Our theme for this month: “The Gift of Being Yourself”

Our Bible verse for today: “Better one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Psalm 84:10 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Humility and humor are wonderful virtues.”

Yesterday I told you about my old friends Dick and Jean DeGrow. Dick and Jean were two of the most relaxed, settled, and serene Christians I have ever had the pleasure to know. They were truly comfortable with themselves and with each other. Part of the winsomeness of their personalities came from the fact that they were both humble and they each had a wonderful sense of humor. But it was self-deprecating humor – they directed it mostly at themselves and at each other. They told jokes on themselves and they teased each other in a good natured way.

In terms of humility, Dick was an especially good example. He was a former Pastor but at 74 years old he served as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, and custodian in our church. One day I was in my office writing a sermon and Dick was at the church cleaning and emptying trash. At one point he stuck his head in the door and asked, “How’s my Pastor today, is there anything I can do for you?” I looked at him, smiled, and asked, “Dick, why do you serve as the custodian here? You’re a retired Pastor. You don’t need the money, and I could easily get someone else to do this. Why do you do it?” He looked at me and said, “Pastor, I would rather clean toilets in the house of the Lord than be the CEO of a big company.” Then he smiled and said, “You have a nice day” and he shuffled away to do the cleaning.

In terms of humor, Dick and Jean were hilarious – always cutting-up and always teasing each other. I mentioned yesterday that Dick loved his ice cream. Eating ice cream was a nightly ritual that he never missed. Once Linda and I were visiting with them, just shooting the breeze and enjoying each others company. At one point Dick mentioned to Jean (as he was eating ice cream) that he needed to buy some new pants because his old ones were getting a little tight. Jean told him that if he would lay-off the ice cream his old pants would fit just fine. Dick responded that eating ice cream was a spiritual discipline and it was helping him to get ready for heaven. Skeptical, Jean asked how eating ice cream could be a spiritual discipline and how it was getting him ready for heaven. Dick then informed her that in heaven ice cream is good for you and it’s broccoli that has all the calories! (I’m not sure how Dick knew that but he was a very spiritually mature man so I trust his insight!)

Humility and humor are endearing qualities in a person’s personality. When we’re able to be humble and when we easily engage in good-natured humor it’s a clear sign that we don’t take ourselves too seriously and we have learned to relax and lighten-up.

May you be humble and humorous today.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

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Our theme for this month: “The Gift of Being Yourself”

Our Bible verse for today: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:23-24 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “There may be some things that do need to change.”

I know a young man who has a dark personality. He always has a serious and even stern look on his face. When you talk to him it quickly becomes obvious that virtually every comment he makes is in some way negative or critical. He finds fault with pretty much everyone and everything, and he is happy to tell you about it. As a result, people are put off by him and he has few friends or close relationships. He really does need to change the way he interacts with people. He needs a change of heart. He needs Jesus.

I know another man who has the worst personal hygiene I have ever seen in someone who was not actually homeless (although this guy certainly gives the appearance of being homeless). He clothes are always dirty, his hair is rarely combed, his beard is scraggly, he has body odor and bad breath, and he seems to take delight in being offensive. This man too has few friends or close relationships. He really needs to clean himself up.

When we consider the issue of “The Gift of Being Yourself”, a person could understand that as a license to be sloppy and lazy, or as an excuse to not make any effort to improve in areas that do in fact need improvement. But it doesn’t mean that at all.

I found it interesting that Robert McGee chose to begin his Bible study “The Search for Significance: Build Your Self-Worth on God’s Truth” by quoting Psalm 139:23-24 (above). The reason he did that is because before we breath a deep sigh of relief, relax, settle-in, and enjoy just being ourselves in Christ, we need to first honestly give God the opportunity to show us the things about ourselves that really do need to be changed.

When we talk about God (the Potter) molding us and shaping us into the people He wants us to be, what we’re talking about is change. Things about us are being changed. But that change is not magic and it doesn’t come about entirely by God’s effort alone. He involves us in the change. He shows us the things that need to be fixed and then we have to get busy making those changes. We have to actually do the things necessary in order to cooperate with God in this process of transformation.

So begin by being open before God and asking Him to search you and know you. Ask Him to reveal to you any offensive ways, short comings, or attitudes that need to change.

You don’t need to please other people, but you do need to please God. God knows what things about you are just fine, and which need to be changed. Be open before Him and ask Him to show you what needs to change.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “The Gift of Being Yourself”

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry, but rather what is inside the heart – the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:3-4 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Don’t be phony”

You may remember from the first devotional in this series when I told you about the man I saw who was decked out in what I called “The Cleveland look”. He was wearing red and white plaid pants, a red polo shirt tucked in, a white patent leather belt and white patent leather shoes. It was a very unique look. Nobody else was dressed like that, but he didn’t seem to care.

