My Lasting Identity Comes from God’s Family

in review of Ephesians 2:19 this morning I read, “You are members of God’s very own family . . . and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian” (TLB).

God's household (church) is not a physical building, but rather a group of people. He lives in me and shows himself to a watching world through me. People can see that God is love and that Christ is Lord as I live in harmony with others and in accordance with what God says in his Word. We are citizens of God's Kingdom and members of his household. 

Much of my identity is based upon my relationships. I’m a grandson. I’m a son. I’m a husband. I’m a grandfather. I’m a team member. I’m a group member. I’m an employee. I’m all of those things. Those relationships help to define who I am.

I know who I am in relationship to other people. When that relationship ends, many people have trouble coming to grips with who they are. Or if they’ve been laid off from a job that’s been tied to their identity, it can be really tough to get clarity with their identity. That’s why God wants me to gain my identity from a relationship that’ll never end: my relationship with his family.

It doesn’t matter what family I’ve had in the past. My identity doesn’t come from it. My identity comes from my relationship with God’s family. In fact, my physical family was just a channel to get me into God’s family. God used my parents to bring me into the world. But God’s real goal wasn’t to keep me in that family; it was to put me in his family.

My spiritual family is actually more important than my physical family. Physical families don’t last forever. People grow up. They move away. They get divorced. They die. My spiritual family will last forever. When that’s what my identity is built upon, it’ll last.

In summary, I am a member of God's family, I belong in his household with other believers. God's household is not a building, but rather a group of people. He lives in me and shows himself to the world around me through me. Others can see that God is love and Christ is Lord as I live in harmony with other believers. Much of my identity is based upon my relationships. These relationships help to define who I am. God wants me to gain my identity from a relationship that will never end: his family. My spiritual family will last forever. When my identity is built upon it, it will last.

Father this verse and devotion help to remind me that I will find my identity in your family. Instead of using other relationships or work, my identity comes from being with others who seek to have a relationship with you, who show who you are by how we live and work with each other. This morning Father I pray that you help me remember that I’m part of your family, one that will last forever. One that is worth continuing to build my life on. I also pray Father today for your wisdom and guidance in handling my work tasks, my relationships, my leadership and my interaction with others. I pray these things in your Son Jesus name, amen.

What To Do With Worry

In review of Matthew 6:31-34 this morning, it says “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today’” (NLT).

To "seek the Kingdom of God above all else" means to put God first in my life, to fill my thoughts with his desires, to take his character for my pattern, and to serve and obey him in everything. What is really important to me? Things and desires all compete for priority. Any of which can quickly become the most important if I don't actively choose to give God first place in every area of my life. 

Planning for tomorrow is time well spent; worrying about tomorrow is time wasted. Sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference. Careful planning is thinking ahead about goals, steps, and schedules, and trusting in God's guidance. When done well, planning can help alleviate worry. Worriers, by contrast, are consumed by fear and find it difficult to trust God. They let their plans interfere with their relationship with God. Don't let worries about tomorrow affect my relationship with God today.

How do I know if I’m not experiencing the love of God? I’m worried. I can’t simultaneously worry and worship God. Every time I worry, I’ve forgotten how much God loves me. Worry is really acting like an atheist. It’s pretending I’m an orphan rather than a child of God.

Jesus tells me there’s a truth that’s much more important than anything I’m worrying about: I have a heavenly Father who created, loves, wants what is best, and is watching over me. He is working for my good and has given me hundreds of promises of his faithfulness.

Worry is pretending I don’t know any of that.

I’ll either worry or worship for the rest of my life. I’ll either panic or pray. I’ll either look at my problems or look at God. Which of these will I choose?

In summary, I shouldn't worry about little things and allow them to dominate my thoughts. My heavenly Father already knows all of my needs. Rather I'm told to seek the Kingdom of God above everything else, to live righteously, and he will provide everything that I need. I need to put God first in my life. I need to fill my thoughts with his desires, to take his character as my pattern, and to serve and obey him in everything. Planning is time well spent, worrying is time wasted. Careful planning is thinking ahead and trusting in God's guidance. Worry gets me nowhere. Also, I can't simultaneously worry and worship God. Jesus wants me to know that there's something much more important than anything I'm worry about: and it's that I have a heavenly Father who created, loves, and wants what is best. He is always watching over me and working for my good. So I can either worry or worship, panic or pray, look at my problems or look at God. 

Today’s passage reminds me that I shouldn’t really spend time worrying about and getting stressed out over things that are constantly coming in or the perceived time pressures that others have. I need to look at things and situations in light of how Jesus would handle them. I need to live righteously and serve them well. But I can’t let the pressures affect me. Father I pray that I will see things from your point of view and respond / react with how you would, adopting your character for how I look at life. I pray that you hand is guiding my Doctor’s to help with me swelling issues. I also ask for your wisdom and guidance for my day, my leadership and my interaction with others. These things I pray through your Son Jesus name, amen.

My Greatest Dream Is Still Possible

In review of 1 John 4:18 it reminds me that “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment” (NIV).

If I was ever afraid of the future, eternity, or God's judgment, I can simply remind myself of God's love. I know he loves me perfectly. I can resolve my fears first by focusing on his immeasurable love for me, and then by allowing myself to love others through me. His love will quiet my fears and give me confidence.

What I’m learning is that I am capable of far more than I understand right now. I just need someone to believe in me. I have that someone in God.

When someone believes in me unconditionally, as God does, it releases me to take great risks. I have unfulfilled dreams in life because I’ve been scared to death to go after them. I’ll end up dying with unfulfilled dreams unless I let one truth really sink in: God loves me unconditionally.

