There are some people in the world who seem to have everything going for them. They’re attractive, witty, successful...they’re just so perfect. And if you were just like them, you’d be perfect, too...right? Wrong! Trying to become a duplicate of someone else is a disservice to the unique person God created you to be. And the sooner you identify and ditch The Doppelganger Distraction, the sooner you’ll make the difference in the world you were designed for.
Read MoreGenerally the first thing that comes to mind when we think of comparison is envy. But there’s a comparison prison cell that’s even more insidious: Self-righteousness. We search out comparisons that make us feel better about ourselves because, “At least we’re not like those people!” But what if Jesus called us to view ourselves as the “Chief of Sinners?” How do comparisons change if we see our own sin as a log and another’s sin as a speck of sawdust?
Read MoreGenerally the first thing that comes to mind when we think of comparison is envy. But there’s a comparison prison cell that’s even more insidious: Self-righteousness. We search out comparisons that make us feel better about ourselves because, “At least we’re not like those people!” But what if Jesus called us to view ourselves as the “Chief of Sinners?” How do comparisons change if we see our own sin as a log and another’s sin as a speck of sawdust?
Read MoreA symphony is defined as “...an elaborate musical composition for a full orchestra.” And there lies the beauty of a symphony—that it incorporates all aspects of the orchestral suite: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. God works in a similar way...He incorporates all aspects of His creation to speak. So when we think God is quiet, He in fact may be He speaking to us through a way—or through a person—that we never would’ve expected.
Read MoreA symphony is defined as “...an elaborate musical composition for a full orchestra.” And there lies the beauty of a symphony—that it incorporates all aspects of the orchestral suite: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. God works in a similar way...He incorporates all aspects of His creation to speak. So when we think God is quiet, He in fact may be He speaking to us through a way—or through a person—that we never would’ve expected.
Read MoreWhy is God so quiet? He parted the Red Sea, rained fire from the sky, and raised people from the dead. So why can’t he mend my broken relationships? Fix my financial struggles? Heal my dysfunctions? Questions like these may lead you to wonder if God is even there at all. As we struggle in the silence, there’s a truth we must remember: Silence doesn’t mean absence. So no matter how quiet things may seem in your life, God is with you.
Read MoreWhy is God so quiet? He parted the Red Sea, rained fire from the sky, and raised people from the dead. So why can’t he mend my broken relationships? Fix my financial struggles? Heal my dysfunctions? Questions like these may lead you to wonder if God is even there at all. As we struggle in the silence, there’s a truth we must remember: Silence doesn’t mean absence. So no matter how quiet things may seem in your life, God is with you.
Read MoreC.S. Lewis wrote in his classic work, Mere Christianity, “Jesus came to this world and became a man in order to spread to other men the kind of life He has—by what I call ‘good infection.’ Every Christian is to become a little Christ.” That is exactly what God has in mind for each of us—to become like Jesus. So how do we know if we’re catching the good infection?
Read MoreOften we let a “what” define us instead of a “Who.” Rather than listening to who God says we are, we follow the “whats” for our identity: what we experience, what they said, what we think. But the fact is that who I am is more important than what I experience. And when I have my identity set by God, I don’t shift and shake with the changing circumstances in my life.
Read MoreOften we let a “what” define us instead of a “Who.” Rather than listening to who God says we are, we follow the “whats” for our identity: what we experience, what they said, what we think. But the fact is that who I am is more important than what I experience. And when I have my identity set by God, I don’t shift and shake with the changing circumstances in my life.
Read MoreLegendary theologian A.W. Tozer once said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Our view of God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—affects every area of our life, especially our identity. Is God great and good? Or is He distant and apathetic? If we want to have a correct view of our identity, it starts by having a correct view of God. So who is God and how does His identity change and shape my identity?
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