Inspiring For Excellence
The place you come from may have lots of names--slums, the "hood," ghetto, that side of town. You've heard the names before. You've heard all the disparaging remarks. Yet, you called it home. Where you come from, the experiences that you lived through, and the dreams that God gave you for a future full of impact all became a part of your journey.
Nazereth was that type of place, and God chose that place to be where Jesus "came from." Jesus fulfilled His purpose--our salvation. The Spirit of God lives within you to fulfill your purpose as well Stay focused as you walk with God!
Each of us is tempted to create a laundry list of self-improvement goals as we face a new year. Self-improvement is an admirable trait. Goal-setting is a viable tool.
We need to remember that we are not alone in our desire to be our best self. God created us in His image and likeness. God created us with purpose. God empowers us to fulfill our purpose. And God never leaves us alone as we seek to be our best self--in Him. We are loved as we are. We are daily being molded into who we were designed to be.
As you work on yourself, be mindful that your focus must rest in who you are in Christ. In Him, you live, you move, and you have your being. Know that you are loved and saved, and embrace your purpose.
I wish you the best that God has to offer in the new season in your life!
--Charles J. Pearson
Like Goliath, the challenges you face in life are real. They are not a figment of your imagination. Yet there are significant principles you must grasp as you face your giants.
Goliath is no match for God.
Goliath is big to be sure. Your giant is daunting, but God is so much bigger! Your struggle with a giant reveals the full nature of God. God is all-powerful.
He is a covenant-keeper. He is a protector.
Goliath is an opportunity.
Goliath (our struggle) presents you with the opportunity to experience God at new levels. These struggles and conflicts inform your awareness of who God is and the power He has to protect you when you face unimaginable odds.
Goliath makes your faith more tangible.
In Philippians 4:19, one of his later writings, Paul boldly proclaims, “My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” For Paul to have been so bold in that declaration, he must have had some experience with God meeting his needs. Living through struggle produces this kind of boldness. Wrestling with the unimaginable causes this kind of clarity.
--from "David: Facing Giants" in God, I'm Struggling