Seeing Yourself Through God's Eyes (13 page)
Read Seeing Yourself Through God's Eyes Online
Authors: June Hunt
• In what ways are the words
reconcile
or
reconciliation
used in our human relationships? How is this similar and different from the biblical use?
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the L
ORD
will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint”
(I
SAIAH
40:29-31).
T
hroughout history and in every culture, if human beings have one thing in common, it might be this:
our fear of not having enough.
The constant desire for “things” can cost sleepless nights of worry, scheming how to get ahead in life. Making possessions a priority has caused nations to fight ruinous wars over “scarce” resources.
This same fear is also found in Christians who live with a constant sense of inadequacy in their walk with God. They often see themselves as empty-handed, utterly ill-equipped to handle what life throws at them. I assure you, this is
not
how God sees us—ever.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus confronted this debilitating fear head-on when He said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25).
That’s easier said than done!
Which is why the Lord tells us to compare ourselves to the birds and the flowers. They don’t labor and fret, yet God feeds them and clothes them with beauty. His message is clear: It is absurd to think He will not also do the same for us.
But these examples run even deeper than food and clothing. If we truly “consider” a sparrow, for instance, we see how God does more than simply feed it. The bird is outfitted with everything needed to survive and thrive. Its feathers provide warmth and allow it to fly. Its beak is ideally suited for cracking seeds and building nests. Even its song serves to attract a mate or warn its young. In other words, the little sparrow lacks nothing. It’s perfect just as it is…at peace in the hands of God.
And it’s the same for you when you’ve trusted your life to the Creator. The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:19, “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Not
some
needs…not
most
needs…but
every
need. Therefore, it’s time to put aside the fear of lack, for in Jesus, we already possess everything we need to live the abundant life God promises us.
Day 16:
I A
M
G
IVEN A
N
EW
H
EART BY
G
OD
• Jeremiah 17:9 describes the human heart as being “deceitful above all things” and “beyond cure.” From the very beginning of our lives, our hearts have been self-seeking and self-serving. In light of this self-centered condition, Ezekiel 36:26 offers hope. What does this verse promise?
• When God changes a person’s heart, there is healing, freedom, and hope for the future. When the apostle Paul wrote to his young protégé Timothy, he listed some evidences of a new heart. What are some of these characteristics as found in 1 Timothy 1:5 and 2 Timothy 2:22?
Day 17:
I A
M
G
IVEN THE
S
PIRIT OF
G
OD
• God designed the human spirit to be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit of God. What are some of the roles He plays in our life? (Read Ephesians 1:13; John 16:13; Luke 12:12; John 14:26; Romans 5:5; Romans 14:7; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Peter 1:21.)
• Read Galatians 5:22-25 out loud. With these “fruit of the Spirit” in mind, what do you think God’s purpose is in giving us His Spirit? How does He accomplish this?
Day 18:
I A
M
G
IVEN
E
VERYTHING
I N
EED BY
G
OD
• Our heavenly Father has opened a bank account in our name with deposits beyond our ability to exhaust. What are some of the resources available to us?
• In your own words, define the difference between what you
need
to live the Christian life—the life you were called to live—and what you merely
want
in regard to earthly desires.
Day 19:
I A
M
G
IVEN
S
TRENGTH FROM
G
OD
• God promises to give “strength to the weary” and to increase the “power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:29). According to the verses on page 86, what is the source of our strength? How much strength is provided? Is this an external strength or an inner strength?
• Most people call on God for strength during times of trial or trauma. What strategies can you think of that might help you learn to lean on His strength when you’re
not
in the midst of a trauma or trial?
Day 20:
I A
M
G
IVEN THE
M
ERCY OF
G
OD
• Jesus showed mercy to the woman caught in the sin of adultery. One definition of mercy is “active compassion.” Under what circumstances does God extend such mercy? (Note: His mercy is confined only by the willingness of a person to repent and to receive His mercy. See Lamentations 3:22-25 for additional insight.)
• Can you recall a situation in your life when you expected justice, but instead God granted mercy? Would you be willing to share your experience?
