identity

  • The Most Powerful Way To Deal With Self-Criticism

    My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.
    1 John 3:18–20 MSG

    Brandon getting award at work

    My son Brandon is an amazing salesman.

    Over the past five years working for my parents, he’s expanded their business astronomically. At 25, they’re already working on a plan for Brandon to take over the business.

    If you know my dad at all, you know what a BIG deal it is for him to hand over the reins!

    Brandon loves the thrill of the sale and making his customers happy.

    Recently, Brandon called completely excited to tell me about a deal he just made on a trailer sale. A previous customer contacted him in a very difficult situation, having just experienced a personal disaster. Brandon‘s heart was moved with compassion.

    When he called the customer back and told them how he could work things out, the customer actually cried, thanking him repeatedly. At that point, I asked, “Isn’t the feeling you get helping someone else out as good, if not better than the feeling you get making a big money deal?” Brandon’s response, “Absolutely mom, absolutely.”

    The Most Powerful Way To Deal With Self-Criticism

    In this epistle, John imparts such wisdom when he educates believers about God’s love towards us and how we benefit by sharing that love with others.  In this week’s verses, John shares how loving each other…the art of practicing real, honest, sincere love towards others will even help defeat those internal negative, condemning thoughts of self-criticism we often struggle to place on mute. Basically…

    Helping Others Helps Us

    How can you honestly criticize yourself and say you’re not a good person,
    or that your life doesn’t count when you’re doing good things for others?

    Just as my son’s experience at work and his involvement with 100 Guys Who Care Brantford reveal,

    It’s an exhilarating feeling when you help others!

    Like putting arrows in a quiver; helping others gives you something to throw back at the enemy when he detonates those negative, self-critical thought bombs off in your brain.

    So, if you struggle with self-esteem issues, the advice given in 1 John 3:20 could be the best coping mechanism for you today…. get out of your brain and go help someone in need!

    Prayer

    Father…Your love is so good! Just when I think I understand how much You love me, I learn there’s a deeper well then I ever imagined.  It takes a lifetime to grasp Your love. Help me to silence self-doubt with Your love as I spend my time helping others; not introspectively criticizing myself because…YOU love ME! In Jesus Name…Amen

    [tweetthis]Get out of your brain and go help someone in need! 1 Jn 3:18-20[/tweetthis]

    [tweetthis]*Helping Others Helps Us* 1 John 3:18-20[/tweetthis]

    Drawing From The Well

    Will you indulge me? I’m hoping you’ll soak in this verse a little.  I found it interesting to compare these verses in different translations and I hope you do.  Bible Gateway is an easy way to look up Scriptures online, I love the YouVersion Bible App for my phone to look up verses, highlight and listen to the Bible read out to me in many versions.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Bible Hub for looking deeper into the original meaning of Scripture and other helpful tools they have.

    Compare these verses in different versions. I found these versions help bring a different deeper understanding to what John was teaching:  NIV, NLT, The Message, GOD’S WORD ® Translation

    1 John 3:18-20    BIBLE HUB   BIBLE GATEWAY–THE FOUR SIDE-BY-SIDE

    Soul H2O bookIf you liked the refreshing in this #SoulH2O devotion, you’ll love my latest Soul H2O Devotional book: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions for Women.

    Here’s a link to the group Brandon is a part of, but they have these groups all over North America. I would suggest googling “100 Guys Who Care Your Town/City Name” to find the closest chapter to you.
    100 Guys Who Care Brantford

    First Posted: April 18, 2018
    Reposted: March 8, 2023

    YOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP WITH:
    MONDAY     Monday Meditations – Laura J. Davis, Soul Survival – Donna Reidland,
    TUESDAY Cheerleaders of Faith #RARaLinkup – Kelly Balarie,
    WEDNESDAY Coffee For Your Heart – Holley Gerth, Word Nerd Wednesdays — Liz Giertz
    THURSDAY Heart Encouragement Thursday – Crystal Storms, Chasing Community – Barbara Bradford Ottinger
    FRIDAY Dance With Jesus Linkup – Susan B. Mead, Grace and Truth Linkup – Arabah Joy, Counting My Blessings – Deb Wolf, Fresh Market Friday – Crystal Twaddell ELLEN’S PICKS– Ellen Graf-Martin 

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  • Recognizing Your Ability To Name Things

    Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground 
all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. 
He brought them to the man
to see what he would name them;
and whatever the man called each living creature,
that was its name.
~Genesis 2:19 NIV

    Recognizing Your Ability To Name ThingsRecognizing Your Ability To Name Things

    As with anything I speak on or write about, I want you to know that I never feel I’ve “arrived”, or that I have this area perfected in my life.  I most often speak or write on topics or Scripture that God is highlighting in my life to help me grow and mature as a believer.  I especially feel this way about today’s devotion.  Its come out of some very challenging circumstances in my life and I’m thankful that until we draw our last breath… God isn’t finished with us yet! 

