I am an idiot. Or, I am God’s workmanship. Which will it be?

The famous phrase, “A rose is a rose is a rose” simply means that what you are is what you are or your identity.

One of the names God uses to identify Himself to humanity is Savior. He is the Deliverer or the One who makes broken people whole.

You and I are broken in need of a Savior, not just to become children of God, but to be continually changed for the rest of our lives. I mean, who wants to stay busted up, right?

Savior from what? Please don’t go all generic on me and say sin. Yes, that is true. But that doesn’t get you to identify the area of brokenness you need to be delivered from or fixed.

Try saying to your mechanic, “My car is broken. Fix it.” They will look at you with an inquisitive stare, waiting for you to give them additional information to know where to start solving the problem.

Where is the Savior asking to change your life? Be specific. This enables you to hear the specific scriptural truth/medication the Spirit will use to heal your broken life.

And then as you obey that truth by faith (can’t get healed if you don’t take the medication!) in the Spirit’s power you will be set free, healed/made whole or fixed.

What’s in a name? Everything. They are identifiers. What name of God do you need to know and apply to your life today? Let the Spirit do His job of revealing who the real Jesus is!

What names are you calling yourself? Are they truth/medicine to heal or poison to destroy?

Choose biblical truth. Choose to be fixed by the Savior! What’s in a name? Everything.

I am who God is creating me to be. People’s approval is irrelevant.

Children need, no crave, their father’s approval. We want to know that we are okay.

Society is littered with people’s attempts to get this approval, even from fathers who are absent or are incapable of giving it because they never got it themselves.

This is not true of our Heavenly Father. While we were total screw-ups (“enemies”), let alone after coming to faith in Jesus (“reconciled”) our Father saw Jesus and smiled His approval toward us (Romans 5:10).

We already have God’s full acceptance/approval through what Jesus has already done, not what we do for Him. Therefore, why do we spend so much time and energy seeking something we already have?

Slow down. Smile. Jesus loves you. Bank on this truth as you seek to live for Him with each choice you make to love Him.

Be more concerned within carrying out your biblical convictions (what you say you believe) than craving the approval of others.

Who’s on the other side of your obedience?

Let that question sink in for a minute. There are more answers than you think. In fact, let’s brainstorm.

God – Jesus, Father and/or Spirit. You. Authors. News sources. Pastors. Religious and/or political leaders. Your past. Your insecurities. These are but a few of the possible answers.

So, the question is, who are you obeying? Only one can guarantee eternal value to your choice – God. Only one will satisfy today – God.

Just something to think about as our world’s sources of information continue to slide away from truth that will set and keep us free from all the negative consequences of Godless choices.

“Father, I pray that all who read this thought will continue to rely on the truth from Your Word and the power to live it out from Your Spirit. Amen.”

Getting a lot done doesn’t mean you love Jesus.

We live in an ever increasing paced world where efficiency – getting more done in less time – is the goal. Thus, we accumulate the gadgets to make that happen, like Smart Phones.

First of all, they are not smart. They can’t think! You, however, can think, reason and make smart choices. So think about the following.

Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will obey Me.” He spoke truth, correct? Thus, the opposite of this statement is also truth. If you don’t obey Him, you either don’t love Him or have lots of room to grow. Right?

God’s love for His children is secure toward us because of what Jesus did for us and the Spirit is doing in us.

Yet, that does not mean we can do whatever we want without consequences both on this planet and the moment we step into eternity. (READ 1 Cor. 3:11-15 if you doubt this statement.)

Jesus tells us to express our love toward Him through listening to and following Him. Yet, when we read His word, which shows us how to do that, are we slowing down to think, reason and then make lovingly smart choices? Or, are we just getting another thing done for the day?

Here’s a challenge. Read your Bible asking the Lord to speak to you. When He does (encouraged, challenged, convicted, wowed, etc.), stop reading and listen to the Spirit showing you how to apply what Jesus just said, today. Then ask Him for the power to then apply it, today.

This make take some time. Allowing your love for Jesus to grow, though, will be worth the quantitative and qualitative time you just spend. As your love actions will carry positively into eternity with you!

“If one is fortunate enough to find meaning in one’s life, there is a greater chance of avoiding depression and protecting one’s level of cognition.” a Holocaust Survivor

To have lived in the midst of a hellish experience defies words. Yet, to this holocaust survivor, it was the difference between existing or living in the midst of death.

Jesus said He came to bring life. Keep in mind, He was speaking to living, breathing people. His words have to mean more than what they appear.

Life is more than existing. To feel alive is to have purpose to one’s existence. You’ll feel alive only by fulfilling that purpose despite the circumstances in which you may find yourself, however harsh that may be.

Scripture tells the story of two women: one who was very busing but not living; and one who was seemingly existing but was living. You know them as Martha and Mary. Jesus gently corrected the one while praising the other.

Busyness is about existing as you get things done simply because you want to check them off a list. Fulfillment comes as you check off getting things done that align with your God-given purpose.

The moment you became God’s child through faith in Jesus, you were given a divine purpose that not only will make you feel alive today, but will have eternal value as well.

You were created in Christ Jesus to more than fill a space on this planet. You were created with a purpose. Don’t sell yourself short.

Search your God for the purpose He has for you. You will feel alive despite what’s taking place in the world around you.