Who Are You?

 

    Have you ever looked in the mirror and asked yourself who am I?  You are who God says you are.  How do you know what God says you are?  You go the Bible to find the promises that God has made you.  You find how He describes His people and His enemies.  You figure out what category you are in and what category you want to be in, then you know where you stand with God.  When you know where you stand with God, then you know who you are.

    Your identity is not defined by the world.  God created you with your identity to be loved, known, and understood.  The world (Satan) will mess with your head if you allow it and he will confuse you.  God wants you to know how loved you are by how He made you, forgiven you, and gave you purpose.  You were not an accident.  You were not a whim.  You were chosen, created, and cared for from design to who you are today.

    God's love for you helps you overcome fear, low self esteem, rejection, or insignificant feeling to be courageous, capable, equipped, valuable, accepted, and purposeful.  Being a child of God empowers you to step out of the shadows to be the person He created you to be.  Life will try to tear you down, but the more you lean into God, the more strength you gain.  You become bold in your faith as you start seeing yourself through God's eyes.

    If you are Christian trying to mature in your faith, then you are a mighty warrior for God.  Your fight is done in prayer not physically.  You trust God to take care of all the things you can't fix on your own.  You may not feel strong, but do not give up.  The daily battles are making you stronger.  You are stronger than you think you are.  God's love gives you strength to do more than you are capable of doing on your own.

    Who you are matters.  It is the most important thing because it is your character.  Your character will define your actions.  A Godly character will answer God's calling well, but a bad character will abuse His calling and make it about themselves or how it could serve them instead of God.  Take the time to really look at who you are.  Is it the person you want to be?  Are you following Jesus to be more like him?  Do you want to change?  Are you listening to what God is telling you about who you are?  

Genesis 1:27, Joshua 1:6-9, Judges 6:11-12, Psalms 138:1-3, 139:13-16, John 1:10-13, Romans 8:26-30, Ephesians 2:8-10, & Colossians 1:11-14, 3:12-15

Overlooking God

 

    God meets you where you are and shows you how to follow Him faithfully.  It is your responsibility to grow and mature in your walk with Jesus.  You will never see everything that God is doing in and around your life, but you can see Him working if you look for it.  Do not ignore or overlook what He has done in your life.  Do not forget the sacrifice Jesus made so you can have salvation.

    God is with you every step and every phase of life.  He sees you.  He know you.  He will not abandon you.  Talk to Him boldly.  Ask Him all your questions and turn to His Word to find the answers.  Dig in and go deep.  You will find the answers that you need in life, but they will not always be what you want to hear.  Do not ignore what God tells you just because you don't like it.  You have to embrace all of the truth, not just the parts you like.

    You will find strength in God's truth.  It will enable you to live a bolder and more confident life for Him.  It is not an easy journey.  You have to face who you are and see your own short comings.  People may tell you that things are alright, but if God says they are not then you have to listen to Him over your peers.  You have to be willing to follow Jesus even when no one around you will.  The more you learn, listen, and obey the stronger you will become.

    Strength does not happen over night.  It takes time.  You have to constantly push past your comfort sone.  You have to endure a small amount of pain today to be able to face big things in life.  You want to be able to face reality through God's perspective.  You do not want to crumble under the pressure.  

    God has not changes.  His promises have not changed.  It is your perspective and response that changes throughout life.  When you respond in obedience life doesn't get easier.  It gets clearer.  You are empowered with purpose and passion to do what God has called you to do.  What applied when the Bible was written applies now.  He does not lie, so you can trust the truth.

    You can't overlook your journey.  You can't jump to the end and be this strong bold person for God.  It takes daily steps.  It takes prioritizing God, focus, and time.  Do not overlook your relationship with God.  It is the most important relationship of your life.  Accept the lessons that God is teaching you and trust that it will serve a bigger purpose down the road.  Hold onto your hope of salvation.  Trust that He will deliver you through the hard times.  