    Years before I became a mom, I picked out names for my kids.

    brandon and shelbyFor a boy, I wanted Brandon because I’d only known one other Brandon, a sweet adorable boy in my Sunday School class. By the time I had a son and given him the name Brandon, the Beverly Hills 90210 series had been released and was flooding our TV sets with the story of Brandon and Brenda Walsh. The name became associated with one of the coolest kids in North America, but it was no longer unique.

    I wanted the name Shelby for a daughter because of a spunky girl that sometimes came out to the youth group I pastored.  Seeing my kids now as grown, young adults I think I named them well.

    Cool would definitely describe my Brandon and spunky is an understatement for my Shelby!

    Today’s verse shows how God gave Adam the ability and authority to name all the animals and birds. Scripture says, “whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.”

    The reality is that God has given each of us the ability and authority to place names on things.

    Seriously, you are that powerful 🙂  Parents give their children a sense of identity by what they recorded on the birth certificate. Your first or given name helps you identify with who you are personally, and your last name brings a connection with your family identity.

    I wish this was the only way names were placed on people, just a one-time event at birth but sadly that’s never the case. Throughout your life; parents, teachers, bosses or even people in the checkout line are making statements about you; some kind, some loving… some harassing, negative or cruel.  Every word spoken has the potential to place a name on you. Sometimes people aren’t even trying to bring hurt but misguided words, insecurities or past hurt can leave your heart open to receiving names that were never intended for you.

    I want to encourage you that you’re not stuck with a name.

    One day God is going to give each of us a new name1 but before that happens, names can be changed. There are lots of examples in the Bible of people’s names being changed that changed the trajectory of their lives. Today, it takes a lot of work, but you can even have your name legally changed by the government. With work you can change the name label that’s been placed over you by others… or even if you’ve self-labeled.

    I also want to warn you.

    Be careful with your words. Sensitive ears are all around us, often attached to our own heads. As much as possible, talk in a way that uplifts, builds up and honors not using insults, criticism and heckling.  Remember how proverbs teaches that gracious, kind words are like honey; they’re “sweet to the soul”2 and “healing for the body”.3

    Prayer

    Father…I’m thankful you have a special name for me because you know me more than anyone on this earth.  Help me to make You the source of my worth, confidence and identity.  I ask You to bring revelation to where I’ve accepted names you never meant to characterize my life so I can reject and eradicate them from my thoughts. I chose to come in agreement with and commit to speaking the names you place over me. In Jesus Name…Amen

    Drawing from the well

    1. Genesis 2:19
    2. Isaiah 62:2
    3. Psalm 19:14
    4. Ephesians 4:29

    WHERE YOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP MY BLOG WITH OR PLACES WHERE MY WRITING HAS BEEN FEATURED

    Soul H2O book
    If you liked the refreshing in this #SoulH2O devotion, you’ll love my latest Soul H2O Devotional book: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions for Women.

    ENDNOTES

    1. Revelations 2:17
    2. Proverbs 16:24 NLT
    3. Proverbs 16:24 ISV

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  • Identity Theft

    Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”
    Genesis 32:28  NIV

    Identity TheftHave you ever watched the movie Identity Thief with Melissa McCarthy? She hilariously and yes irreverently, portrayed a girl who takes on the financial identity of Jason Bateman’s character. This conwoman uses his credit to buy stuff and destroy his financial rating. In the end your heart turns toward this crazy thief as you learn of her troubled childhood. She was attracted to this type of crime to get away from her birth identity. She could relate to Jacob in the Bible who needed an Identity Theft.

    Jacob the Deceiver

    Jacob was the son of Abraham. His very nature was described in the meaning of his name; ‘deceiver’. You know him, He was the one who conned his brother out of his birthright and then tricked his father into pronouncing the blessing for the firstborn on him. This put Jacob ‘on the run’ to get away from his brother Essau. The saying ‘you reap what you sow’ played out in Jacob’s life as he was then tricked by his father-in-law Laban into marrying Leah when he thought he was marrying Rachel.

    Years later, Jacob in turn tricks Laban and then flees that situation. On the run again, Jacob meets up with his brother Essau who surprisingly doesn’t kill him! I think at this point Jacob was finally ready to face his issues with deceit.

    Jacob to Israel

    After a long night of meeting with God and not giving up till he received God’s blessing, Jacob’s name was changed by God to ‘Israel’. He went from deceiver to overcomer when God pulled an ancient day Identity Theft!

    Have you been ‘on the run’ from God for a long time or know someone who is? Trust that God is chasing you down to read this message. He wants you to know that He’s in the business of changing flawed identities and producing overcomers!

    Prayer

    Father…You know the flaws at the very core of my identity. I open my life to You and ask that You would change my heart. Write a new name over me and produce an overcoming spirit deep within so I don’t give up and can see your blessing touch my life!  In Jesus name…Amen

    Soul H2O bookIf you liked the refreshing in this #SoulH2O devotion, you’ll love my latest Soul H2O Devotional book: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions for Women.

    WHERE YOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP MY BLOG WITH OR PLACES WHERE MY WRITING HAS BEEN FEATURED

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