In our culture today, there seems to be no facet of life that is untouched by money and the pursuit of it. The Bible calls Christians to have a different culture, one which pursues sacrificial giving. Our four guests discuss the all-important of how should Christians think about money management, stewardship and giving.
Guests: Mike Omoniyi, Lois Komalafe, Mwaka Mudenda, Emmanuel Hammond
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Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters
Genesis 1:2
The Hebrew word for the Holy Spirit is Ruakh, which means ‘wind or breath’, and He is the third member of the Trinity (Triune God), first mentioned in Genesis 1:2. The Word of God is often described as “God-breathed”, inspired and lead by the Holy Spirit 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and so knowing the Hebrew meaning gives context to that scripture.
The same Holy Spirit descended onto Jesus like a dove when He was baptised by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:16-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22 and John 1:29-34) and it was from this point that Jesus’ full ministry started. What is interesting is that baptism of the Spirit translates the wind of the Spirit to water, outwardly there is a physical purification by water but at the same time there is a purification of the human spirit through the power of the Holy Spirit, and we are made new. Hence why people may outwardly ‘look the same’ but often say they ‘feel differently inside’.
Before Jesus ascended to heaven to join the Father, He said “but the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you,” John 14:26. Now in Acts 2 we read about the Day of Pentecost when the disciples along with other followers of Christ were filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time “suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting,” Acts 2:2. The Holy Spirit was present at the beginning of creation, was prophesied about by prophets and then was made available to us to live with.
The Holy Spirit in the Hebrew Bible and Its Connections to the New Testament | Bible.org
Galatians 5:25 says
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”. But how do we know we live in the Spirt, what does it mean to walk by the Spirit and how can we be sure we are walking in the Holy Spirit?
We must first understand the significance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit is God, part of the Trinity. He is our guide, our helper and our counsellor (John 14:16). It is only once we receive Christ, as our Lord and Saviour, that we also receive the Spirit. In this new life in Christ, we do not know how to live the type of life that glorifies God. However, upon Christ’s departure, we were given the promise of the Spirit to help us live righteously (John 14:26). Every person who receives Christ, receives the Holy Spirit.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him
Romans 8:9
We belong to Christ; therefore, we have the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of God which is the same Holy Spirit, as all three are one in the Trinity. The Holy Spirit dwells within us (1 Corinthians. 3:16) and can be envisioned as an inner compass that guides us towards a life pleasing to God.
Christ has already paid the price for our sins, we are forgiven and the Spirit is forever with us. We are not trying to work towards a standard in our salvation. No, once saved, this is the process in our sanctification, making us more like Christ each day. We are in Christ so we have the Spirit living within us. Now the call, in Galatians 5:25, is to outwardly display the inward working that has taken place, in the Spirit, through our characteristics and choices.
Before Christ, we lived a life in the flesh, doing worldly things and thinking about the wants of our sinful selves. With Christ, we die to the flesh, we say no to the worldly and earthly desires we once enjoyed and entertained, choosing instead to walk in the Spirit.
For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live
Romans 8:13
The sinful wants of the flesh are described in Galatians 5:19 as sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality…”. Essentially, the flesh is anything that is against God and His holiness. Thus, we are tasked with “walking in the spirit as to not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16) because the Spirit and the flesh are against each other, they cannot co-exist, grow and be sustained in the same space (v.17). We do not know entirely what is against God’s holiness as above is not an exhaustive list, however, with the Spirit of God, we receive guidance.
Now we have received, not from the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God
1 Corinthians 2:23
We are never alone on this journey, yet the choice is ours if we want to follow the Spirit or our flesh on the journey. If we envision the Spirit walking with us, side by side, step by step, we begin to see the image of the meaning of ‘walking by the Spirit”. We must continuously remain in step with the Spirit, following the same path and keeping pace.
To walk by the Spirit also means to focus our minds on the things of the Spirit. It is important to understand that this is a mind shift and life transformation. When we choose to walk by the Spirit, we are deciding to set aside our personal desires and sinful selves daily.
