Philippians 1:6 (AMP)
And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
A lesson I have had to learn has been to value how God sees me more so than how man sees me. It is only natural to want the approval of man. There have been times when I have determined whether the message I was preaching was win or a loss by how the crowd responded. I had it all wrong. In allowing the world’s opinion of me to be a larger factor than Christ’s opinion of me only suggest my confidence is in the world not in Christ.
There was a season in my life where I walked away from the Lord.
I went my own way and did my own thing. Several years later I rededicated my
life to Christ. Then there came a time when the Holy Spirit began to deal with
me about returning ministry. I must admit this was struggle. It meant I had to
overcome voices that echoed many untrue statements regarding my life. It meant
I had to rise above the opinions of the world and let God be God in my life. I
will never forget, one day as I was struggling with returning to ministry I
heard the voice of God speak to me. He said, “Do what I have called you to do,
and I will be your defender.” That was a powerful moment in my life, it meant
if I would do my part in pursing Christ destiny for my life, He would stand with
me and for me. And that my friends He did. It didn’t mean the crowd has always
been silenced, in fact I still hear voices echo hurtful, discouraging things
about me, but I have decided it is Christ opinion of me that matters.
[John 8:36] tells us, if Jesus the
Son of God sets you free, you are free indeed. So, if Jesus has set you
free, why are you allowing people to imprison you based upon your past. [2 Corinthians 5:17] tells us, “If anyone is in Christ
(meaning you accept Christ as Lord and Savior), he is a new creation (new person),
the old things have passed away. Behold all thing have become new.
As a believer you are to have absolute confidence in the
work of salvation or redemption which God has begun in your life. Your
confidence comes through the presence of God's Spirit that dwells within you.
There is nothing worse than allowing someone power and control
over your life based upon their opinion of you. Don’t allow people who continuously
remind you of your past and never celebrate your victories to have access or a
voice to speak into your life. Those people are not following Christ example. [Psalm
103:12] As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Christ isn’t one to bring it back up.
The work begun by Christ is a good
work; that is, it is a work that revolutionizes or radically changes the life
of the believer. No matter what kind of life a person was living, once God
converts him/her, the new believer begins to live a good life: a life of...
- righteousness, purity, and holiness.
- love, joy, and peace.
- faith, humility, and control.
Your past gives you power, and Christ creditability. People know where you
come from and the only possible way you have made it through your storm is because of the
involvement of a Savior, deliverer, healer, restorer at work in your life.
You must understand the power of the testimony God has given
you. Hollywood
has captured the power of a story. Audiences identify with a movie, locate
themselves in the story and connect with its significance.
But long before Hollywood, Jesus understood the power of the story. We see this in Mark 5:1-20. It is here Jesus heals a demon-possessed man, who then wanted to follow Him. But instead of allowing Him to follow, Jesus told him to stay home and tell his friends what God had done for him.
Many times, we are hesitant to share our story and what Christ has
done for us because we fear we may be rejected or Christ may be rejected. But
maybe just maybe someone will identity with our story and change their life.
The people of this region initially rejected Jesus, but He knew
their hearts would change simply by the power of this man’s story. Much of the
bible is a narrative itself. God has used scripture to inspire people for years
through power of a story.
Your name may not be David you may not be a king, or a musician.
Your name may not be Ruth you may not have had to deal with obscurity and bitterness,
but God is writing your story, so He can inspire someone else.
Like a screenwriter, He is crafting your journey in such a way
that when you recount it, others will be strengthened in their faith.It is my prayer this “Morning Cup of Java” has helped someone who is struggling to find their place, struggling with letting go of the past, struggling with insecurity, and the opinions of others. Remember you have been fearfully and wonderfully made by Christ Jesus and that is all that matters.
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