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What’s Your Title?

Posted in Encouragement, Excellence, God's Delight, God's Goodness, Godly Character, Holiness, Jesus, Self-Esteem, Uncategorized, tagged 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:10, Matthew 5:14-16, Our Identity in Christ, Saints on April 6, 2023| 36 Comments »

Have you noticed how many titles there are for God in the Bible—titles like Ancient of Days, Hiding Place, and Father of Glory?

In fact, there are hundreds of names and titles for him, and each is worthy of study, as it reveals facets of his character.

Scripture also refers to us, his people, by different titles. There’s value in carefully considering these also—titles like:

Sheep

This is one we’d rather not claim, but it’s true. On our own we act very much like sheep, tending to follow the crowd, react out of fear, dig in our heels with stubbornness, and make foolish choices.

And yet our Good Shepherd has purchased us at great price and made us his own. He actually takes delight in caring for us [1].

Perhaps you agree with me: I’ll gladly wear the humble title of sheep if it means I can live in his divine pasture!

Saints

When many of us visualize saints, we see practically-perfect, self-sacrificing people. Their halos may be invisible, but we’re sure they’re there.

In reality, the word saint simply means holy one, and holy means set apart.

That describes you if you’ve become a Jesus-follower. God clothes every believer in his Son’s righteousness, and places within his perfect nature [2].

To honor God for all he’s done, saints aspire to unwavering focus on him and on his people.

Masterpieces

“Since you are God’s idea, you are a good idea.”
Max Lucado, Cure for the Common Life, 26.

You may remember the Greek word used for masterpiece or workmanship in Ephesians 2:10: “poema.” And just as quality poems require much effort; God expended great effort to instill quality in each of his children. We are masterpieces, each one uniquely designed to be a heavenly piece of poetry on earth.

May others be blessed as they read the verses of our lives [3]!

Temples

God could have chosen anywhere in the universe as his dwelling place, among the galaxies of stars, towering mountain peaks, or peaceful tropical islands. Instead, the all-powerful, absolutely perfect King of the universe chose to live in you and in me.

Meditate on the wonder of that for a moment.

Light

Then consider the mesmerizing beauty of light in the golden glow of sunrise or radiant sunbeams soaring heavenward into infinity.

Our Savior, the Light of the world, shines with enthralling beauty, giving us “the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

In addition, he’s privileged us with the honor of reflecting his glorious light to others—the light of his compassionate love, effervescent joy, constant peace, and more [4].

Who will you shine on today?

New Creations

To create doesn’t mean to just improve something that already exists. It means to bring something out of nothing. God didn’t simply change us when we accepted Jesus into our lives; he created new persons! We are not the same people we were before saying “yes” to him [5].

“Marvel at the beauty of a life intertwined with God’s Presence.”
Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, 381.

* * *

Some of us don’t feel like new creatures, saintly masterpieces, or glowing light-bearers. Since we’re still capable of sin and fall short of God’s best, we’ve concluded he must barely put up with us out of his unfailing mercy.

NOT SO!

Think of the last time you saw a colorful butterfly, like the Tiger Swallowtail. Did you say, “Wow! Look at that transformed caterpillar!”

Of course not. Its former state probably didn’t even cross your mind. You saw the swallowtail for what it was in that moment, an exquisite creature of beauty and grace.

That’s how God sees you and me, dear readers, as expressed in these titles we’ve considered. The old is past; we’re new persons, living a new life, resplendent in Christ’s robe of righteousness [6].

May the true identity of who we are emphatically impact how we live.

[1] 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Psalm 147:11

[2] Isaiah 61:10; Galatians 2:20

[3] Herbert Lockyer, Seasons of the Lord, 330.

[4] 2 Corinthians 4:6; Matthew 5:14-16

[5] Steve McVey, Grace Walk, 43.

[6] McVey, Grace Walk, 48.

Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com; http://www.pixabay.com; http://www.wikipedia.org (Anne Aubert); http://www.pixabay.com; http://www.picryl.com; http://www.peakpx.com; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.publicdomainpictures.com.

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Good Enough

Posted in Blessings, God's Faithfulness, Renewing the Mind, Self-Esteem, Uncategorized, tagged Nervousness, Perfectionism, Self-Consciousness on June 4, 2020| 36 Comments »

are you still up?

