“For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.”
Colossians 2:9-10 (NLT) Most people have no idea what success really is. Some people think it means you make a lot of money. But you can make a ton of money and be an absolute failure. Some people think it means being famous. But you can be famous and totally miss the point of life. So what is real success? The Bible says real success is being who God made you to be. It means you’re not trying to be somebody else or what your parents wanted you to be. You’ll only find real success when you spend your life as the person God created you to be. If you try to be somebody else in life, you are absolutely going to fail, because you can’t be anybody but you. Be who God made you to be. Be who you are in Christ. “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority” (Colossians 2:9-10 NLT). God came to Earth in human form two thousand years ago so you could be made complete in Christ. That means you have everything you need through Jesus’ authority and power. If you look around, you’re going to notice that you may not have the same gifts, talents, or opportunities as other people, and that can be frustrating—if you think being a success is being somebody else. When you understand that a successful life is being who God made you to be, then you will be amazed at the things God will do through you! You lack nothing to be a success in life because success is being you. In other words, being successful in life means you are being yourself, the person God made you to be. Don’t get hung up on what other people think about you and instead focus on your audience of one: God. God shaped you and equipped you and, in Christ, has given you everything you need to be successful.
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“For it is from God alone that you have your life through Christ Jesus. He showed us God’s plan of salvation; he was the one who made us acceptable to God; he made us pure and holy and gave himself to purchase our salvation.”
1 Corinthians 1:30 (TLB) Most people spend their entire lives trying to be accepted. You may wear the clothes you wear or drive the car you drive because you want to be accepted. The friends you choose, the food you eat, and what you say on the Internet are often motivated by a massive need for acceptance. But, friend, you’re already accepted by the God who created you. “For it is from God alone that you have your life through Christ Jesus. He showed us God’s plan of salvation; he was the one who made us acceptable to God; he made us pure and holy and gave himself to purchase our salvation” (1 Corinthians 1:30 TLB). You didn’t earn God’s acceptance. God freely gave it to you. He alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. And Jesus is the one who made you acceptable to God. How did Jesus make you acceptable to God? Well, first, here’s the age-old problem: God is perfect, and people are not. So how could a perfect God let imperfect people into a perfect place called heaven? Something had to happen. God took care of the problem. He came to Earth as a man in the form of Jesus Christ and died for your sin. This is called grace, redemption, or being rescued by God. The theological term is justification, where God makes you clean and perfect in his eyes, no matter what you’ve done. God sent his Son to die for you so that you would be acceptable to him. So, if God has accepted you, why do you need the approval of other people? One of the most liberating things in life is to finally believe that you don’t need other people’s approval to be accepted and to be happy. You are chosen, you are loved, and you are accepted. Let this truth lead you into a joyful, purpose-filled life. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) The Bible says in Ephesians 1 that, before he laid down the earth’s foundations, God chose you. But he didn’t just choose you. He set his love on you. He made the world because he loves you and wanted a place for his family. You’re not only chosen. You’re loved. Before the earth was created, God settled on you as the focus of his love. You may rarely be focused on God. But God is focused on you all the time. In fact, God can focus on everybody at the same time. Why? Because he’s God. At every moment of your life, God is focused on you. He sees every high, every low, every good moment, every bad moment, every mountain, every valley, every joy, and every tear. God made you to love you, and he will never stop loving you. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39 NIV). You can’t be separated from God’s love for two reasons: It’s eternal, and it’s unconditional. God never says, “I love you if . . . ” He doesn’t say, “I love you because . . . ” God says, “I love you . . . period.” God gives you an eternal, unconditional love because God is love. God’s love for you is based not on what you do but on who he is. It’s not based on your performance. It’s based on his character. You can spend your whole life trying to make God stop loving you, but you will fail. There is nothing you can do to make God love you less. And there’s nothing you can do to make God love you more. He loved you enough to create you and set his focus on you. He loved you enough to want to be with you forever, despite your sin against him. He loved you enough to send his Son to save you from your sin. You’ll never find a greater love. “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT) Every person wants these three things—more than anything else: to be loved, to be accepted, and to be chosen. These longings are there even in people unwilling to admit it. But there’s good news: You don’t have to look anymore for love and acceptance. You’re already chosen, loved, and accepted by Jesus Christ. Everyone wants to be chosen—from your childhood days at recess to your adult workplaces and love life. Being chosen is key to establishing your self-worth. The Bible says in Ephesians 1:4-5, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (NLT). God created the entire universe because he wanted a family. The whole reason the universe exists is because God wanted children to love. According to this verse, when did God choose you? God chose you before the world was made! Before God chose to create the universe, he had already chosen you. In fact, that’s why he decided to make the universe. He wanted a place where you could live. Before God chose any tree, he chose you. Before God chose the oceans, he chose you. Before God chose every rock that exists, he chose you. That’s an amazing thought—that even before he chose to create the sun and moon and stars, God knew you and chose to love you. That is the foundation of your identity. Nobody wants to be chosen last. But you have never been last in God’s thoughts. You have always been first on his mind. He chose you, he loves you, and he accepts you. You can rest in these truths today. “By faith [Moses] left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.”