Those who live following their sinful selves think only about the things that their sinful selves want. But those who live following the Spirit are thinking about the things the Spirit wants them to do.
Romans 8:5
As with any organism, the more attention, time and care given to it, the more it will grow and produce (fruit). This is the same with the Spirit, the evidence is the fruit which are outlined in Galatians 5:22-23.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is no law
Galatians 5:22-23
The fruit of the Spirit is a list of traits which are identifiable in a person’s behaviour and lifestyle. It is necessary to note that there are not multiple fruits of the Spirit rather one fruit with multiple parts. These distinct parts display themselves in different ways as outlined in vs. 22-23. One Spirit, one fruit. We all have the fruit of the Spirit within us as the Spirit dwells in us and we seek to display the Spirit, in our lives, through our fruit.
We cannot be nurturing or fulfilling the desires of our flesh, as described above, and providing the space for the fruit of the Spirit to grow. The fruit will be a result of a life surrendered to the Spirit, not our flesh. For this reason, we need to specifically walk – make an active choice to follow, be guided by and remain together – with the Spirit, to grow and live. We have to put away the former way of life for a new way of life, in the Spirit.
For more reading on walking in the Spirit
For more on the topic of the Holy Spirit, listen to the latest episode of #ThePulsePodcast
Often when we think about God, we commonly associate him with paternal or comrade attributes, i.e. a Father or friend, but rarely do we view him as a judge. Packer rightly puts it, saying;
Speak to [people] of God as a Father, a friend, a helper , one who loves us despite all our weakness and sin and their faces light up. But speak to them of God as Judge and they frown and shake their heads. They find it repellent and unworthy.
J.I Packer
In a cultural climate that is becoming more acquainted with self-love and extending grace to ourselves, why doesn’t God let bygones be bygones? Why can’t he just overlook our wrongdoings and just forgive us with no strings attached?
To understand why God does what he does, we must first reckon with who he is. Knowing God’s character provides us with the roadmap in discovering the answers as to his will and thus his actions. One thing is clear about God. He is holy. Holiness speaks to the deepest and innermost nature of God, as it points not only to his transcendence (the fact that he unique, other and separate from the creation he has made) i.e. omniscient, omnipotent etc, but to the fact that his moral purity is consummate. That means that the nature of God’s righteousness is so utterly perfect that he is the standard of moral perfection and goodness against which all actions are measured by.
This holy character is so exclusive to God himself that it must separate from all things that are unholy. In Leviticus we see this separation physically; the Most Holy Place where God resides being off-limits to all people except the Hight Priest, who had to be consecrated (made holy for God’s purposes) and anointed before being able to work in such close proximity to God. Moses is warned by God to not come near the burning bush which was engulfed by God’s holy presence. The running theme is that God being perfectly holy, is dangerous to anyone that is morally imperfect.
Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all people I will be honoured
Leviticus 10:3
His holiness must never be breached, compromised or trivialised, this being a matter or life or death. Anything unclean, impure that would trespass God’s holy nature may be consumed in judgement. Judgement maintains the equilibrium so that what is holy is separate from unholy, and clean and pure separate from what is unclean and impure.
God’s holiness, as previously mentioned, speaks of his all-powerful and majestic nature. This means that God, who is morally perfect, also rules sovereignly, meaning all and authority belongs to him. Ultimately it means he decides what laws we should live by. He also decides how we should be judged if we do not live by them. Rightfully so, being the standard of moral perfection, God’s wisdom of right and wrong, qualifies him to know what is just and fair play, because to know justice is to know himself. Justice flows from the righteous nature of God. We know what is wrong because we compare it with what is right and what is right is perfectly fulfilled in him.
Being made in God’s image – God’s inclination to long for just treatment and fair play resides in us. We rejoice when we see a killer is found guilty in court and we mourn when fellow humans face injustice. The truth is sin (to fall short of what is right), has entered us all. We are all prone to do what is wrong, to committing an error and thus to be culpable. It is God’s task to maintain equilibrium and be consistent with his moral perfection by doing what is just. At the heart of justice which expresses God’s nature is retribution, rendering to people what they deserved. If we do something wrong, we deserved to be punished for it, so that the standard of doing right is maintained. This is the reason why God cannot just forgive us. If we saw a judge let a guilty offender just go free with no punishment, it would anger us. So why should we get away with our wrongdoing?
