2025-12-31
Ephesians 4:32 NKJV
Studies suggest that just 3 percent of life events are highly memorable. So, over the course of an average year, approximately seventeen experiences will make it into your long-term memory. The other 97 percent fades into the black hole called the subconscious. But that remaining 3 percent can hurt us every day if we cannot or will not forget. That 3 percent can make us prisoners of our past.
Even if we’ve confessed our sin, we often still feel condemned. And that feeling of condemnation undermines the fact that God is for us (see Psalm 56:9). We keep beating ourselves up. We keep sabotaging ourselves. We keep believing the self-defeating lies that come from Satan “the accuser” (see Revelation 12:10). And how can you overcome the accuser and silence him? Revelation 12:11 says: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (NKJV).
Push back! Testify to Satan the accuser. Tell him what the blood of Jesus Christ has done on your behalf. Remind him that “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 KJV). None. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Not a trace. Not a whiff. Not a hint. Instead of defining yourself by what you’ve done wrong, define yourself by what Christ has done right on your behalf.
Soul food: Rom 13:12-14:19; 2 Cor 5:14-21; Ps 77:11-20; Prov 9:10-12
2025-12-30
Psalm 144:12 NLT
Constantly tell your child that they’re loved, valuable, and capable. Otherwise, their self-evaluation will be based on their worst qualities and perceptions rather than their best ones. Psychologists say that some of the world’s most successful people suffer from “the imposter phenomenon.” When interviewed, these people often express deep self-doubt, saying they don’t feel worthy of the position they hold, or the high opinion others have of them. Where did that begin? At home!
Often this self-concept is formed before puberty when a child has no clear sense of their identity and feels unattractive, dumb, and useless. That’s when you, as a parent, need to say that this is a short-term experience, like traveling through a tunnel from which they will certainly emerge. Discuss the sexual awakening that’s about to occur as childhood ends and how to handle it responsibly and morally. Not to do so is to leave your child alone to cope with questions they don’t always have the right answers to.
Yes, you must instruct and correct them. But if they constantly feel like you’re “on their back” instead of “on their team,” they can lack the confidence and initiative needed to trust themselves and develop a healthy self-concept. And if your parents didn’t do this for you, you will have to be extra sensitive and make sure you do it for your children. The psalmist David gives us a prayer God will answer: “May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace.”
Soul food: 1 Thes 4-5; Matt 3:11-17; Ps 23; Prov 31:31
2025-12-29
Romans 8:37 NKJV
In some of the world’s greatest success stories, you will find chapters of failure and discouragement. Dr. Seuss’s first children’s book was turned down by twenty-seven different publishers. The twenty-eighth publisher sold six hundred million copies, and Dr. Seuss’s perseverance resulted in helping millions of children learn to read. In their first year of business, the Coca-Cola company usually sold only nine servings of its drink a day. But they persevered, and today they are the leading soft-drink seller in the world.
Henry Ford went bankrupt twice in his initial three years in the car industry. But he persevered, and today Ford is the second-largest American-based automobile company and the fifth biggest worldwide. In 1905 the University of Bern in Switzerland rejected a PhD dissertation by a student named Albert Einstein, describing it as “irrelevant and fanciful.” Was he disappointed? Sure – wouldn’t you be? Did he give up? No, he kept on writing.
And consider this: As a redeemed child of God, you have a plus factor; God is on your side. “God is for me” (Psalm 56:9 NKJV). That changes the equation and tilts the odds in your favour. Paul writes: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:35, 37 NKJV).
With God, despite whatever you’re facing, it’s always too early to quit. Hold on because His grace and strength are always on their way.
Soul food: 1 Thes 1-3; Matt 3:7-10; Ps 75; Prov 31:30
2025-12-28
1 Thessalonians 5:24 AMPC
When it comes to your life’s calling, here are two more myths that can sabotage you: (1) Making the wrong choice can somehow thwart God’s will. You don’t have to worry on this score because the Bible tells us that the God “Who is calling you… will… [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].” It’s always commendable to want to make the best choice you can. But the fact remains that at some point you have to go ahead and make a choice, and no choice you make is outside of God’s control. Even if you don’t know where the path you have chosen will eventually lead, you can rest assured in the knowledge that “all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to… those who… are called according to [His] design and purpose” (Romans 8:28 AMPC).
(2) Your calling is settled. Finding your calling isn’t necessarily what you do once or twice in a lifetime. It’s not something you check off a list and move on. The life of a Christian is a continual process of discovering your calling. And because God has called you to a specific purpose at a specific time doesn’t mean His plans for you won’t change. Who knows what the next stage of your life will bring? Everyone’s calling is going to look distinct, and every chapter of your life will bring a fresh process of discernment. The important thing to remember is that God is in control, He loves you, and His will is always to draw you closer to Him.
Soul food: Heb 11:1-6; Matt 21:18-22; Matt 8:5-13; Mark 6:1-6
2025-12-27
Romans 11:29 AMPC
If you’re questioning your calling, author Diane Paddison identifies two thought patterns that may be sabotaging your thinking.
(1) It’s all about you. Your calling isn’t about self-fulfillment; it’s about submission to God’s will for your life. Many people experience satisfaction from exercising their God-given gifts. But it’s a result of being in God’s will, not the goal. To discern God’s will, you must develop your relationship with Him through prayer and Bible study. You must also develop relationships with peers and mentors who will pray for you and speak truth into your life.
(2) If it’s uncomfortable, it can’t be your calling. Knowing what you’re meant to be doing is often just the start of a long, demanding journey. Some of the most successful people in history endured overwhelming failure in pursuit of their paths. Moses’ calling didn’t seem all that wonderful to him. His response? “Who am I that I should go?” He questioned God, but God responded, “I will be with you.” Still, Moses continued to question: “But what if they don’t believe me?” Even when God provided him with miraculous signs, they weren’t enough. He came back with, “But I’m slow of speech.”
Clearly Moses was called to a task God designed for him – and it didn’t feel good to him. Moses tried every way he knew to prove to God that He had the wrong man for the job. And when that didn’t work, he asked God to send someone else! (See Exodus 4). Can you relate? If so, keep this thought in mind: Discomfort doesn’t automatically mean you’re on the wrong path. The truth is discomfort usually precedes growth.
Soul food: 1 Cor 15-16; Matt 3:1-6; Ps 116; Prov 31:29
2025-12-26
Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV
Dr. Ernest Sachs wanted to make a difference in the world. And he did. Years ago most brain tumours were fatal. Sachs heard a surgeon predict that someday a cure would be discovered that could save all those lives, and he determined to be that surgeon. At the time, the leading expert on the anatomy of the brain was Sir Victor Horsley. Sachs received permission to study under him but felt he should prepare for the experience by studying for six months under some of the most able physicians in Germany.
Then he went to England, where for two years he assisted Dr. Horsley in long and intricate experiments on dozens of monkeys. When Sachs returned to America, he was ridiculed by the medical establishment for requesting the opportunity to treat brain tumours. For years he fought obstacles and discouragement, driven by a desire to succeed in his quest. And succeed he did! Today, largely thanks to Dr. Sachs, the majority of brain tumours can be cured. And his book Diagnosis and Treatment of Brain Tumours is considered the standard authority on the subject.
Just because something isn’t presently done doesn’t mean it can’t be done. And maybe you are the one to do it! And as a redeemed child of God, think of the advantage you have: “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6 NKJV). Use your faith, and believe God for great things.
Soul food: 1 Cor 12-14; Matt 2:13-23; Ps 139:13-24; Prov 31:28
