Every Life Matters

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Dec 28, 2014 Every Life Matters by Rick Warren “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)   All life is sacred. It is the mentality of “some lives matter more than others” that caused the Holocaust. That was the mentality of Hitler: “Some people are more important than others. So we’ll just wipe out the weak, the infirm, the aged, or people we disagree with.” Today we even see it in young couples that are expecting and hear, “We hate to tell you this, but your baby may have a birth defect.” And the couple starts considering abortion. If everybody who had a defect were aborted, you would have been aborted. You have defects. Everybody is handicapped. You just don’t admit it. You have some emotional handicaps, and you have some fears you won’t even talk to your wife about. They scare you to death. You also have emotional handicaps, such as the idea that you’re not as smart as everybody else. And you have some physical handicaps. Have you learned that not everything in your body works? That’s why you’re not in the Olympics. We all have defects. We all have problems. Who makes the decision that your defect isn’t big enough to get rid of? Do you know a family who has a special needs child — an autistic, mentally undeveloped, or physically handicapped child? Do they love that child less? No. They love that child more! The Bible says that God loves the weak, the infirm, the special needs person. We need them in our lives to learn unselfishness. We must always protect the sanctity of life. Why? Because it reveals God’s purpose and shows God’s glory. You are valuable, no matter who or what you are. So is every child. The Bible tells us that God accepts responsibility for all our genetic defects. Did you know that? Not the problems in our lives we brought on ourselves because of overeating or smoking or drinking too much, but all the genetic weaknesses that you didn’t have any say in are all part of your SHAPE. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (NIV). God accepts responsibility, because he has a bigger perspective than any human. He can see what you can’t see. And he loves each person he made for their potential to do the great things he has planned for us. God isn’t going to compare you with anybody else. But he is going to compare you with your potential. It’s not my goal to be the best pastor in the world. I’m not even trying. It’s my goal to be the best pastor I can possibly be given the talent, background, opportunities, and gifts that God gave me. That’s what I’ll be evaluated on. Talk It Over To whom have you been comparing yourself? What is it about that person that makes you think he or she is better than you are or that God loves him or her more? Is it enough for you to know that God considers your life sacred? Why or why not? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C53GgUJ6y-Y

Nothing Wasted
Today's Scripture:
Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.
Psalm 103:4, NIV

Today's Word:
I know people who feel like they’ve wasted years of their lives because of poor choices. They spent years in a relationship that was toxic, years with an addiction, years at a job where they weren’t fulfilled. But you have to realize, nothing you have been through is ever wasted. Your past experiences, good and bad, have deposited something on the inside of you. Those challenges have sharpened you to help make you who you are today. When the enemy brings hardship into your life, God has a way of taking that experience and turning it around for your advantage. You may think you’ve hit a dead end, but if you’ll stay in faith, you will see God begin to open up a new route. He’ll put the right people in your path, the right opportunities, the right circumstances to move you forward toward the blessing God has in store for you!

Today, don’t focus on what’s happened in your past, focus on what God will do in your future. He wants to restore your soul and revive your dreams. Keep believing, keep expecting, keep hoping because God has a new route for your future!

Prayer for Today:
Father, I come humbly before You today. I give You my past, present and future, knowing that You will redeem my life. I release those who have hurt me. I choose forgiveness so I can be free to move forward in the path You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.