God must punish our sin, he simply cannot thwart justice by overlooking our deeds. So how can we be forgiven while ensuring that God carries out justice by charging a guilty offence with punishment? Christ is the answer. He substitutes himself in our position. Despite being innocent and sinless he takes on our offences as though they were his and becomes the guilty defendant in our place. God’s wrath and will to carry out justice is satisfied as Jesus bears the full consequences by dying as the bloody sacrificial lamb on the cross. This is called atonement. Now because of Christ, those who believe in Christ and his work on the cross can be forgiven by God because the debt has been paid and judgement for the offence fulfilled. It is only through Christ’s sacrifice of appeasing God’s judgement of sin through the shedding of his blood that forgiveness can truly take place.
Of all the gifts given to mankind by God, there is none greater than the presence of the Holy Spirit. For many people, the person of the Holy Spirit raises many questions as to its functions, roles, and activities. Our Director Mike Omoniyi shares how The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is active in our world and notes several roles the Holy Spirit plays in the lives of believers today.
Join the discussion online using #ThePulsePodcast
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Of all the gifts given to mankind by God, there is none greater than the presence of the Holy Spirit. For many people, the person of the Holy Spirit raises many questions as to its functions, roles, and activities. Our Director Mike Omoniyi shares how The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is active in our world and notes several roles the Holy Spirit plays in the lives of believers today.
Join the discussion online using #ThePulsePodcast
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Phrases like “Work hard, play hard”, “Everyday I’m hustling” or “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” whilst often said light heartedly can actually cause us to develop an unhealthy work-life balance. If this is not addressed early it can lead to a state called “burnout”, which is exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration. So, what do we do when we come to the end of ourselves and find that we are running on empty?
What causes it?
I’ll start off by saying it is normal to experience stress and burnout occasionally but as we mature, it is so important to know the sources of drainage in your life and what could be eliminated to help the situation. Imagine you were in a boat and it started leaking, you would want to quickly find out the source of the leak and plug it, to prevent the boat from sinking! You are the boat. Ensure you don’t have too many things in your life draining your emotional, spiritual or physical energy otherwise you will sink.
As a student there are so many things on your mind from deadlines for assignments, to exam preparation, to job applications, the list is endless. With such a long to do list, it can instil worry and fear in the heart. It is so easy to become overwhelmed and stressed when you try to tackle your workload or circumstance in your own strength and wisdom. However, you don’t have to; God is on standby, waiting patiently to be turned to. Waiting to be acknowledged in your life. He is amid the chaos, just like Jesus was in the boat during the storm, He is with you. Peace is in Christ, and He has made Himself available to you whenever you call on His name.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest
Matthew 11:28-30
Do you know your symptoms?
God will help us in every situation, as 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 says,
his power is made perfect in our weakness
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
However, it is useful to know what your symptoms of burnout are so you can see the warning signs early on. This could be anything from showing cold-like symptoms to your appetite increasing/decreasing or your sleeping pattern changing, it will manifest differently for everyone but there will be subtle changes within yourself that will warn you that you need to slow down. You need to readjust things in your life, or you’ll be at risk of burnout.
This self-awareness is key, you are not superhuman and neither does God expect you to be. In moments of weariness, call on His name to infuse your body with strength and to give you the wisdom to navigate this high-pressure season. This is important to note, stressful times are seasonal…it has a beginning and an end. I remember as a student feeling like my workload was never ending, the deadlines were getting tighter and demands on me were getting higher! But before I knew it, it came to an end and I was free. You too will be free, keep being faithful in the season you are in. It is not in vain; your private obedience will precede public victory!
Pause. Reset. Realign
So you’ve thought about causes of stress in your life, you’ve reflected on what your stress symptoms are and now it’s time to press pause, reset and realign. Let Christ be your anchor and stabilise you in the stressful situation. Trust Him to give you grace for the season.
