, you don’t have the power to change. When Christ comes into your life, He gives you a new purpose, new power, and a new perspective. You need something greater to live for than your own interests. People who live only for themselves are guaranteed to end up depressed. You need something bigger; something that draws you out of yourself. And that something is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Through Him you can conquer depression.
Soul food: 1 Chr 19:1-23:20; John 9:24-41; Ps 115; Prov 25:26-28
2021-11-09
1 Kings 19:15 NIV
Let God give you new direction. God told Elijah to go to the Desert of Damascus and anoint a new king and also a new prophet to take his place (See vv. 15-17 NIV). In other words, He gave Elijah a new assignment. Quit sitting around wallowing in self-pity. Get your eyes off yourself and start looking at the needs of others. Get involved in their lives through a ministry where you’re giving out and God is giving through you.
If you are constantly looking at yourself, you will get discouraged. Jesus said you must lose your life to find it (See Matthew 16:25). You say, “But I’ve failed badly and disappointed myself. Surely God must be disappointed with me too.” Disappointment only happens when someone expects you to do something different from what you do. Jesus knew Peter would deny Him, but He called him anyway. Why? Because He knew Peter would learn and grow through the experience and go on to even greater things.
God wants to give you a new purpose and a new direction. He is not through with you. Maybe you blew it. Big deal! If you let Him, God will pick you up and help you to start over. One mistake – or one hundred – doesn’t render you useless for life. Today, God wants to lift you out of your depression. He can help you. He can change you. You don’t have to go through life being manipulated by your emotions. Your emotions are controlled by your thoughts, and with God’s help, you can change how you think and what you think about!
Soul food: 1 Chr 16-18; John 9:13-23; Ps 105:1-15; Prov 25:23-25