That was the text sent by son #2 last Thursday evening, close to 10:00 p.m.

An interesting idea had just occurred to him, one that required input from his mother. Maybe I should say output.

You see, Jeremy is a pastor, and although his church started worshiping together again two weeks ago, their choir is not participating in the services. His worship leader has been singing solo; Jeremy has offered back-up.

But for May 31st, Pentecost Sunday, he was hoping for more.

First, he remembered a popular praise song released in 1998, Holy Spirit, Rain Down. Jeremy was in high school then and sang tenor on the praise team of the church where his dad (my husband) was pastor. I sang alto.

After reminding me of the song, Jeremy wondered if I could record that alto part with an instrumental/vocal track he’d send via email. He would add the tenor part, and his worship leader the melody.

I reminded him my voice is not what it once was, and it’s been six years since I even sang in a choir. But I didn’t want to tell him no without even trying. Besides, how many times must I tell myself, “It. Doesn’t. Have. To. Be. Perfect!”

So on Friday, with Jeremy as my guide via phone and computer, I climbed the learning curve of Garage Band, an APP for making music with vocals and/or instruments—multiples if desired. You’ve probably seen the results of such efforts on YouTube. Perhaps you’ve recorded music yourself.

Once set up, I could record as many times as needed and send Jeremy the best rendition. But after practicing numerous times, my voice started to give out. I had to quit.

Saturday morning was zero hour. Either I’d be able to send Jeremy a decent alto part, or ruin his plan and tell him there would be no trio. As I prepared to record, my heart started thrumming audibly and my breath coming faster than normal.

What is wrong with you?! I scolded. No one else is here in the study; you can record as many times as you want. Get a grip!

The problem was clear: A big cloud of nervous self-consciousness had enveloped me.

All I knew to do was pray.

Lord God, this is so silly. WHY am I overcome with apprehension? Even if I sing this twenty times and not one effort is perfect, what difference does it make?!

Calm these nerves, Heavenly Father. Help me to lose focus on my performance and worship you unencumbered. Remove this self-centeredness. I want to be lost in the heartfelt prayer of these lyrics—so appropriate right now—and mindful only of you, my audience of One.*

Even before I’d finished, my heart rate began to slow and my breathing return to normal. I sang the song twice, and sent the second effort to Jeremy. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough.

When I confessed to Jeremy my case of senseless nerves and subsequent prayer, he said, “You’ve got a blog post here, Mom!”

Perhaps I do, I thought, since others suffer from self-consciousness also. I wondered, Are there strategies we could implement to cure ourselves once and for all?

Here’s what a bit of reading revealed:

Prayer is the first step. But we should not expect one prayer to vanquish all self-consciousness forever. It’s a prayer we’ll likely have to renew every time that nuisance-of-an-emotion sidles up to us.

Focus on Who we’re seeking to honor. The better our focus, the less we’ll be thinking about ourselves.

Just as Jesus told Satan to leave him alone (Matthew 4:10), we can tell the author of self-conscious thoughts to leave us alone.

Last Saturday, good enough became good aplenty. God heard my plea, immediately came to my rescue, and helped me calmly and worshipfully complete the task at hand. I couldn’t ask for more.

_________________________________

Have you ever felt self-conscious? What helps you to overcome it? Please share in the comment section below!

Notes:

* “Audience of One,” by Big Daddy Weave, 2002.

Kristen Armstrong quote from Work in Progress, 2009, p. 37.

Oswald Chambers quote from My Utmost for His Highest, 1935, p. 232.

Art & photo credits: http://www.pxfuel.com; http://www.canva.com (4).

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Who Are You Really?

Posted in Encouragement, God's Faithfulness, God's Provision, God-Given Abilities, Hope, Perseverance, Renewing the Mind, Self-Esteem, Uncategorized, tagged battle cries, negative self-talk, Scripture Affirmations on April 25, 2019| 11 Comments »

Every now and then, even positive people are bothered by a niggling, accusatory voice in their heads, offering such (Please note the sarcasm.) helpful comments as:

“Look at that guy—one successful venture after another. What have you accomplished lately, Ms./Mr. Nobody?”
“Everybody in that group was so articulate compared to you. Why are you such an idiot?”
“This assignment is way beyond your abilities. You’re gonna make a fool of yourself.”