Hebrews 11:27 (NIV) Either we live by faith or we live by fear. The Bible says of Moses in Hebrews 11:27, “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible” (NIV). Moses teaches us that living by faith rather than by fear is a choice. He went to the most powerful man in the world and said, “You know those slaves that are building all your pyramids? I’m taking them, and we’re all leaving. You’re not going to have slave labor anymore. Let my people go.” Moses had every reason to be afraid. He was going up against a powerful man who was considered a god, and whatever Pharaoh said, you had to do. What he said was the law. And here came Moses and declared, “We aren’t going to do what you say anymore. I’m not afraid of you because I report to a higher authority.” That took some guts! Do you want that same kind of faith in your life so you can overcome your fear? The closer you get to God, the more you’re going to be filled with faith. The further away you get from God, the more you’re going to be filled with fear. It cannot be overemphasized the importance of faith for the rest of your life. The Bible says that whatever is not of faith is sin. How many times did you sin this week? A lot. We all did. Because anything that wasn’t done in faith but was done in doubt was a sin. The Bible also says that without faith it is impossible to please God. How many times did you please God this week? Do you want something to change in your life? Instead of complaining, start believing. God is not moved by complaints. God is moved by faith, a truth we see in these words of Jesus: “According to your faith let it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29 NIV). You get to choose what he does in your life. Here’s the key: What matters is not the size of your faith but the size of the God you put it in. A little faith in a big God gets big results! “The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.”
Psalm 34:17 (NLT) You’ll hear it from many different places these days: People are basically good and unselfish. It’s their environments that turn people’s hearts toward evil. Unfortunately, that theory just doesn’t match with what we see in human nature. If you’ve ever been around small children, you get this. They’re born with a selfish nature. Phrases like “Feed me!” “Care for me!” and “I’m the center of attention” are the rule rather than the exception. Human injustice throughout the world and in our own communities also shatters any misconception we have that we humans are all basically good. Left to our own devices, we oppress other people, hoard our food, and generally think about ourselves much more than anyone else. And then it seems as if God looks at the humanity he created and says, “Okay, you think you’re basically good? You think human nature is basically unselfish? I’ll step back and let human nature take its course in the world. We’ll show you what happens when I’m not in the picture.” What’s true in children and society in general is also true in our lives today. We're treated unfairly all the time. But here’s a secret you may not have considered: You treat people unfairly from time to time as well. We all do. Our inclination to treat one another unfairly doesn’t surprise God. In fact, it shows why we need Jesus. The reality is, without God in the situation, people treat each other inhumanely and that’s the heart of injustice and unfairness in our world—from despotic dictators to crushing poverty to racial tension in our communities. One day God will judge every person on the planet for the injustices they commit against others. Because God is just, there must be consequences for how we treat others. That means we need mercy. All of us have been unfair with others from time to time. We’re not just the victims of injustice. We’re perpetrators, too. This unfairness shows us we need Jesus. God wouldn’t have needed to send his Son to die on the cross if people were generally good. The vast injustices in our world make it clear that humans can’t live moral lives on their own. Next time you’re treated unfairly, let it be a reminder: Every person on this planet needs Jesus. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Matthew 5:43-44 (NIV) Unfairness is part of the human condition. You can’t live on this earth for long without feeling like someone has treated you unfairly. Maybe it’s a parent who put you through a miserable childhood. Maybe it’s an employer who treats you more harshly than they treat your coworkers. Maybe you feel like you were handled unfairly by the legal process. You can choose to respond to the people who hurt you by hurting them. That’s the easiest choice to make, no doubt about it. But God gives us another option in his Word: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44 NIV). When people hurt you, they expect you to retaliate. They expect you to seek revenge. But God wants you to do the exact opposite. He wants you to respond in love. If you respond to mistreatment with love, you’ll keep the other person from controlling you. You can’t control when another person treats you unfairly. You can control whether you get bitter in the process. You can control your response to injustice. Just because you respond to an offender lovingly doesn’t mean you continue to allow injustice. On the contrary, we must lovingly seek justice. We must work for justice in the world without retaliating. The Bible commands us to “be fair-minded and just. Do what is right!” (Jeremiah 22:3 NLT). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a great example of this. He fought against injustice without violence. He overcame evil through the power of love. He followed the example of Jesus, who chose to forgive his persecutors even as they were killing him. That’s our calling as followers of Jesus. Unfairness and injustice may be part of the human condition, but we must not feed into it. Instead, God calls us to respond in love. “Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.”
