Tuesday, May 7, 2024
John 3:16 NIV
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God so loves us—how lucky and blessed we are! Yet we live in a world where we feel immense pressure, tension, burnout, and stress. God so loves us, but sometimes, our view becomes blurry and askew. We fall into the distorted belief that he is frowning down on us for our choices and decisions.
Our human nature gets the very best of us at times. How do we fight against the forces of darkness that relentlessly try to keep us in this place of numbness and fear? Quite simply, with love, as a child of our Heavenly Father. Our biggest fan should be our greatest desire. He loves us so deeply that “the very hairs on your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30). We are the sons and the daughters of the almighty, placed with a purpose to love fiercely and serve out of joy. We are his masterpiece!
Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Look around you—every object, situation, and obstacle—everything you see is temporary. This is a momentary journey that will not last. One day, we will join our incredible father in heaven, and we all should hope to hear the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).
When life is overbearing, you are feeling lost, or temptation is getting the best of you, remember our Father so loved us that he placed the Holy Spirit inside of us, nestled in our hearts, as a guide to direct us (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). We can use this gifted compass as our earthly navigational tool to combat what is not of God.
So accept God's grace and run wild in adventure with him.
Love! Serve! Explore your uniqueness! Grow!
Don’t stay comfortable—embrace your unique purpose and place while on this short ride and strive to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Questions:
What is holding you back right now from what you could do tomorrow to make a difference? What do you think you were saved for?
Next Steps:
Make some quiet time today to spend in prayer with God. Let him guide your heart into an action step that you could take to fulfill a part of your purpose. Attend GrowthTrack to learn more about how God has wired you to make a difference.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, fill my heart with love. Help me shed the layers of doubt, pressures, burn out, stress, and temptations. Replace them with warmth, peace, love, and light. Let me do the good works you have equipped me to do so that I may serve and love out of a place of faith and not obligation. Help me strive each day to hear you say, “well done”! It’s in your name I pray, amen.
Series Theme Verse:
Romans 6:14
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
This post was written by Keisha Wiechers, a first-time contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.