Such self-talk is destructive; you know it. But how do you turn it off? With affirmative battle cries. Positive rebuttal will send those self-critical thoughts into retreat—back to the darkness where they came from.

A proper battle cry can stir up encouragement, inspire perseverance, and be a reminder of who you really are, as well as what you can actually do.

And the very best battle cries are based on scripture. These examples may provide a good place to start:

You are a cherished daughter/son of God!

You may be focused on your inadequacies and failures, but God is not. His attention is riveted on what you will be—completely perfect and whole.

And as he works within you toward that goal, he rejoices in your progress. Follow his example, and celebrate your steps on the right path.

You are a masterpiece–not a mess!

Consider what constitutes a masterpiece: artistic genius, extraordinary design, superlative craftsmanship, and originality—among other glorious qualities. That’s YOU!

Never forget: the greatest Artistic Genius of the universe created you. He fashioned a one-of-a-kind mold for your personality, your particular traits and talents, your specific purpose. Embrace who he made you to be.

You have been created in the image of God himself!

And he’s given you the privilege to brightly reflect his magnificent image to those around you.

Consider yourself a stained glass window, with God’s light (all his magnificent attributes) gleaming through the shapes and colors of your individuality, your abilities, in order to bless those around you.

You are a true Superman/Superwoman!

“More than a conqueror,” Paul said. That makes you a super-conqueror (!), through the one who loves you–Jesus.

And because of him, you are guaranteed victory in the end. Now each day can be viewed as an adventure with God, not an affliction.

You are capable to accomplish anything God prepares for you to do!

That’s because nothing is impossible for him. He goes ahead of you to prepare the way, and supplies the abilities necessary to complete your mission.

In addition, “[He] will help you deal with whatever hard things come up–when the time comes” (Matthew 6:34, MSG).

You are equipped to thrive!

In the soil of God’s unfailing love, and with the nourishment of his encouraging Word, you can grow seeds of contentment, and they will produce the fruit of joy and peace.

So! Are you feeling inadequate for the day or frustrated by what you face?

Perhaps a few of these battle cries speak to your situation. State them firmly out loud, and for greater impact, speak in front of a mirror.

Affirm to yourself who you are really.

___________________________________

Scriptural support for each battle cry:

1 John 3:1-2; Hebrews 10:14; Philippians 1:6; Psalm 147:11; Psalm 119:35.
Ephesians 2:10 NLT; Psalm 139:16; Proverbs 19:21.
Genesis 1:27; 2 Corinthians 3:18.
Romans 8:37; 1 Corinthians 15:57.
Philippians 4:13; Matthew 19:26; Ephesians 2:10; Psalm 37:23 CSB; 1 Peter 4:11; Matthew 6:34 MSG, emphasis added.
John 10:10; Jeremiah 29:11; 2 Timothy 3:17; Ephesians 3:17-19; Psalm 119:24; Philippians 4:12-13; 1 Peter 1:8-9; Isaiah 26:3.

What battle cry against the negative self-talk helps you? Please add your suggestion in the Comment section below!

(Photo credits: http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.wikimedia.com; http://www.pxhere.com; http://www.wikimedia.com; http://www.pixabay.com; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.pixabay.com.)

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What God Sees

Posted in Encouragement, God's Delight, God's Love, Self-Esteem, Uncategorized, tagged 1 Samuel 16:7, Ephesians 2:10, God's view of us, Hebrews 10:14, Isaiah 43:4, Self-Esteem on November 15, 2018| 12 Comments »

Years ago my mother worked as secretary to a publishing company vice-president. One spring she was invited to attend a goal-setting retreat with those in leadership. Her job was to take notes.

During the first session, the facilitator (We’ll call him Jim.) included some clarifying questions about the mission of the company. Mom didn’t expect to participate, so she was caught off guard when Jim invited her to share. She confessed to feeling out of place and unqualified to contribute. After all, she was only a secretary.

But editor-in-chief, Bernice, exclaimed, “Why, Geri! You shouldn’t feel that way!”

Jim suggested that Bernice tell Mom why her input was important, why she was a valuable part of the team.

(A-Z Quotes)

Perhaps Bernice mentioned a few of the gifts I noticed in Mom: her creative problem-solving ability, astute interpersonal skills, and proficiency at organization.