Genesis 16:13-14, Judges 6:7-14, Psalms 121:3-4, 139:1-6, Isaiah 49:15-18, Micah 6:8, 7:18-20, Matthew 22:37-40, Acts 17:30-31, Romans 3:23-26, Ephesians 6:5-9, & 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, 5:16-18

Abundant or Oppressed

 

    God is generous.  He wants to give to His people.  He wants good things for you, but He is not a push over.  You cannot take Him for granted and expect abundance.  You ignore Him and abuse the relationship, then He will put you in a place of oppression.  It is punishment, but it is the kind of punishment that is meant to benefit you.  A little hurt today is better than an eternity of hurt.

    A core principle is that you get an abundant life through your relationship with God.  Obedience leads to good things.  However, you live in the world where Satan has great influence.  You can be obedient and bad things still happen.  This is when you look inward and pray for any hidden sin.  If none is found, then ask God to reveal the truth.  Sometimes bad things happen for your benefit, slow you down, or for the benefit of someone else.  It is not always because you have sinned.  In these times hold onto the truth and keep your focus on the eternal instead of the current situation.

    If you feel like you are experiencing oppression, then turn to the Bible.  Pray over your feelings and truth to be revealed.  Not every feeling is accurate.  Feelings are indicators, but not truth tellers.  Get the true description of oppression from the Bible.  If you are truly being oppressed, then ask God to reveal the reason.  If it is due to personal sin, then repent and work toward making things better in life.  If not due to your personal sin, then ask God to show you how you can be used in this season.

    God is faithful.  He provides what you need in life.  He gives abundantly.  He is your defender.  He is your true refuge.  He is your liberator from suffering, evil, and hate that happen when you are oppressed.  God is loyal even when you are not.  His loyalty does not mean approval.  You have to repent your sin and return to God to get in good standing.  God has already gone up and beyond.  Everything else is up to you.

    Rebellion will lead to oppression, but that does not mean that God has abandoned you.  You can still find Him.  When you repent you can find the blessings in the small things.  You can see Him in the unexpected.  Gideon was blessed while hiding from his oppressors in a wine press threshing wheat.  You can expect blessings, but you can't expect how they will appear.  Blessing happen because He loves you.  Oppression happens to redirect you.

Deuteronomy 9:7-10, 28:45-48, 1 Chronicles 21:13-21, Psalms 9:7-10, 72:12-14, 130, Isaiah 54:11-15, Luke 4:18-19, John 10:6-10, 2 Corinthians 9:6-9, & Ephesians 3:20-21

Service for God

 

    Christians are called to serve God, but there are different ways to follow your calling.  You may be a leader in the church, community, or government.  Your service could be providing for physical or financial needs of people in the church.  You could help the poor.  You could go out into the world as a missionary.  You may be a prayer warrior, encouraging other Christians, provide wisdom and guidance, teach, be a protector, fight legally for God's way, or serve in some other area.  The part that matters is that you follow God obediently in your calling.

    Serving God is surrendering every aspect of yourself to Him and following Jesus' lead.  This may include always having to be in the spotlight, getting attention, or living a constantly stimulated life.  You may have to embrace a slower lifestyle and learn the value of the mundane life.  

    There is a lot of value in the careers that are over looked that provide for the family and bring service to people's lives.  These people have the opportunity to share Jesus to all types of people.  Some of these are plumbers, electricians, farmers, mechanics, and more.  It doesn't matter so much what you do in life as long as it is in service to God first, then your family.  God would not ask you to do anything that would leave your family worse off.  

    Serving God also means that you have to be willing to change course.  God may not keep you doing the same thing for your entire life.  He may place you somewhere else to serve.  He presents opportunity to understand Him better and serve well.  It normally starts off slow and boring.  There is purpose in that.  He is giving you the opportunity to prepare for what will come.  He tries to grow your faith and make you strong to face anything.  There is a lot of preparation before a big event.  People only notice the reveal, never all the work that got to that point.

    There is peace to be had in living an ordinary life of service.  It can keep your perspectives clear.  It can help you see more of what God is doing in the back ground.  It is an opportunity to seek God in the normalcy and not just when thing are chaotic or bad.  Walk with Jesus, so that you do not get used to life without him.  