Day 21:
I A
M
G
IVEN THE
G
RACE OF
G
OD
• Because of God’s grace we are set free from living defeated lives. What did Paul say about God’s grace in 2 Corinthians 12:9 and in 1 Timothy 1:14?
• Have you ever experienced failure and received an extra measure of God’s grace? Would you be willing to share your experience?
Day 22:
I A
M
G
IVEN
C
OMPLETE
A
CCESS TO
G
OD
• Because of our relationship with Christ, we have complete access to God and may approach Him “with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12). How did you personalize Hebrews 4:16 (page 95 in the book)?
• Are there things in your own life you never take to God in prayer because you secretly believe they are too small or petty? Do you think God shares that attitude?
Day 23:
I A
M
G
IVEN THE
M
IND OF
C
HRIST
• The apostle Paul wrote regarding believers, “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). What do you think it means to have the “mind” of Christ? Have you seen this truth at work in your own life? Give an example.
• In a computer, dozens of unseen programs run behind the scenes of what you see on your monitor. What invisible programs (thoughts and beliefs) are running in your mind that you would like to replace with the mind of Christ? How would your life change if you did?
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness”
(2 P
ETER
1:3).
W
hy am I on earth? Does God have a purpose for me? How do I find it?
These questions we have in common…and we have asked them at different times in our lives, more than once. As a believer, you want to serve God with all your heart. But how? Sometimes the answer seems to hover just out of reach over the horizon like a shimmering mirage in the desert.
In reality, the truth is not hidden at all. Jesus answered the question as plainly as possible one day when a lawyer, hoping to trick Him, asked which was the greatest of all God’s commandments. The man thought he had handed Jesus a hopelessly tangled theological knot. Christ, of course, was ready.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39).
In other words,
love
is always at the center of God’s purpose for you—love and devotion first to the Lord, and then love and service flowing outward to each other. If you live each day in the single-minded pursuit of these two commandments, you will never stray an inch from His will for your life. It is through you—despite all your doubts and imperfections—that God intends to pour out His living water on the earth and draw all who are thirsty to Him.
Helen Keller once said, “Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another’s pain, life is not in vain.”
Love God. Love each other. God’s purpose for you really is that simple.
Day 24:
I A
M
C
REATED TO
D
O
G
OOD
W
ORKS FOR
C
HRIST
• Before you or I became a child of God, He had already prepared meaningful work for us to do. No matter how insignificant certain tasks may seem to be, they are never too small in God’s sight. How do your attitudes about your calling help or hinder God’s purpose for you?
• Read aloud James 2:14-26. Why is it so important to express your faith as “works” in the world?
Day 25:
I A
M AN
A
MBASSADOR FOR
C
HRIST
• Ephesians 4:1 encourages believers to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” You are called to be an ambassador for Christ. What is an ambassador? How does a Christian function as an ambassador in the world?
• Read Ephesians 6:19-20 out loud. Even though Paul was imprisoned, was he still an ambassador for Christ? What did he ask the Ephesian Christians to do for him? What did Paul say about their calling in life?
Day 26:
I A
M
B
EING
C
ONFORMED TO
C
HRIST
• In addition to the work God has planned for you to do, His purpose for your life includes the development of Christian character. He says you are predestined “to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” (Romans 8:29). In your own words, what does this mean?
• According to Romans 12:2, what is also required? What are some practical ways people can renew their minds?
Day 27:
I A
M
C
OMPLETE IN
C
HRIST
• Your human heart yearns to be connected with someone significant—someone who will make you feel complete. Yet the Bible says we are “complete in Him” (Colossians 2:10
NKJV
). In light of the loneliness we all experience from time to time, what has Jesus promised?
• Most people strive to feel “complete” by acquiring external things: possessions, money, status, relationships. How would your life be different if you suddenly stopped struggling and accepted that you are already completely whole in Christ?
Day 28:
I A
M
C
LOTHED WITH THE
R
IGHTEOUSNESS OF
C
HRIST