Whatever Bernice said, the compliments embarrassed Mom but validated her deeply. Bernice had never before shared what she saw in Mom.

Jim explained that citing specific reasons, rather than simply telling someone not to feel a certain way, can more effectively foster a change of mindset.

So in light of that facilitator’s advice, I won’t tell you that God thinks you’re pretty terrific.

Let me show you from his Word what he sees in you.

For example:

God sees you as precious and honored because he loves you.

That love is not just collective for all humankind, but individual and unique—just for you.

God sees and loves you—the one who handles a myriad of details so someone else can be in the spotlight.

He sees and loves you—the one who swipes up messes hither and yon, parades laundry baskets to and fro, and traipses dishes from washer to shelf, day in and day out.

He sees and loves you—making those calls, writing those notes, pausing to listen to sales clerks and restaurant servers.

But on any given day, you may not feel particularly precious or honored—when frustration boils over into unkind words, impatience leads to anger, or unfair treatment curdles into self-pity. How can God see anything precious and honored in that? Perhaps it’s because he’s focused on his vision for you, his work in you.

Remember,

God sees you as his child.

And like any loving parent, he delights in every step of growth, every benchmark of progress. With pleasure and pride he is cheering you on.

Also,

God sees your heart.

Perhaps that statement evokes guilt, as it did in me for many years. I contemplated the ways I disappointed God, even failed him. But there’s a positive side to that statement. Our Heavenly Father sees our good intentions, our desire to obey him, our attempts to practice his presence with praise and gratitude.

And just as we would never reject a misspelled, wobbly-lettered love note from a child, God never rejects our sincere efforts.

Furthermore,

God sees you as his masterpiece, a stunning, one-of-a-kind design (Ephesians 2:10).

He chose the colors of your personality, the form of your life-chapters, the line of movement from child to maturity, and the spaces both negative and positive that contribute to soul growth.

God also chose a particular place for you in his world-size gallery where you could best display his artistry. And like all beautiful handiwork, you evoke joy in the heart of your Maker.

Indeed, it is holy, precious perfection that God sees in you.

(Photo credits: http://www.hanscom.af.mil (Todd Maki); http://www.azquotes.com; Nancy Ruegg; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.flickr.com.)

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The Glorious Life of Royalty

Posted in Blessings, Encouragement, God, God's Goodness, God's Grace, God's Love, Self-Esteem, Uncategorized, tagged Children of God, Hebrews 4:16, Isaiah 61:10, Kingdom of God, Proverbs 10:6 on January 26, 2017| 4 Comments »

“Elena wins the prize for quote-of-the-day,” her teacher, Miss Allison, quietly told my husband as he picked up our three-year old granddaughter from preschool.

Miss Allison continued with a twinkle in her eye. “She informed everyone today that she’s Princess of the Preschool.”

(Not Elena, but she would love this princess-style dress!)

In reality, Elena knows little about being a princess. She hasn’t seen any of the Disney fairy tale films and she owns no ball gowns. Even so, Elena has somehow decided that princess status is something to be desired.

Chances are, however, Prince Charming will not ride up her street on his white steed and whisk her away to a castle of fabulous riches.

What Elena doesn’t fully realize yet is this: her Heavenly Father does offer her a glorious life of royalty, because He is the King of all the earth (Psalm 47:7) and those of us who receive his Son Jesus into our lives become his children (John 1:12).

As Elena continues to learn about him, she’ll discover marvelous truths about the royal standing God’s children enjoy. See if your heart doesn’t begin to beat a bit faster as you consider the following:

We each have great value in the kingdom of God (Luke 15:3-7).

Think about a museum of artifacts that once belonged to a famous person. Ordinary objects like a worn tailcoat, a battered desk, and yellowed correspondence take on great worth because of who owned them.

We belong to the most illustrious Being of the universe. Each of us might be as ordinary and common as a library chair, yet we are extremely valuable because we belong to God.

God provides fitting apparel in keeping with our royal status.

The figurative robes of our spirits (our insufficient efforts at good deeds) are nothing more than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), given our foibles and misconduct. But God provides us with the pure white robe of Christ’s righteousness to replace those rags (61:10).

That robe of righteousness includes sleeves of compassion and kindness, a yoke of humility, and long, flowing folds of gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12). For my own puny stature, that robe is much too big; I can’t live out such goodness on my own. It’s only as I allow Jesus to work in me and through me that I begin to grow into his robe. It’s a process that will take a lifetime and beyond (Philippians 1:6).