    Do not allow life to become a routine without God or you will miss out on a lot of blessings and possibly really hurt the church along the way.  You were born to have an abundant life with Jesus, but that also means taking the time to invest in the relationship without getting bored and walking away.  Be thankful for the mundane and preparation that God places in your life.  It is a gift and will serve a purpose one day.

Leviticus 26:3-5, Judges 6:11-26, Psalms 1, 83:9-18, 100, Isaiah 33:10-13, Joel 2:18-24, Matthew 25:40, Mark 10:41-45, Luke 3:15-18, Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 5:13-15, Colossians 3:22-25, & 1 Peter 4:10-11

Being Commissioned

 

    If you are a Christian, then you have been commissioned by God to serve in His church.  Your commissioning will be personalized, but it will come down to living a life that brings glory to God, make disciples, and be brave enough to get out of your comfort zone.  God will protect you and give you the strength to do what He called you to do.  His commissioning for you will call you to be someone more than you are today.

    God uses ordinary people to do amazing things in life.  He will give you a clear calling, so if you are confused lean in closer for clarification or understand that it is not your calling.  He has given you the authority in Jesus' name to do your calling.  Your commissioning gives you purpose and joy in life even when it is hard.  You get joy because you are experiencing His love and able to share it.

    Being commissioned is a call to service.  You are not the hero of the story.  You are getting in the dirt to meet people where they are.  You are living out to the best of your ability what Jesus did for you.  God met you where your were and He showed you a better way.  You are the vessel for God's love in life and message.  You will have to speak truth when it is hard.  Being commissioned by God typically doesn't make you popular.  Your job is to call people to repentance and return to God.

    When you are serving God most days are mundane, routine, and appear boring.  You are doing small things, but God is using them to build something strong.  The big moments are few and far between for the average person.  You spend years preparing for the moments and they are typically over before you even realized that they were big moments.  You have to start appreciating the small moments and noticing the little things that God does everyday like a rainbow, smile, or something personal that you needed in the moment.

    To obey your commissioning you have to spend time with God and talk with Him.  This is how you get in tune with Him.  It makes it easier for you to know the right thing at the right moment.  You don't need to over think it.  You just need to be in the moment with Him.  You have to be aware of His presence.  The best thing you can do for yourself in life is to discover your calling and accept God's commissioning.  It is an honor to serve Him.  

Genesis 16:7-16, Exodus 3:1-3, Numbers 22:21-27, Deuteronomy 32:19-27, Judges 6:11-12, Isaiah 6:8-10, Jeremiah 1:4-5, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18, Acts 1:18-19, 26:15-18, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, & Ephesians 1:15-23

Commander in Chief

 

    God is the Commander in Chief of all nations.  He rules the entire world.  He controls the world you see and the supernatural world.  He commands His armies.  He is the Lord of Host.  He deserves respect and devotion.

    Serving God is a personal choice.  If you choose to serve Him, then you are all in.  There is no half way doing things when it comes to His service.  Doing things grudgingly, for appearances, or to earn points will not be acknowledged by God.  He cares about your purpose along with your dedication.

    He calls you to work united with His people.  You work toward peace within His church.  The world acts as your enemy because it first hated Jesus.  You are to be united, bold, and work in strength to try to get the people of the world to come to Jesus.  If they do not, then you are not called to bow down to them.  You stand firm in God's commandments, especially love.  Do all things motivated in Christlike love, never hate.

    Serve God in love and faith and you will be blessed.  Stay in His Word, prayer, meditating on what the Holy Spirit enlightens you with, and focus on the eternal future.  This will keep your perspectives holy.  They will help you fight against temptation that causes moral decline, hate, fear, and other things that will destroy what you have or are building with God.  If you discover you are not being obedient, then repent and do what you have to to get back on track.

    To serve God you have to prepare the next generation to serve God.  Do not drop the ball.  Do not become apathetic.  Do not think that it is someone else's responsibility, calling, or job.  If God puts it in your path, then it is your responsibility.  The Holy Spirit will equip you with what you need to do the job.  Do not over think it.  Keep it simple.  It is all about building relationships and allowing them to grow.

