When
All Is Said And Done
TODAY’S
SCRIPTURE
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after
this the judgment.
Hebrews 9:27, NKJV.
TODAY’S
WORD
So many people live life worried about what everyone else
thinks and wondering how they can impress other people. But we have to realize
that when we come to the end of life, we’re not going to stand before people to
give an account of our lives, we are going to stand before Almighty God. He is
not going to say, “Why didn’t you do what so-and-so said to do? Why didn’t you
fit into their mold? Why didn’t you take their opinion?” No, He is going to
ask, “Did you become who I created you to be? Did you stay true to what I put
in your heart?”
This is where Saul missed it. Saul had a big destiny. God
had great things in his future, but Saul was so insecure that he let people
squeeze him into their mold. He was afraid he was going to disappoint somebody.
He said in First Samuel 15:24, “I disobeyed the Lord’s instructions because I
was afraid of the people, so I did what they asked.” Notice Saul knew what to
do. He even admitted it, “I disobeyed God’s instructions.” Why? He was a people
pleaser. He forfeited his destiny in order to please people. Friend, don’t let
that be you! Don’t be a people pleaser, be a God pleaser because pleasing God
is all that matters when all is said and done!
PRAYER
FOR TODAY
Father God, today I set my heart and mind on pleasing
You. Help me to break away from the snare of people pleasing. Help me to stand
strong against criticism and learn to walk in love always. Let the words of my
mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to You always in Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
***
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12 NIV)
When Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” he was defining himself. He was saying, “I know who I am.” More than 18 times in the Bible, Jesus says, “I am” and then gives a description. He described himself as the door, the bread of life, the way, the truth, the resurrection, and the life. Over and over, he defines himself. Jesus knew who he was and, as a result, he was not under pressure.
This is the principle of identity. As long as you are unsure of your identity, you're going to be pressured to fit into other people's molds. They will manipulate you. They will try to make you into what they think you ought to be rather than what God made you to be.
One of the major causes of stress comes from trying to be somebody that you're not. When you are fearful that someone's going to find out what you're really like, that you might not be able to keep up the façade, it causes stress.
The only way you can counterbalance outside external pressures is to have an internal sense of satisfaction about who you are and who God made you to be. You discover who you are by knowingwhose you are.
The Bible says that you were created by God. You are deeply loved by him. You are accepted as you are. He has a plan for your life. Until you settle this issue of identity, you will be insecure and you will be pressured by stress. You cannot serve other people until you settle this issue.
Jesus constantly did things that surprised everybody else. He put himself below others and served them. None of the other disciples would have ever thought to wash each other’s feet in the Upper Room because of their insecurity. But Jesus always served from a position of strength. He knew who and whose he was, so it didn't matter that he lowered himself to serve them.
Service comes from self-esteem. Until you overcome your insecurity and feel good about yourself, you won't feel like helping anyone else. Be secure in who you are and whose you are so that you can effectively serve others.
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