Another piece of apparel is a necessity for every royal personage: a crown. And God has not omitted this adornment. Just what might a crown represent? Wise King Solomon made this observation: “Blessings crown the head of the righteous” (Proverbs 10:6).

I can say amen to that. God has frequently adorned my life with gifts far exceeding what I need—not because I’ve earned them but because of his loving nature.

You too?

We have access to the throne room of the King.

Any time of day or night, we can enter into God’s presence, knowing we’ll receive his immediate welcome. Because he exists independent of time and space, our Father King can turn his full, individual attention to each of us, even if we all approached him at once.

And we do need his attention. We are not perfectly wise and capable and strong like he is. Instead, we tend to be selfish and proud. We mess up. In addition, life is full of challenges—challenges we don’t know how to handle.

But at God’s throne of grace—where he dispenses his favor on us who do not deserve it–we receive his help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

In fact, there is no one like God the King.

“He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor” (Deuteronomy 33:26 NLT).

Isn’t that a glorious image?

And look–he’s even riding a white horse (Revelation 19:11)!

(Art & photo credits: www.pauldingcountyareafoundation.net; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.quotefancy.com; http://www.pinterest.com; http://www.jesuscalls.com; http://www.pinterest.com.)

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Small Things — Revisited

Posted in Encouragement, God-Given Abilities, Perseverance, Self-Esteem, Service, tagged Christian Service, Ephesians 2:10, God's Ways, John 6:1-13, Mark 12:41-44, Matthew 10:29-31, Micah 5:2, Obedience to God, Perseverance, Personal Significance, Psalm 115:13, Self-Esteem, Self-Worth on October 19, 2015| 6 Comments »

(Steve and I are enjoying time with family this week. I’ll return soon with new posts. Meanwhile, I’ll reblog previous ones. Hopefully you’ll find them meaningful again, or perhaps for the first time. The following post was first published June 13, 2013.)

From stage left, she crosses the platform in confident strides. One hand waves in sweeping arcs to the large audience. The crowd claps and cheers.

In the other hand, with confident ease, she holds the microphone. And the smile—big and broad, bright white teeth visible even from the balcony.

Able to sing like a nightingale and articulate truth with conviction. Impacting thousands.

Now there is someone God is using in a powerful way, whispers an accusing voice. Look at her significant contribution in the Kingdom of God. No doubt she’s highly valuable to him. So what are you doing that’s important? Your spot in the scheme of things is nothing compared to that shining star on the stage. You might as well face the truth: You are unimportant. The ship of Significance has passed you by.

Sound the least bit familiar? You’re not alone. Demons use those same lies on a lot of us. Evil spirits aren’t very creative, are they?

But here’s the truth of the matter:

Each of us is the workmanship of God (Ephesians 2:10). The Greek word, workmanship, sometimes has the connotation of “work of art.” You are a work of art—carefully designed and meticulously executed.

The verse goes on to explain we’ve been created to do good works. It does not say the same work. Diversity of personality, talent, and interest are necessary among the children of God in order that all his plans are accomplished.

He made each of us unique, to fulfill a personalized plan. Every now and then we see such a plan unfold so clearly, we know God engineered the circumstances. Sometimes it’s a unique set of talents or gifts that work together sublimely to meet a need.

Take, for example, the naturally talented writer, who happened to grow up in a bilingual home, and studied Christian Education in college. She was especially prepared by God to write Spanish curriculum for a Christian publishing company.

Other times the plan is much less obvious, and we must trust that the task before us–caring for our families, teaching that Sunday School class, working at the homeless shelter–is indeed accomplishing divine purpose.

What we can know for certain: each of us is valuable to God (Matthew 10:29-31).

Believe that he has prepared in advance good works for you to do (Ephesians 2:10). Take joy and satisfaction from completing those good works.

It may not be walking across a stage with a microphone. It might mean walking across the kitchen with a rolling pin—to bake cookies for the neighbors.

That’s just a small, insignificant thing, you say?

Think about this: What if God takes particular pleasure in small things?

Personally, I’m fascinated by small things. Miniatures, doll houses, petit-point, babies!