    Serving God will call you to give up your personal comfort, preference about life, and sometimes happiness to serve a greater good.  It may not benefit you directly, but in the long run you have to trust that it will benefit everyone impacted.  

    Serving God requires you to call sin sin.  You have to be bold and strong to confront the evils of the world.  You need to learn kindness that declares God's truth in a way that will help people in the long run.  You don't have to be a confrontational person to speak truth in love.  You are not trying to hurt or humiliate people, but a little hurt today is better than a big hurt down the road.  

    Serving God will bring conviction into your life about what you put above God at times.  Sometimes you compromise small standards to serve a momentary desire.  Allow the Holy Spirit to convict and reveal the truth, so you can repent and draw closer to God.  When you put it behind you, then God can use it in your service.  Ask yourself this: Do I want to be remembered for my faith or some other reason?  The answer will reveal where you are today.  It also indicates the impact you have on other people's lives and the impact that you leave in God's name.

Deuteronomy 31:9-13, Joshua 5:13-15, 24:14-24, Judges 2:10-15, 21:24-25, Psalms 24:7-10, 145:1-7, Proverbs 11:14, 14:12, Ephesians 6:10-12, & Revelations 19:11-16

Unity or War

 

    The Bible commands His people to live in unity and work for peace.  However, sometimes you have to fight for peace.  Throughout the old testament God commands His people into battle and provides victory.  If you go into battle without God being your commander and chief, then you will be defeated horribly.  You have to know God's voice to know when it is time to fight or let things go.

    Your battles are not of things of this world.  Your battles ultimately come down to the spiritual.  You need to know what you are fighting and why or it is all meaningless.  Sometimes war may be necessary, but it should never be the goal.  The goal to live with and for Jesus is to have harmony, turn away from strife, and stand firm in your faith.

    There is scripture that talks about a time for war and a time for peace.  It is important to understand that they are both motivated by love for God and fighting for His purpose and standards.  To have freedom you have to give everything over to God and fight for what He tells you to fight for.  Do not fight for victory alone or to be the hero.  That belongs to God always.

    Weakness comes when you feel isolated.  You can be weak physically when you feel like you are fighting life's battles alone.  You need to give the battle to God and embrace His presence so you do not feel alone.  You may be weak spiritually.  You need to turn to God to lead you to a Christian fellowship and discipleship Group or church.  You may feel weak as a military.  You need to trust God and the people in the battle with you.  You will never thrive or do well in this world if you isolate.  It only makes you weak.

    Troops have to unit and work as one to be victorious.  Churches have to do the same.  God is the Commander of all military and spiritual groups.  If you do not accept that, then you are working against the best interest of yourself and the people you claim to be fighting for.  If you only fight for yourself, then it is pointless.  It will never go anywhere and you will end up hurting yourself.

    When it comes to God's people you are His warriors.  There is no room for division between denominations, race, or worship preferences.  If you are a true Christian, then you are all a part of His church.  He is your commander and chief.  He wants you to let go of everything that divides you to work together and be strong in His name.  If the church is not united, then you have no power in this world.  The world will tear apart your families, communities, and your nation.

    Spiritual warfare is real.  You may never go into a physical battle, bur you live in a war zone.  God and Satan are both fighting over you.  God is fighting for you to have freedom and free will.  Satan is fighting for control over you and to demolish your testimony.  You face this battle every day.  This is why starting your day off in God's Word and prayer is your strongest asset.  You have the ability to choose how your day will go to a certain extent.  Pray over what you will face before you ever leave your house.

    If you want to be empowered by God, then you have to do things His way.  You fight as He commands you and you work toward unity with your people.  If you are a Christian, then you are supernaturally equipped to do your part through the Holy Spirit.  You have to fight with other believers to be victorious and bring about unity in Jesus' name.  Pray for what is good and right in the world to prevail.  

Deuteronomy 20:1-4, Psalm 133, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Romans 13:1-5, 15:1-6, 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, Ephesian 1:12-14, 4:1-4, 6:10-12, Colossians 3:12-15, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, 1 Timothy 6:11-16, & 2 Timothy 2:1-2