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31
Remember when you feel like you have lost control, God never does. And when you feel you have been given more than you can bear, your back is breaking…just remember that we serve a BIG God who can carry any issue we bring to Him. We must bring our needs, cares and burdens to Him, there is a role for us to play too and that is to surrender.
Practical steps to avoid burnout:
`Joke: Q. What’s the best way to study the Bible? A. You Luke into it.
Biblical justice involves making individuals, communities, and the cosmos whole, by upholding both goodness and impartiality. It stands at the center of true religion, according to James, who says that the kind of “religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27). Earlier Scripture says, “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern” (Prov. 29:7).
Justice flows from God’s heart and character. As true and good, God seeks to make the object of his holy love whole. This is what motivates God throughout the Old and New Testaments in his judgments on sin and injustice. These judgments are both individual and corporate in scope.
One of the greatest injustices we succumb to individually is self-righteousness—the belief that we do not need Jesus but are just and good and right apart from him. We can fail to see that Jesus is the righteous “judge judged in our place” (Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics) for our own acts of injustice, including our marginalizing him by refusing to sense our need for him to remove our sin and make us whole.
Only as we despair of ourselves and cling to Jesus can we participate in his work of restoring lives, the church, and the world by the Spirit of the Lord. We, the church, are to live now in light of Jesus’ restoration of all things.
As we experience the wholeness that Jesus offers, we are to carry his justice forward in the world. We sense God’s heart for this in James’ epistle. James, like an Old Testament prophet, denounced oppression toward the poor. He saw church leaders favoring the rich and looking down on those less fortunate (James 2:1-13). James calls for the breaking down of these divisions, as God seeks to renew his people, making them whole.
Biblical justice is not first of all a set of bullet points or a set of rules and guidelines. It is rooted in the very character of God and it is the outworking of that character, which is never less than just.
In his magisterial work on God’s attributes, Herman Bavinck argues that in the Bible, God’s justice is both retributive and reparative. It not only punishes evildoing, but it restores those who are victims of injustice. Yet interestingly, “God’s remunerative [restorative] justice is far more prominent in Scripture than his retributive justice.” God stands against “perverting the justice due the poor… slaying the innocent and righteous… accepting bribes…. oppressing the alien, the widow, and the orphan…” God “raises them to a position of honour and well-being… [D]oing justice with an eye to the needy becomes an act [also] of grace and mercy.” And therefore, God’s restorative justice “is not, like his anger, opposed to his steadfast love but is closely akin and synonymous with it.” His justice is “simultaneously the manifestation of his grace (Psalm 97:11-12; 112:3-6; 116:5; 118:15-19).”
Biblical justice is not first of all a set of bullet points or a set of rules and guidelines. It is rooted in the very character of God and it is the outworking of that character, which is never less than just.
The Lord’s justice is also retributive. He not only establishes justice for those who have been wronged and mistreated, but he also metes out punishment to those who have perpetrated those wrongs. He “does not spare the wicked” (Ezekiel 7:4, 9, 27; 8:18; 9:10). As the Judge of all the earth, the Lord will finally give everyone what justice dictates is due to them (Acts 17:30-31). But he will also restore and “renew all things” so there is no more evil, suffering, or death (Matthew 19:28). Both his retributive and remunerative justice will come to final fulfillment at the end of history, and we will live in a new heavens and new earth filled with dikaiosune – justice (2 Peter 3:13).
Anyone can see that the world we live in has much that is wrong. But what’s right? If we correct the wrongs, at what do we aim to arrive?
In learning about God’s Justice, it’s crucial to begin with the early chapters of Genesis. It is deep reading, and no wonder. We’re talking about the origins of all that is. Today, even in our bruised and battered world, God’s original intentions remain. It’s as though Genesis tells us, This is what I had in mind. It is a good world. (God pronounced it very good in Genesis 1:31.) We might also call it a just world, because not only was every part good, but every part was in the correct relationship to all the other parts.
