Ever feel like you’re not good enough or you don’t matter? Read God’s Word and it will show you who you are in Him and you are valuable and worth more than you know to Him!! It can be so tempting to be discouraged in a critical spirit world. One that sometimes doesn’t forgive, is so quick to judge and will not receive, appreciate or love us in our differences. Even though we know we are all imperfect, people still seem graceless, rude and unwilling to listen to another side of things. There is so much pride in people and sometimes if you are humble, they view it as weakness instead of strength. When there is encouragement or people use their gifts to bless someone, sometimes it’s not received and it feels as though the world is rejecting who we are. These verses are deeply encouraging to me to not to give up and remember where to keep my focus. If you find yourself in a similar place, read these verses and I pray they renew your Spirit as well and help your light continue to shine.
“You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom.” -Galatians 5:7-8 NLT
“For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.
But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”
All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” -2 Corinthians 4:6, 8, 13, 15-16, 18 NLT
“Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement.” -2 Corinthians 2:7 NLT
“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” -Colossians 3:1-3 NLT
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” -2 Timothy 4:7 NLT
-LMM
Scott Maxon 