That’s an example of someone who evidently was not easily influenced by the opinions of others and therefore dressed the way he wanted to, rather than based upon what other people might or might not like. On the other end of the spectrum are those people who are heavily influenced by what they believe other people think, and who try hard to gain their approval (sometimes to the point of absurdity). I’m thinking about the 60 year old bar fly with the poofed-up hair, way too much make-up, and the skin tight mini skirt. She’s 60 but trying hard to look 30, hoping that some man might find her attractive.

I think also of the 50 year old insurance salesman who, on the weekends, gets on his Harley Davidson motorcycle, dressed in black leathers, fake earrings, a large skull and bones necklace medallion, chains draped around his waist, and a fake motorcycle gang vest with the name of a phony gang on the back (The Bad Boys Gang). People like this guy, and the lady in the previous example, aren’t comfortable with who they really are and they’re therefore trying to pretend to be someone they’re not.

In his book “The Gift of Being Yourself” David Benner writes, “There are many false ways of achieving uniqueness. These all result from attempts to “create” a self rather than receive the gift of “my self-in-Christ”. But the uniqueness that comes from being our true self is not a uniqueness of our own making. Identity is never simply a creation. It is always a discovery. True identity is always a gift from God.

One of the best tools I have ever discovered for helping people to understand, appreciate, and embrace their God-given identity is the short Bible study “The Search for Signficance: Build your Self-Worth on God’s Truth”. It’s a wonderful study that helps us to understand, accept, and be happy with who we are in Christ. I’ll share some insights from that study with you in coming days.

The truth is that we don’t have to imitate other people, and we don’t have to try to be something we’re not. God is in the process of forming us into the individuals He wants us to be, and that will always result in the best you there can be.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “The Gift of Being Yourself”

Our Bible verse for today: “I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “You are in the process of being sanctified by God.”

When we talk about simply relaxing and enjoying who you are and of being comfortable in your own skin, that’s a lot easier to do if  “who you are” is someone who really has something going on, someone who has a reason to feel good about themselves.

On the physical side of things, it helps if you make an effort to take care of yourself. Brush your teeth, comb your hair, and change your underwear everyday and you will probably feel a lot better about yourself than if your clothes are dirty, your teeth are green, and the birds have built a nest in your hair. Take care of yourself.

But what really makes a difference in how we feel about ourselves is the change that God works in us spiritually. Theologians refer to this as “the process of sanctification”. “Sanctification” is a fifty-cent theological word that simply means “to set apart and make holy for sacred use”. As a child of God you have been “set apart and made holy for God”.

Sanctification occurs in three stages. At the moment of salvation you are set apart for God by the Holy Spirit. Then throughout the rest of your life God molds you and shapes you – transforming you spiritually into the person He wants you to be. Then one day in heaven you will be fully sanctified and you will be the person you will be for the rest of eternity.

The more you cooperate with God in the ongoing process of sanctification now, the more spiritual transformation you will experience. And the more spiritual transformation you experience, the more settled, serene, and content you will be. God is in the process of molding and shaping you into that person. All you need to do is cooperate with Him. The more you apply yourself to the basic disciplines of the Christian life such as prayer, Bible study, group worship, memorizing Bible verses, acts of service, etc, the more you will be placing yourself in a position before God whereby He can continue to change you into the spiritual person He wants you to be.

If you want to become increasingly comfortable with yourself – more satisfied with who you are and with who you are becoming, the ongoing process of sanctification is your ticket. Nothing will have a deeper or more profound impact on you than being transformed spiritually by God. Yesterday I wrote of how I admire people who are quietly confident with their identity in Christ – people who know they have nothing to prove to others; people who are serene, settled, confident, and content. Well, this is how they became that way. They are sanctified in Christ. They have been transformed.

Sanctification is such an important topic that we will need to continue thinking about it tomorrow, because there is nothing you can do that will have a greater impact on how you feel about yourself than fully cooperating with God in the transformation He is bringing about in your life.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “The Gift of Being Yourself”

Our Bible verse for today: “Yet Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay and you are our potter, we all are the work of your hands.” Isaiah 64:8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Allow God to mold you and shape you into the person He wants you to be.”

The metaphor of a potter and the clay is used numerous times in the Bible to help us understand that God shapes us and forms us into the individuals He wants us to be. Our first hint of this is found in Genesis chapter two when we read of God creating Adam out of the dust of the ground. In Jeremiah chapter eighteen God takes Jeremiah on a field trip to the workshop of a potter so he can see the craftsman molding and shaping the vessel into the form he wants it to be, and God then uses it as an object lesson for how He deals with us.