GROUP DISCUSSION:
Think back on some great project you once embarked on: a degree, a career, a relationship, a piece of art. How did that project change for you as time went on? Did your original ideals find complete fulfillment? In the end, could you pronounce it “very good?” Why or why not?
PERSONAL REFLECTION:
What’s the opposite of injustice? If you think of a particular injustice that bothers you—child slavery, sex trafficking, bribery, murder, to name a few examples—can you describe its positive mirror image? What should a world without injustice look like?
Genesis 1-3 has sparked a lot of arguments about interpretation of key questions, such as the age of the earth, or whether Adam and Eve were real individuals. As you read Genesis, it’s important not to get trapped into the tunnel vision brought on by these controversial questions. There’s a wealth of encouragement and inspiration built into these verses; open your mind to their riches. Read Genesis 2:8-25.
Despite the injustice we witness around us, we refuse to accept that poverty is an inevitable part of our broken and hurting world. Our response to poverty is different. Rather than seeing it as something that’s too complex, too insurmountable, we focus on tackling it one child at a time. In Genesis and throughout the Bible God demonstrates His desire to be in relationship with us, to see us as individuals. Our model of linking one child with one sponsor is a reflection of this, and is how we seek to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name.
PRAYER:
Ask God to help you see our world through the lens of Genesis. We see a garden well provided and protected, with humanity carrying the responsibility of working and caring for it. We see man and woman and animals in proper relationship. We see human beings who know their proper place: they are not God, they live with limits, while they work the garden to discover its potential. Is such a vision possible in the world as it exists now? Ask God for help in seeing clearly how you can be part of re-making the garden.
When engaging with other Christians, when should doctrine divide, and when should unity prevail? This is a question that each of us must grapple with, and settle on an answer, otherwise, we could find ourselves at either end of a scale. Either too divisive and condemnatory of our brothers and sisters, or too welcoming of harmful or shallow theology. There is a safe middle ground, but to stand there requires some discernment.
It’s important that the foundation of our theology is that Scripture is infallible and inspired by God. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3 that “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (verse 16). Any theological viewpoint which downplays the authority or the legitimacy of scripture is to be rejected. An example of one such viewpoint is the virgin birth. Although the virgin birth isn’t central to the gospel message, Scripture is very clear that Mary was a virgin and that she bore the Messiah by the Spirit’s working (Luke 1: 31-35). This is something that is explicitly stated in each of the gospel accounts. Therefore, if we are to be faithful to scripture we should not entertain any viewpoints which deny or downplay its legitimacy.
That’s just one example, but I hope you see the point being made. Even though someone’s view may not explicitly deny the gospel message, ask yourself if it respects scripture as completely true and accurate.
There are many areas in our theology where we can differ from one another, and still lovingly embrace each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. These are often referred to as secondary or tertiary issues. For example, infant or adult baptism? Premillennialism or amillennialism? Young earth or old earth? Christians often passionately disagree with each other and debate about these topics, but all of these viewpoints can be reached by sincerely studying scripture, with every intention of being faithful to it. You will find good arguments to support all of these positions, and none of them compromises the gospel message.
Gavin Ortlund in his book in this topic says the following:
“Within the body of Christ, we need each other – and often we especially need those Christians who lean in different directions than we do.” (Finding The Right Hills To Die On, Page 36)
I have learned a lot of valuable things from Christians I’ve disagreed and debated with, it’s healthy to have these discussions and learn from others in the body of Christ. For example, it was through a secondary doctrinal disagreement with another believer that I became convinced of reformed theology. Looking back I can see how God used that situation to teach and shape me.
So while we can accept and embrace secondary issues, in contrast we must put our foot down when it comes to primary issues. Primary issues are those doctrines which are necessary for a right understanding of God’s character and ultimately the gospel message. In 1 Timothy 6, Paul warns the reader to avoid a false teacher who “teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (verse 3) This shows us that there is absolutely no room for doctrine which distorts the words of Jesus.