No matter who I am and no matter what’s in my past, God believes in me far more than I believe in myself. That means fear doesn’t have to stop me anymore.

If I ever think I’ve blown it and ready to throw in the towel on a dream, God’s love tells me to not be afraid to give it another shot. He tells me that I can start over, and this time He’ll help me.”

So I may have messed up and feel as if my dream is dead. But God says to me, “It’s okay. We can start over, and this time I’ll help you.” And when God says he’ll help me, I can do anything.

In summary, there is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. I can remind myself of God's love. He loves me perfectly. I can focus on his immeasurable love for me. His love will quiet my fears and give me confidence. I am capable of far more than I understand right now. I just need someone to believe in me. I have that someone in God. Fear no longer needs to stop me. God tells me it's ok, we can start over and this time he'll help me.  

Thank you Father for the reminder of how you believe in me, much more than I believe in myself. I pray this morning that I not let fear hold me back. You believe in me and have things for me to do. I also ask for your wisdom and guidance this morning for my day, my leadership and my interactions with others. This I pray through your Son Jesus name, amen.

What It Means to Pray, “Your Will Be Done”

In review of Matthew 6:10 it says, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (NIV).

Your Kingdom come is a reference to God's spiritual reign. God's Kingdom was announced in the covenant with Abraham, is present in Christ's reign in believers' hearts, and will  be complete when all evil is destroyed and God establishes the new heaven and earth.

When I pray "your will be done," I'm not resigning myself to fate but rather by praying that God's perfect purpose will be accomplished in this world as well as in the next. God accomplishes his will on earth through people who are willing to obey him. When I say this it allows me to offer myself as a doer of God's will, asking him to guide, lead, and giving me the means to accomplish his purpose. 

I worship God when I give him my life every time I pray. Jesus teaches that when I pray, I should commit myself to God’s will.

God has a specific will for my life. Romans 12:2 says that his will is good and perfect and it fits me. Part of connecting with God is saying, “God, what is your will for me today? I want to do your will.”

In heaven, God’s will is done perfectly. The problem on earth is that God’s will is not always done. That’s why we’re to pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We’re saying, “God, I want to submit to you. I want to do what you want me to do.”

“Your will be done” can be prayed in three different ways. I can say it in resentment: “Your will be done, but I don’t like it.” I can say it in resignation: “Your will be done, because I can’t help it.” Or I can say it in anticipation: “Your will be done, because I know it is the best, and that’s what I want for my life today!”

My earthly father may not have always know what’s best, but I can trust that my heavenly Father does. That’s what it means to say, “Your will be done.”

Pray this prayer: “God, I know your will for my life is better than anything I can dream up. I want to give you my life. I want your will done in my life.”

In summary, I can pray your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Your Kingdom is a reference to God's spiritual reign. When I pray, I'm not resigning myself to fate, but rather by prayer that God's perfect purpose will be accomplished here and in the future. God accomplishes his will now through those who are willing to obey him. It allows me to offer myself as a doer asking for him to lead, and to give me what I need to accomplish it. I worship God when I give him my life each day. Part of my connecting with God is to ask him what his will is for me today and the desire to do it. I can accept his will in one of three ways, in resentment, in resignation, or in anticipation knowing that it is the best and what God wants for my life today. 

Father in context to what is going on in my life and with my work, I appreciate your reminder to not resent, or resign myself, but rather to anticipate knowing that you have a plan for me and things you want to accomplish. I know your general will, and I will continue to do this and listen for your voice to branch out into other things you want me to be involved with. Also, a reminder to trust you and your plan. My role is to get to know you better and to serve others. I ask today Father for wisdom and guidance for my day, my leadership and my interactions with others. As I meet with my primary care doctor I pray that he can help diagnose and help with my swelling issues. All these things I pray in your Son Jesus name, amen.

If God Is for Me, Who Can Be against Me?

In review of Luke 2:10 it tells me, “The angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people’” (NLT).

Jesus will come to anyone with a heart humble enough to accept him. Furthermore, Jesus accepts me just as I am. Knowing and beginning to understand God changes my whole perspective on life. I’ve stopped thinking of God as someone who’s looking down from heaven, ready to yell “Gotcha!” anytime I mess up.

I don’t need to be afraid of God. For He is my success in life; he created me for a purpose and wants me to succeed. It is God, my Creator, who will measure my success in life and no one else.

Some are afraid and fear God, they think he’s going to lecture them and or remind them of all the things they’ve done wrong which will make them feel even worse.

What I’m learning is that nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus said, “I did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it.” Jesus was saying, “he didn’t come to scold me; rather he came to save me.”

And if God is for me, who can be against me?

There are 365 messages from God in the Bible that begin with a phrase like, “Fear not!” In other words, every single day of the year, I can read a message from God that says, in effect, “I don’t need to be afraid. For God is with and loves me!”

In summary, I am reassured to not be afraid. Jesus came to bring great joy to all, for he comes to anyone with a heart humble enough to accept him. For Jesus accepts me just as I am. He's not looking down ready to yell "Gotcha" when I mess up. He created me for a purpose and wants me to succeed. He and he alone will measure my success in life. He didn't come into the world to condemn it, but rather to save it. If God is for me, who can be against me.

Thank you Father for the reminder that you are for and not against me. You created me for a purpose and want me to succeed in it. Today I need to be open to continuing to discover my purpose. As I am discovering more about what it is, I will follow your promptings and serve / love others. I pray this morning that your Spirit will be with me throughout the day. Help me to discover my purpose and re-market myself for what you have in store for me next. I ask for your wisdom and guidance for my tasks, leadership and interaction with others. These things I pray in you Son Jesus name, amen.