The prophet Isaiah also used the metaphor several times, as did the Apostle Paul. In fact in Romans chapter nine Paul challenges his readers to consider whether or not the clay has any right to say to the potter “Why did you make me this way?” And then of course in Psalm 139:13-16 we read that beautiful description of a loving Creator tenderly and intricately weaving together the physical body of the Psalmist in his mother’s womb.

We commonly think of the potter and clay metaphor with respect to our physical bodies, but the more important application is spiritual. As a potter molds the physical clay into the form he wants it to take, so too God molds and shapes us spiritually into the people He wants us to be.

This is an important understanding when it comes to accepting who you are, and becoming increasingly comfortable in your own skin. God is in the process of molding and shaping you spiritually.

I have always admired those Christians who have matured spiritually to the point that they are quietly confident in their identity in Christ. They have nothing to prove. They are settled, serene, confident, and joyful. This comes from the practice Eugene Peterson once described as “a long obedience in the same direction.” In other words, day-in and day-out you consistently do the things that place you in a position before God so that He can mold you and shape you into the person He wants you to be.

Tomorrow we will think more about how to accomplish this. In the meantime I encourage you to spend some time with God thanking Him for who you already are, and for the person you are becoming.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “The Gift of Being Yourself”

Our Bible verse for today: “The person who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Be faithful and flourish”

I love the imagery of Jeremiah 17:7-8. There we find the faithful man or woman of God compared to a healthy tree that is well-watered and producing great fruit. Its roots go deep and it is therefore strong and stable, able to withstand storms and adverse circumstances.

Psalm 1:1-3 paints an almost identical picture using similar words. In Galatians 5:22-23 the Apostle Paul describes such a person as living a life that is abundant with the Fruit of the Spirit: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

The point in all of those passages is that when a person simply settles into a life of faith and focuses on establishing deep spiritual roots, and when they drink long and deep every day of the Living Water, that person flourishes in all the ways that really matter.

This is important, and it’s a key to embracing the gift of simply being yourself. Most of us expend way too much time and effort trying to fit into the world’s mold. We stress and strive to be the kind of person the world tells us we should be, achieving the things the world says are important, and acquiring the possessions the world tells us we should want. This is a mistake and it leads to emptiness and frustration.

Instead God calls us to a life of faith. We are to simply settle into our faith – relax in our faith – and focus on growing deep in a relationship with God. That then will produce a life which is truly fruitful. The more spiritually mature you become the less you will feel pressured to be what the world wants you to be. The most spiritually mature individuals tend to be settled, serene, peaceful, and content. It’s not that they never face problems or that they never get upset or discouraged, but their overall character becomes increasingly serene, peaceful, and content.

Rather than stressing and striving to fit into the world’s mold, you can instead relax and settle into your faith, allowing God to mold you and shape you into the person He wants you to be. That’s when you will truly flourish as a person; it’s when you will be the most content and peaceful.

Just be faithful and you will flourish as a person. We’ll continue this thought tomorrow.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “The Gift of Being Yourself”

Our Bible verse for today: “For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “There is no one else like you.”

Have you ever read the wonderful little book “The Greatest Miracle in the World”? It’s a small book, only about 100 pages, and it’s an easy read. It was written by Og Mandino and is part of a series of small books that tell of Og’s own real-life transformation.

Og was an alcoholic whose life was so bad that he seriously considered committing suicide. At one point he met a wise old man on the street whom he called “The Ragpicker”. Through the course of a budding friendship the Ragpicker shared important life lessons with Og, especially lessons about God, which radically changed Og’s life. Og then went on to spend the rest of his life writing best-selling inspirational books and conducting seminars and workshops to help others get their lives straightened out too.

One of the most important lessons the old Ragpicker taught Og was to learn to accept himself as a much-loved and unique creation of God. The main thrust of the lesson is found in the title to the book itself – the greatest miracle in the world is you. You are God’s masterpiece. He intentionally created you with infinite precision beyond anything you can imagine. From the color of your hair to the shape of your nose to the length of your pinky toe, God made decisions about it all. He decided who your parents would be, when you would be born, how long you will live, and whether you would have clear skin or freckles (and how many freckles).

The most important chapter in the story is what Og calls “The God Memorandum”. It’s an absolutely brilliant piece of writing that answers the question “If God were to write a letter to you explaining how special you are to Him, what would that letter say?”

Before you can be comfortable in your own skin, truly enjoying just being yourself, you must understand and accept that God intentionally created you to be the unique individual you are. The full “God Memorandum” takes an entire chapter in the book, but for your convenience I have pasted an abridged version of it below as an addendum to this devotional message. If you don’t have time to read the entire thing now then save it for later, but I encourage you to spend some time with it soon. You are God’s special, unique, and much-loved creation. There is no one like you.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

THE GOD MEMORANDUM

I hear your cry.

Be at peace. Be calm, for I bring you relief for your sorrow, for I know its cause and I know its cure.

You weep for childhood dreams that have vanished with the years. You weep for your self- esteem that has been corrupted by failure. You weep for all your talent that has been wasted through misuse. The passing years have destroyed your recollection, for they have filled your mind with fear and doubt and anxiety and remorse and hate. And there is no more room for joyful memories where these sorrows live.

Weep no more, for I am with you. This moment is the dividing line for your life. All that has gone before is past. This is the day you return from being dead. I am life. Take me, accept me. This is your new date of birth. Head my words. Follow my counsel.
This time you shall not fail.

Feel my hand upon your head and attend to my wisdom. Let me share with you again one secret which you heard once but have forgotten.

I have fashioned you with infinite love. You are a MASTERPIECE of divine work.
But how can you be a masterpiece when you consider yourself a failure? How can you be a masterpiece when you have no confidence? How can you be a divine masterpiece when you are shackled by debt and lie awake in torment over whence will come tomorrow’s bread?

ENOUGH. The milk that is split is sour. Yet how many messengers have I sent you with the word of your divine origin, your potential for Godliness and the secrets of achievement? And how did you treat them?

Still, MY LOVE, my concern for you will never changed. And I am with you now through these words to fulfill the words of the prophet who announced that I shall set my hand upon you again, a second time and even a hundred times.

You have been told that I created you in my image. You have been told that you are a wonderful piece of work, noble in reason, infinite in faculties.

You believed no one. You buried your map to happiness; you abandoned your claim to peace of mind; you snuffed out the candles that had been placed along your destined path of glory; and then you stumbled, lost and frightened, in the darkness of futility and self-pity; until you fell into a hell of your own creation.

Then you cried and beat your breast and cursed the much that had befallen you. You refused to accept the consequences of your own petty thoughts and lazy deeds and you searched for a scapegoat on which to blame your failures. How quickly you found one! You blamed me!

You cried that your handicaps, your mediocrity, your lack of opportunity, your failures were the will of God! You were wrong!

Let us take inventory. Let us call a roll of the blessings I have endowed you with. For how can I ask you to build a new life unless you know the tools you have?

Are you blind? Does the sun rise and set without your witness? No. You can see. I have placed in your eyes the hundred million receptors to enable you to enjoy the color of a leaf, a pond, a child, a cloud, a star, a rose, a rainbow, and the look of love. Count one blessing!

Are you deaf? Does a baby laugh or cry without your attention? No. You can hear. I have built the 24 thousand fibers in each of your ears to vibrate to the wind in the trees, the tides on the rocks, the majesty of an opera, a robin’s plea, the happy laughter of children at play and the words: “I LOVE YOU.” Count another blessing.

Are you mute? Do your lips move and bring forth only spittle? No. You can speak, as can no other of my creatures, and your mouth can calm the angry, uplift the despondent, goad the quitter, cheer the unhappy, warm the lonely, praise the worthy, encourage the defeated, teach the ignorant… and say “I love you!” Count another blessing.

Are you unloved and unloving? No. No more. For now you know loves secret, that to receive love it must be given with no thought of its return. To love for fulfillment for satisfaction or pride is not love. Love is a gift from which no return is demanded. Now you know that to love unselfishly is its own reward, and even should love not be returned it is not lost, for love not reciprocated will flow back to you and soften and purify your heart. Count another blessing.

Is your heart stricken? Does it leak and strain to maintain your life? No. Your heart is strong. Touch your chest and feel it’s rhythm, pulsating, hour after hour, day and night, 36 million beats each year, year after year, asleep or awake, pumping your blood through more than 60 thousand miles of veins, arteries and tubing, pumping more than 6 thousand gallons each year. No human has ever created such a machine. Count another blessing.

And now, consider the intricate structure of your brain, the most complex in the universe. Within its three pounds are 13 billion nerve cells, more than three times as many cells as there are people on the earth. And to help you file away every perception, every sound, taste, smell, every action you have experienced since the day of your birth, I have implemented within your cells more than one thousand billion protein molecules… Every incident in your life is there, waiting only for your recall. And to assist your brain in the control of your body I have dispersed throughout your form four million pain-sensitive structures, five thousand touch detectors, and more than two hundred thousand temperature detectors. None of your ancient wonders are greater than you.

You are my finest creation!

You are so rich in blessings they overflow from your cup. And yet, you have been unmindful of them. With generosity and regularity I have bestowed you every blessing necessary to be your treasure and your tool with which to build, starting today, the foundation for a new better life.

Where are the handicaps that produced your failures? They exist only in your mind.
Count your blessings. You are my finest creation. You are a miracle.

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