Tag Archives: You

Be You

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Know who you are. That’s a big thing in life. To know who you are. To know that you’re a child of God. To know that He loves you. To know that you are His, you are called, you are valued, you are of great worth.

To know that there is no one like you in the whole of creation. To know that you are uniquely gifted, called, worthy, and able to do amazing things that to no one else can do.

But, also know that you can’t do everything.

Listen to what happens in John 1:19-23:

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

stjohnWe see John the Baptist. There is no one like him, ever. He does things that no one every could do. He has gifts that no one else has. He even baptizes Jesus.

So, he does a lot.

But, we see in this passage today something huge, that he realized, and that we need to realize. He could only be him. He couldn’t be anyone else.

When they asked him who he was, he didn’t say – I am the Christ. He wasn’t. He wasn’t the one. He was the one that was sent to make things ready for the one.

That’s who he was. That was his calling. That was his gift.

He wasn’t everything. But he was something. Something important.

So are you. You aren’t everything. You don’t have all gifts. But, what you do have is important. Is unique. Is needed. Is special.

You can’t be everything.

But you can be you. Be you today. Be the best you that you can be. Be the you that God created you to be today.

Be you. And in that, be faithful. Live boldly. Live unafraid. Live with passion. Live with hope. With peace. With joy.

Be you.

Don’t try to be anyone else. Be you. And let God move in that!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Who Are We Aiming to Please?

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Today, in your life, who are you trying to make happy? Who are you trying to please?

Whose praise are you trying to ear?

The answer to that question will determine a lot of things in our lives.

If we live to please ourselves, we will become selfish, seeking only our pleasure, our gain, our stuff. We will place ourselves over others.

And in that, we will push others away, time and time again.

Living for ourselves will cause us to live alone.

Perhaps, through, we don’t live to please ourselves. We live to please others. And, while this sounds good, what happens is this.

We follow the crowd.

We given into peer pressure. We lose ourselves.

And, in that, we live more for the applause of man, than for what really matters.

Listen to what Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:1-4 today:

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

We are soilders of the cross. And our aim is not to please any human. Our aim is to please God.

Today, how are you living? Are you aiming to please yourself?

Are you aiming to please others?

Or are you aiming to please God?

Only one option will truly give us joy and peace.

Today, may we aim to please God.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

The Hardest Person to Forgive

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Forgiveness is a hard thing. It really is. I once read that forgiveness is not a sign of weakness, but of strength. Only the strong can forgive.

It can be very hard for us to forgive others. They may have wronged us badly. We struggle mightily with sometimes. And, we all understand.

We must, through, learn to forgive. I tell folks the quote that I’ve heard. Unforgiveness is me drinking a poison, and expecting it to kill you.

Our lack of forgiveness only harms us.

And I think we all know that. Even if it’s hard.

Others are often not the hardest to forgive. Sometimes, the hardest person to forgive is ourselves.

We can forgive others. It’s really, really, really tough to move past our failures sometimes. Sometimes we think we have done too much.

Gone too far.

Failed too loudly.

Surely there is grace for you. But, not for me.

We all think that. Listen to what 1 John 2:1-2 says:

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

We have an advocate. Jesus. He is the forgiveness for our sins He paid the price. He paid the ransom. He has done it.

We are forgiven. We are.

Listen. It’s not just we.

You.

(Insert Your Name Here) is forgiven. You are. Jesus Christ has purchased your freedom and forgiveness.

You are loved. You are forgiven. Today.

Today, may we live like the loved, forgiven children that we are!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.