2020-08-19
Psalm 139:14 NIV
In order to overcome fear of rejection, you must firmly believe that God designed you physically, intellectually, and temperamentally, and gave you an assignment no one else can fulfill. Putting yourself down may seem humble, but it’s actually a form of pride because it’s causing you to reject God’s design and plan for you. So begin to emphatically declare with the psalmist: “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God” (vv. 14-17 NLT). Where did you get the idea that you are “less than”? Whether it started with critical parents, condemning clergy, unwise teachers, cruel classmates, or a verbally abusive spouse, remember that Satan is the “father of lies” (John 8:44 NLT). He used someone to lie to you about your worth and potential. Repeat: “It was a lie! It was a lie! It was a lie!” Decide to reject that lie now. In other words, reject rejection! Make a list of every God-given gift, asset, advantage, or other benefit you possess that is, or could be, a blessing to others. Don’t use worldly systems in developing your list. Focus on character issues such as integrity, loyalty, generosity, discernment, wisdom, and patience. Think of ways you can use each one of these features to glorify God and be a blessing to others.
Soul food: Judg 4-6; Luke 15:1-10; Ps 119:97-104; Prov 18:9
2020-08-18
Isaiah 43:4 NIV
Jesus experienced rejection: “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11 NKJV). But He didn’t sit around and lick His wounds; He moved on to where people gladly received Him. And He told His disciples, “Whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet” (Matthew 10:14 NKJV). Repeated rejection tends to validate the fear that we are inadequate. This is particularly so when it comes to the opinions of those we place value on. But the irony in operating out of the fear of rejection is that it ultimately results in the very rejection you were trying to avoid. When people realize you hold yourself in low regard, they deal with you accordingly. You teach people how to value you by how much you value yourself. If you never express a preference, a boundary, or any other limitation on how others interact with you, they will assume you have none, and behave toward you in that manner. Notice, even though Jesus was rejected He never responded in a way that encouraged continued rejection. He didn’t stay where He was tolerated; He went to where He was celebrated. In other words, He went to where people recognized and received His person, His purpose, and His power. He had God’s full acceptance; therefore, He did not fear man’s rejection. And you have God’s full acceptance too. “You are precious and honoured in my sight, and…I love you.” The first step to overcoming rejection is to keep God’s opinion of you in your mind at all times.
Soul food: Judg 1-3; Luke 14:25-35; Ps 119:89-96; Prov 18:6-8
2020-08-17
Numbers 12:6 NKJV
If you ask God, He will give you a vision for your life – one that will enable you to see the end goal, get excited, and move progressively toward it. When parents are exhausted with potty training, poor grades, teenage tantrums and fender benders, and you remind them that it’s only a temporary season – you are practicing visionary thinking. Visions aren’t limited to pastors, politicians, business tycoons, and presidents – they are for everybody. Visionary thinking gives you a bigger perspective. It’s like enlarging a picture; it expands not only what you can see, but what you believe you are able to do. Visionary thinking calls for three things: (1) Learning. Be sure of what you know and value it – but never settle for it. Form new relationships, read new books, and learn new skills. Become a lifelong learner. (2) Listening. Seek out those who have expertise in areas where you don’t. Partner with people who can do things you can’t. Ask questions that enlarge your understanding and thinking, and then listen carefully and record what you hear. (3) Looking. It’s hard to see the picture while you’re inside the frame. There’s a world outside your own, so you must get outside of yourself and see it through the eyes of others. To meet people’s needs, you must first find out how they think. That calls for humility, getting over your personal agenda, and trying to understand the other person’s point of view. The Bible puts it this way: “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4 NKJV).
Soul food: Ruth 2-4; Luke 14:15-24; Ps 119:81-88; Prov 18:1-5
2020-08-16
1 Corinthians 9:25 TLV
Responsibility requires us to make a living and support our family. But deep down, do you feel you’ve been “called” to do something different? It was when Jesus told His disciples to leave the security of the shore and launch out into the deep, that they landed their greatest catch of fish. Here’s a modern-day story to encourage you: Jerry Richardson faced an important decision in 1961. In those days he played football for the Baltimore Colts, a job that was considered glamorous and secure. But when he was turned down for the raise he requested, he felt it was time to take a risk and do what he’d always wanted to do – start his own business. He and his family moved back to South Carolina, where an old college buddy invited him to buy into a hamburger stand. Richardson took the plunge and bought Hardee’s first franchise. He went from catching footballs to flipping hamburgers twelve hours a day. He scrubbed stoves and mopped floors. His wages? Only $417 a month. But tired and frustrated as he was, he refused to give up. He employed the same discipline he’d used on the football field to focus on making his restaurant more efficient, his employees the most friendly in town, and his prices affordable. Before long his business boomed. Eventually he went on to head up one of the largest food service companies in the United States, with $3.7 billion a year in sales. Oh, and one more thing. He also became an owner in the NFL and established the Carolina Panthers franchise, which he owned for twenty-three years.
Soul food: 2 Cor 11:21-33; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Acts 16:16-40; Acts 19:11-12
2020-08-15
Ephesians 6:7 KJV
A reporter once asked the famous American singer, Marian Anderson, to name the greatest moment in her life. She could have talked about the private concerts she gave at the White House for the Roosevelts, or her command performance for the king and queen of England. Instead, she shocked the reporter by saying, “The greatest moment in my life was the day when I was able to go home and tell my mother that she wouldn’t have to take in washing anymore.” We are all innately self-centered, thinking first about our own interests. That’s why we must be “transformed by the renewing of [our] minds” (Romans 12:2 NIV). Psychologists talk about natural behavior and learned behavior. When you’re naturally negative, you must learn to be positive. When you’re naturally fearful, you must learn to be courageous. When you’re naturally selfish, you must learn to be generous. God wants you to go through life looking for opportunities to bless others: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10 NKJV). And you’re not just to do it to people, you’re supposed to do it through people and unto the Lord. “Not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:6-8 NKJV). That means what you make happen for others, the Lord will make happen for you!
Soul food: Obadiah; Ruth 1; Luke 14:1-14; Ps 119:73-80; Prov 17:27-28
2020-08-14
Nahum 1:7 NKJV
As Louisa Stead, her husband, and their young daughter were enjoying an ocean-side picnic, they noticed a young boy struggling in the surf. When Mr. Stead rushed to save him, he was pulled under the waves by the terrified boy, and they both drowned as Louisa and her daughter watched helplessly from the shore. In the days of grief that followed, Louisa began to put pen to paper, and the result was a hymn known to millions: “‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word, just to rest upon His promise, just to know ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee, precious Jesus, Saviour, friend; and I know that Thou art with me, wilt be with me to the end.” Trusting Jesus, Louisa went as a missionary to South Africa, where she served the Lord for the next twenty-five years. If you’re struggling to trust God today, stand on these Scriptures: (1) “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.” (2) “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV). (3) “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him” (2 Samuel 22:31 NKJV). (4) “Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!” (Psalm 31:19 NKJV).
Soul food: 1 Pet 1-5; Luke 13:18-35; Ps 119:65-72; Prov 17:23-26