2 Corinthians 4:18 (CEV) Human beings can handle an enormous amount of frustration, delay, and pain as long as they have hope. But when hope is gone, people give up. Jesus offers the only hope that is eternal. And it is a hope that will never disappoint. But you need the right perspective to understand the hope found in Jesus. That means you don’t just look at what’s going on right now. Instead of focusing on the temporary, focus on the eternal. For instance, pay more attention to God’s Word than the news on your smartphone. Difficulties don’t last. But hope in God lasts forever. The Bible says, “These three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NCV). There's a famous quote from old: “This too shall pass.” It reminds us that no matter what our circumstances are, they are temporary. No problem comes to stay in your life. It will pass. Even if it is a lifelong chronic problem, you won’t take it into eternity. Paul reminds us of this in 2 Corinthians 4:18: “Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.” (CEV). Your problems won’t last forever. The coronavirus pandemic won’t last forever. Uncertainty with the economy won’t last forever. But there are things in God’s universe that you can’t see that will last forever. Faith, hope, and love will last forever. And if you trust in Jesus, you will be with God forever in eternity. Put your hope in Jesus. “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth." (Colossioans 3:2 ESV). Your hope in Christ will become a hope fulfilled. “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
James 2:12-13 (NIV) As followers of Jesus, we live in a constant tension. On one hand, we want to honor God and do what he wants. On the other hand, everything in our world is directly opposed to God. Life in the Kingdom of God is at odds with the ways of the world. You are going to see many things that disagree with your values and—more importantly—with God’s values. How do you respond? Unfortunately, too many Christians respond by passing judgment on others. James tells us that if we judge others without showing mercy, then God will not show mercy to us. God desires mercy over judgment. You can avoid being judgmental by telling the truth with gentleness. You can tell someone that disobeying God will lead to negative consequences in a way that doesn’t pass judgment on them. You become judgmental when you take the truth and hold it over people’s heads, in order to make yourself feel superior. We are called to tell the truth to help people, not to harm them or put them down. You can disagree with someone without being disagreeable. Even if you are right about something, being rude about it puts you in the wrong. Being judgmental—expecting an unbeliever to act like a believer—doesn’t make sense. The Bible says people can’t act the way God wants them to act until they invite Jesus into their lives and accept his power to change their ways. You will be able to stop passing judgment on others when you remember that everyone is accountable to God. That means they aren’t accountable to you, but remember, you are accountable to stop passing judgment on others. Jesus says, “Do not judge others, and God will not judge you; do not condemn others, and God will not condemn you; forgive others, and God will forgive you” (Luke 6:37 GNT). “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) God calls us to forgive others, but how do we do that? Here are four ways to help you let go of your pain, hurt, and bitterness. Recognize that no one is perfect. When we’ve been hurt, we tend to lose our perspective about the person who offended us. But we need to remember that we are all imperfect people. Colossians 3:13 says, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (NLT). Relinquish your right to get even. Trust God to confront the person who hurt you and trust him to work things out for you. Choose compassion over your desire to retaliate. The Bible says, “Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it”” (Romans 12:19 The Message). Respond to evil with good. Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (NIV). Getting even only brings you down to the other person’s level. Take the high road instead. The Bible says to treat your enemies with kindness. It’s nearly impossible to do this on your own. That’s why you need the love of Jesus to fill you up. Refocus on God’s plan for your life. When you are focused on the people who hurt you, you’re actually letting them control your life. When you forgive them, you find the freedom to refocus on God’s purpose for your life. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you” (NLT). Don’t go another day with resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness in your heart. Start practicing these four choices and move on to live the life God created you to live. |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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