What we must seek to defend at all costs is the gospel message. The Apostle Paul stresses the importance of this in his letter to the Galatian Christians. “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” – Galatians 1:8-9
Notice how strong Paul’s language is here, he calls for anyone preaching a false gospel to be “accursed” – this highlights the seriousness of the offence. We must take this very seriously.
A different message is becoming more and more prevalent around us and being labelled as “Christian”, one of prosperity and based on merit. The ultimate hill that all of us should be prepared to die on, is that we are made righteous by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. It is our responsibility as Christians to defend this message, and not only to defend it but to passionately proclaim it.
I pray that we would grow in wisdom to discern, and courage to die on, the hills that we ought to.
For more on this topic, listen to the latest episode of The Pulse Podcast
I love you. Such a short sentence yet one of the most profound ones you will ever hear, now let us take it one step further, imagine God whispering that into your ear every second of every day. How pumped would you feel?! Often times it is difficult to fully internalise the height, depth, and breadth of God’s love for us. For many of us, the love of God is an abstract idea, something we merely have head knowledge of as opposed to transformative heart knowledge. This being said whilst it certainly is a gradual journey, we want to be in a place where God’s love is embedded in our hearts and fuelling every part of our lives, so we can go out into the world and love others with the love God first loved us with. So how can we make God’s love more real in our everyday life?
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him
Psalm 103:11
Before Christ, we were separated from God. He was a distant figure that we felt disconnected and far away from in our hearts yet through Jesus, intimacy was created. The veil was torn, and we gained direct access into the presence of God; we can speak to and hear from Him directly, as a child speaks to their father. In sending Jesus Christ to become sin and die for us on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21), God demonstrated His love for us first by ushering us into His gracious presence (1 John 4:10). He is a God that meets us where we are at in our faith but does not leave us the same way. As Christians, we have the privilege of walking in daily fellowship with God, being washed and sanctified by His word. His love for us as a people sets us apart, so whilst we may go through trials and tribulations in this life, it is His love that sustains us and lifts us up again. It is so important for us to take time to quietly meditate on God’s love for us and how He views us because the enemy, the devil, is prowling around trying to deceive us regarding God’s love (1 Peter 5:8) and if we don’t have a good grasp of the truth it is very easy to fall for a lie.
Although we may understand that God loves us, that doesn’t stop other life factors from trying to dismantle the truth and power of His love. These can act as thorns preventing you from enjoying the fruit of the Holy Spirit inside of you. These could be any situation such as suffering from a long-term illness to a family breakdown, failure or heartbreak from a relationship, these very real situations can instil doubt, fear and cause you to question your worth in God’s eyes. It is important for us to remember that God’s love is not circumstantial, whether we are in the valleys or mountain tops His love remains. The presence of pain and suffering does not equate to the absence of God amidst it all.
When the world says, “you’re not good enough”, “You were a mistake”, “Who could ever love you”, the Holy Spirit is faithful to bring into remembrance that God loves us with a steadfast love that is enduring (Romans 8:39). He is the good shepherd that would leave the 99 sheep to look for and bring home the one. Our God would move heaven and earth for His children.
Recently I read a book called “Stay” by Sophia Barrett which talks about the healing power of meditating in the presence of God. A key part that stood out in the book about meditation was that it can act as an antiseptic, it is painful as God will uproot lies that you have carried in your heart and expose things that have unrightfully hoarded space in your heart. Yet at the same time, it is healing as it releases you to live the abundant and empowered life He intended for you (John 10:10). You are restored through His lovingkindness, back to a fully effective vessel empowered by His loving truth.
God’s love affirms and anchors us in this life, He loves us with the highest love – agape love. He didn’t just say it flippantly, but He demonstrated it through Jesus (John 3:16) and I pray that God will give you spiritual eyes to see His love for you demonstrated in your life. His love is persistent, sacrificial and all-consuming, no matter what we come against it is bearable if we’re abiding in Him. So, say this with me “I am loved, not by chance but by choice. I am loved not because I deserve it but because I’m chosen. I am loved not just today but for eternity.”
Practical ways to remind yourself of God’s love:
