Get Real

April 26, 2022April 24, 2022Leave a comment

Jesus loves you.

The real you.

Not the one you think you should be but the person you actually are with all the contradictions within you – good, bad, helpful, hurtful, humble, prideful, broken, healed.

Jesus does not expect you to be perfect, He expects you to be real.

Real with who you are, where you are and that you need Him.

“So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you;” 1 Peter 5:6 MSG

Let go of who you think you should be and embrace who you are today.

Jesus does and loves you.

Let Him.

Real Love

June 19, 2020June 14, 2020Leave a comment

Friday

God is interested in you being real and authentic today.

He does not expect you to be perfect, He sets you free to be real.

Jesus loves the real you.

Not the one you think you should be but the person you actually are.

“So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you”. 1 Peter 5:6,7 MSG

Let go of the image of who you think you need to be and embrace who you are today.

Jesus does.

What would happen if you let go of your “image” and asked God to help you love yourself as you are, where you are with what you have?

The Gethsemane Prayer

April 8, 2020April 5, 2020Leave a comment

Wednesday4-8

“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane…”

Matthew 26:36

Jesus went to a garden on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives, the place olives were crushed for their oil.

With the scent of olive oil heavy in the air, Jesus prayed.

Not with pretty words but with real feelings of a soul overwhelmed with sorrow.

He cried out to His Father to the point of sweating blood.

On the way to Easter, we must stop at Gethsemane.

This is the place of honesty and truth.

This is the place Jesus set us free to live in.

Jesus held back nothing, He never did.

My friend, you don’t have to “hold back” your sorrow or worry from God. In fact, He is the only One who is able to fully receive them without being hurt. He opens His arms and embraces you fully. He is able to handle it all.

Jesus went there and so can you. We don’t talk about Gethsemane Prayer much but at some point, we all need it. Maybe you need it today.

Sorrow is a part of life and Gethsemane is a safe place to pour out our grief, our anger, our hurt, our fear. It is also there we find the unlimited depths of God’s love for us.

After Gethsemane, Jesus went to the cross to take upon Himself all that separates you from God once and for all.

Nothing can separate you from the love of God, even when your soul is overwhelmed with sorrow. He will meet you there, He knows how it feels.

Jesus asked His Father if salvation for mankind could be purchased any other way than through the cross – there wasn’t.

So He went there.

Prayer is Precious

March 27, 2020March 23, 2020Leave a comment

Another precious thing we all have access to during this time is the invitation to pray.

Prayer that is undefined, unpracticed and unscripted.

Honest prayers, fearful prayers, desperate prayers, prayers too deep for words.

All kinds of prayers from all kinds of people in all kinds of situations.

“You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry.”

Psalm 10:17 NIV

You need to know that there is Someone who will hear you, listen to you, sit with you and encourage you. To give you wisdom and guidance. To remind you that you are cherished and loved. Someone who promised to never leave you without support (Hebrews 13:5).

Because of Jesus, you have access to a Father who loves you and listens to you. He knows what is happening, what will happen and what you will need to get through it.

He is available today to hear you out, listen to you, sit with you and encourage you. To give you wisdom and guidance. To remind you that you are cherished and loved today regardless of where you are and what you are facing.

We often look to the outcome of circumstances as proof that God is real and loves us. The proof was provided at the cross. There Jesus unlocked access for all who want it into the presence of the eternal God.

Whatever you are facing today, you are not alone and you can pray.

Pour out your heart to God.

Dude, Be Kind

November 22, 2019November 17, 2019Leave a comment

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Someone needs you to be kind today.

To preach without words.

To listen without judgment.

To speak the truth in love.

To serve without complaining.

To be brave.

To be real.

To be available.

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season;”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Be available for God to use you anywhere, anytime with anyone and He will.

No Image Management Needed

September 28, 2018September 24, 20182 Comments

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The world likes a tidy image to categorize us in but God has no such desire.

In fact, He is more interested in authenticity vs. image and reality vs. the picture in your head of who you think you are supposed to be.

Jesus does not expect you to create a perfect picture of a good life. Instead, He invites you to live your real life with Him involved in it every day.

“So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you”. 1 Peter 5:6,7 MSG

Let go of the image of who you think you need to be and embrace who you are.

God does.

Start enjoying the reality of your life instead of being discontent that it doesn’t fit the image of what you think it should look like.

In fact, the more you let go of that image, the more you are able to thrive in the life God has given you. Stop spending all your energy trying to shine it up and make your life look perfect, instead simply enjoy who you are and what you have – no image management needed.

Are you miserable because you are trying to live up to an unauthentic image?

What would happen if you let go of it and asked God to help you love who you are, where you are and what you have?