Scripture gives us indication that God does indeed love small things as well:

Sparrows (Matthew 10:29-31).

Two little mites given by a widow (Mark 12:41-44).

Five small barley loaves and two small fish (John 6:1-13).

Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).

Let’s never again allow those little demons of abasement to put us down. God has promised: “I will bless those who fear the Lord—small and great alike” (Psalm 115:13, emphasis added).

You see, in God’s sight, we’re of equal worth.

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Extraordinary Living

Posted in Bible Study, Decision-Making, Encouragement, Excellence, Faith, Perseverance, Self-Esteem, tagged Bible-based convictions, Bible-based values, Esther of the Bible, God's omniscience, God's Purpose, Joseph of the Bible, King David, Lives of Significance, Old Testament Esther, Old Testament Joseph, Old Testament Ruth, Ruth of the Bible, scripture-based convictions, scripture-based values, Widow of Zarephath, wise choices, wise decisions on September 3, 2015| 8 Comments »

Evidence confirms: God loves to take ordinary people living ordinary lives and accomplish impossible feats. Examples include:

An imprisoned slave, elevated to prime minister in a matter of minutes
A village shepherd boy who became the greatest king of his nation
A widow who took a stranger into her home, and witnessed miraculous events
A common girl, chosen as queen in a foreign land and became the savior of her people

No doubt you recognize these persons. We would never consider them ordinary because of how God used them:

Joseph
David
The widow of Zarephath
Esther

But if we visited Joseph in prison before Pharaoh sent for him, if we passed by David watching his father’s sheep, if we ran into the widow of Zarephath at the village well, or if we met Esther in her cousin Mordecai’s home, would we have recognized greatness? Would we have known that these people were extraordinary? I doubt it.

We easily forget that what we see from our human perspective is never the whole picture. Only God has an omniscient view of circumstances and events—including past, present, and future.

Only God has the capability of weaving complex events to accomplish his purposes. And his work is always extraordinary. The wonders of creation offer undeniable proof.

And since you are part of God’s wondrous creation, you are extraordinary. Yes, YOU!

That means:

Our seemingly ordinary lives, lived out through ordinary days, can have extraordinary significance, because God Almighty is orchestrating them.

That doesn’t mean we just sit on the sidelines and watch God work. Choices must be made:

Joseph chose to honor God in Potiphar’s house (Genesis 39:4), and in prison (v.22), long before his miraculous promotion from slave to prime minister.

David chose to spare King Saul twice, even though the king pursued David with the intent to kill. David chose to wait for God’s timing for his coronation (1 Samuel 24, 26).

The widow of Zarephath (a town not in Israel) surely knew nothing of Elijah or his God when she met him at the town gate. There was no reason to take him in; she had nothing to offer him. As it was, the woman and her son were starving. The land was parched dry by famine. But she chose to believe his assurance that God would supply their needs. And miracles resulted (1 Kings 17:7-24).

Esther chose to intercede for her people, even though it may have led to her own death. She saved the Jewish captives in Persia from annihilation (Esther, ch. 4, 5).

We never know when a decision or choice may directly or indirectly cause significant, extraordinary results.

Therefore, our decisions must be based on scripture-based convictions and values. It is God-influenced choices, day by day, even moment by moment, that will lead us to extraordinary living, accomplishing divine purpose.

But be prepared. We may not know the significance of some of our choices until we reach heaven.

Think of Ruth, who chose to follow her mother-in-law, Naomi, from her home in Moab, back to Naomi’s home in Judah. She also decided to follow Naomi’s instructions and glean barley in Boaz’ field. At the end of the beautiful drama it is revealed that Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David and a descendant of Jesus himself, and a book of the Bible is devoted to her story. What an honor for a woman not even from the house of Israel!

But Ruth never knew.

Extraordinary people live extraordinary lives when they’re led by God–choice by choice, decision by decision. And they leave the results in his capable hands.

(Art & photo credits: www.St-talkla.org; http://www.1decision1day.com; http://www.ammiministry.org; http://www.joyfulphpist.wordpress.com.)

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Precious and Highly Cherished

Posted in Bible Study, Blessings, Encouragement, God's Love, Self-Esteem, tagged 1 Corinthians 2:9, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Ephesians 1:3, Ephesians 2:8-9, God treasures us, God's love for us, Isaiah 43:4, Psalm 139:17, We are cherished by God, We are precious to God on July 30, 2015| 15 Comments »

On my right hand I wear a ring–just a small ruby solitaire, set in a narrow gold band with a bit of delicate embellishment on either side.

I’ve owned the ring since I was a young teen—a long time ago! Yet the ring is even older than I am, passing its one hundredth birthday back in 2004.

The original owner was my grandmother. Great Grandpa and Grandma gave her the ring in 1904, on her fourteenth birthday. On my fourteenth birthday, she surprised me by passing the ring on to me.

All these decades since, the presence of that little band continually reminds me of her—a kind, soft-spoken woman of deep strength and enduring faith. (I wrote about her a couple of years ago. You can access that post–“The God of Rachel, Clara, and Henry, Part 1”– here.)

Perhaps you, too, own a cherished possession that may not appear significant to others, but is highly valuable to you. In fact, you treasure it.

On a much grander scale, God treasures you. You are dearly beloved and precious to him.

Oh, no, some will say. Not me. I’m not good enough, smart enough, or talented enough to be highly valued.

That’s not what scripture says:

(“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ,the sinless, spotless Lamb of God” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

God paid a very high price with the precious blood of his own Son, in order to make you his treasured possession. Evidently goodness, smarts, and talent have nothing to with it (Ephesians 2:8-9)!

And God doesn’t view you as ordinary, anymore than I consider my ruby ring ordinary.

Here are several indicators of the high value he places on you:

You are precious and honored in God’s sight simply because he loves you (Isaiah 43:4). Just as God went to great lengths to bring his precious children of Israel out of captivity, so he has gone to great lengths to bring you into his family.

He is constantly thinking about you (Psalm 139:17)–preparing for your welfare, providing for your needs, guiding and guarding until it is time for your final journey to heaven.

He blesses you with all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3). It is not the material stuff of the outer life that satisfies; it is the wealth of spiritual blessings of the inner life. God offers: forgiveness of sin, freedom from guilt, peace of mind, joy of heart, wisdom, comfort and strength—to name a few.

God has prepared for you an eternity of absolute bliss (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Think of it. God Almighty sees and appreciates your value, your beauty.

He speaks affirmation and restoration to your soul through his Word (Psalm 19:7).

He listens with wrapt attention when you call to him (Psalm 145:18).

He enfolds you in his wings of protection and comfort (Psalm 36:7).

He is with you, for you, and in you.

Accept it, embrace it. Send your roots down deep into the truth:

You. Are. Highly. Cherished.

(Photo and art credits: Nancy Ruegg; http://www.pinterest.com; http://www.winterpastfinally.blogspot.com; http://www.faithgateway.com; http://www.thelovelyscribe.com.

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Verbal Gifts

Posted in Appreciation, Blessings, Encouragement, Humility, Praise, Self-Esteem, Uncategorized, tagged Accepting Compliments, Accepting Praise, Appreciation, Encouragement, Gratitude, Humility, Kind Words, Praise, Pride, Proverbs 25:11, Receiving Compliments, Receiving Praise, Self-Esteem on February 23, 2015| 10 Comments »

Steve came into the kitchen carrying a lovely rose, its dewy petals just beginning to open. Delicate baby’s breath surrounded the bloom; emerald-green tissue and a red satin bow created a fitting frame.

He passed the rose to me with love in his eyes and a sweet smile on his face.

I took the rose and threw it on the floor.

What?! you say. How could you do such a thing?

The truth is, I didn’t. I made that up. Not the part about Steve bringing me roses. He has surprised me with flowers numerous times over the years. I made up the part about taking a rose from him and throwing it on the floor.

That would be terribly rude, wouldn’t it. But the scenario described above does provide an allegory for the way we sometimes accept verbal gifts–occasions when we’ve treated kind words as trash:

“Who, me? Oh, no. Not really. So-and-So is much better at __________ than I am.”

“You liked what I said? You must not have been listening very carefully!”

“I can’t believe you actually liked it. I thought it was terrible.”

Compliments are like roses, offered in an effort to bring a smile, provide good cheer, express appreciation and encouragement. When we discount them, it’s as if we’re throwing these verbal gifts on the floor. The compliment-giver feels put down, awkward, and lacking in good taste.

You may be thinking: Wait a minute. As Christians, aren’t we supposed to be humble? Accepting compliments seems so prideful.

Not if you view positive remarks as declarations of God’s glory, as it’s reflected through you. Not when you consider that denying sincere, truthful compliments detracts from God’s glory.

So how can Christians accept compliments with grace? Here are several possibilities:

Simply say “thank you” and give the glory–the credit–to God. He is the one who gave you the ability to accomplish the task for which you are being praised. Pass the compliment on to God.

Consider the compliment as encouragement. God is at work in you and he’s using you to minister to others. Thank the person for their kind words, and praise God for the opportunity to be used for his purpose, in ways that bless others.

God often uses his people as agents for his encouragement. It’s possible those kind words are coming straight from God’s heart to yours. Take joy in the blessing.

A gracious “thank-you-so-much-for-your-kind-words” will prompt the compliment-giver to continue offering encouragement to others. Wise King Solomon compared inspiring/supportive words to gold (Proverbs 25:11). That’s how valuable they are.

If others were involved in your achievement, be sure to give them credit. Sharing the glory will increase the pleasure of the compliment.

Later, when the kind words come to mind again, whisper a prayer. For example:

“Heavenly Father, thank you for blessing my effort and touching that woman’s heart. What an honor to be used by you to minister to her.”

Turn compliments into praise and they won’t turn into pride.

(Photo & art credits: www.flickr.com; http://www.handmaidcraftday.com; http://www.pinterest.com; http://www.wimempowerment.org.)

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A Day of Small Things

Posted in Encouragement, God's Power, God-Given Abilities, Self-Esteem, Uncategorized, tagged Christian Service, Encouragement, Fulfillment, God's Power, God's Strength, God's Ways, Importance, John 15:5, Perseverance, Self-Esteem, Self-Worth, Significance, Zechariah 4:10, Zechariah 4:6 on April 7, 2014| 6 Comments »

Does your to-do list for tomorrow include such items as:

Send birthday, get-well, or encouragement cards?
Attend a meeting or rehearsal at church?
Prepare for teaching a Bible study or Sunday School lesson?
Pick up your husband’s prescription?
Prepare for dinner guests?

Our days are often filled with small deeds. We tend to think they’re insignificant and therefore, so are we.

But that negative evaluation is not from God!

“Who despises the day of small things?” he spoke to Zechariah (4:10).

In fact, evidence indicates that God loves to take small, seemingly insignificant actions, and use them in creative, powerful ways:

A piece of wood thrown into bitter water turned it sweet (Exodus 15:25).
A cord hung from a window saved a family from destruction (Joshua 2:17-21).
An army of 300 defeated a powerful enemy, just by blowing trumpets and breaking clay jars to expose torchlight (Judges 7).
A dab of mud applied to a man’s blind eyes restored his sight (John 9).
Paul’s handkerchiefs and aprons became healing agents as they were laid upon the sick ((Acts 19:12).

It doesn’t matter that we’re not famous, wealthy, intellectual, or strong, because it is “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,'” says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6).

Might = strength, resources, and ability. If that describes you, wonderful! But those blessings alone will not guarantee significance.

Power = persistence, resolve, and consistency. Again, if you are able to power through with effort and efficiency to accomplish much, terrific! But what’s truly important is if the effort is achieving God’s purpose.

Granted, God has given us talents and gifts, opportunities and choices. We must be prayerful and wise in the ways we use them.

John Wesley advised:

(“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”)

Just remember: apart from the Lord Almighty, we accomplish nothing worthwhile (John 15:5).

On the other hand, little is much–IF God is in it.

He rejoices in what is right, you see, not necessarily in what is big.

So, when you feel like a nobody who’s accomplishing nothing, be mindful of this:

Does the place you’re called to labor

Seem small and little known?

It is great if God is in it

And He’ll not forget His own.

–Kitty Suffield

(Art & photo credits: www.whattoexpect.com; http://www.auyouth.com; http://www.kokabella.com.)

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From the Inside Out

Impressions Becoming Expressions

Archive for the ‘Self-Esteem’ Category

What’s Your Title?

Good Enough

Who Are You Really?

What God Sees

The Glorious Life of Royalty

Small Things — Revisited

Extraordinary Living

Precious and Highly Cherished

Verbal Gifts

A Day of Small Things

Nancy Ruegg

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