Rejection, failure, and unfair comparisons

Rejection is a cause of depression. To be rejected means to be thrown away as having no value or as being unwanted. We were created for acceptance, not rejection. The emotional pain of rejection is one of the deepest kinds, especially if the rejection comes from someone we love or expect to love us. "Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up" Psalm 27:10. When we are saved by Jesus from our sins, our emotions are not saved, so we may still feel many negative things. But at that moment of salvation, the time when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we receive the fruit of the Holy Spirit. One of these fruits is self-control which will save us from negative emotions. As we learn God's Word and what it says about emotions we can begin to control the negative ones with the help of the Holy Spirit and not allow them expression through our body which now belongs to Jesus. Living by your feelings is to live in the carnal realm, when we ought to be getting our worth and value out of the fact that Jesus loved us enough to die for us. Overcoming the feeling of rejection is not easy but is perfectly possible through the love of Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 3:18-19, Paul prayed that the church would know "the breadth and length and height and depth" of the love that God had for them and that they would experience it for themselves. If you start to focus on the love God shows you, you will realise how great his love is compared to the rejection. So often we let things that happen go by without realising that they are signs of God's love. Every time God gives us favour, he is showing us that he loves us. God shows his love for us in many different ways and having a revelation about his love will keep us from depression. When people reject us, Jesus takes it personally, "He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects him who sent me." Luke 10:16. Although rejection is an evil thing, we don't have to allow the devil to control our emotions and depress us, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21. Being mindfully joyful and smiling is a good thing as it will help overcome the evil of rejection. Society constantly impresses upon us that winning and success are everything. However, it could be said that failure is also part of true success. Humility is an essential part of our saved character, so a few failures and beatings of our pride will help instil in us a deeper humility. Failures can disappoint, discourage and depress us, but we need to realise that God will use our weaknesses, turning them into good, developing our character and making us a better person. We haven't truly failed until we stop trying, "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18. Technically, it is not failure that causes depression but our attitude toward it. If we believe God is greater than our failures, then they have no power over us. "But where sin increased, grace increased all the more," Romans 5:20. Don't be depressed over weaknesses and failures. Rejoice in knowing that because of Jesus, you don't have to stay that way. People without the Lord in their lives only have depression to go to when they fail, but we can go to Jesus which is an excellent reason to rejoice. Comparing our lives with other people's lives can also cause depression. We look at other people, see what they have, own, do or don't do, but the devil never points out what they don't have, only what they do have. We need to believe that God equipped each of us with exactly what we need to fulfil His call on our lives. We look at other people as the standard for what should happen to us, but they cannot be the standard because God sets a new standard with each person. When our value as an individual is firmly rooted in Christ, we are free from the pain of comparisons and competition and this releases joy in our lives. Depression is the result of looking at what we don't have and can't do. Joy is the result of being thankful for every little thing we have and counting ourselves blessed just to be alive and to know Jesus our Lord.

Resist the devil at the onset

"Resist him, standing firm in the faith," 1 Peter 5:9. There are many causes of depression, but only one source: Satan. He wants us pressed down and feeling bad about ourselves so that we won't receive all that Jesus died to give us. One of the biggest tools the devil uses to make us feel bad about ourselves is condemnation, which is a cause of depression. The devil uses it to steal our joy as he knows that "the joy of the Lord is your strength" Nehemiah 8:10. He wants us in a state where we are weak and unable to do anything except put up with whatever he throws at us. People can also be depressed because of something that is wrong with them physically. A chemical imbalance or being too tired and worn out can also cause depression. If the body is depleted due to stress or lack of rest, the person may be restored simply by getting the needed rest and nutrition. However, if the depression is caused by a chemical imbalance then medical help must be sought. Depression can result from physical, mental, emotional or spiritual causes. King David was depressed because he had unconfessed sin in his life Psalm 51. Jonah was depressed because he was running from the call of God and living in disobedience Jonah 1, 2. Elijah was depressed because he was tired 1 Kings 19. So as you can see, the causes of depression are varied, which means there is no one solution. However, Jesus always is the right answer, and no matter what cause the devil has used to bring depression, Jesus will lead us to victory when we follow him. He will show us what we need to do in order to live a life filled with joy. Jesus gave us "the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" to put on Isaiah 61:3. If we don't use what he has given us, we will sink lower and lower into the pit of depression and this will cause problems. When we know how to do right but don't do it, we are 'flirting with the devil' just as a man and woman would in the first stages of a love affair. We simply cannot play that game with the devil because once we open a door, he may get a foothold, and once he gets that he can obtain a stronghold. The devil is progressive and aggressive against us and we must be aggressive against him. God covers us to a greater degree when we're ignorant and really don't know what we are doing, but once we know what is right yet still wilfully do wrong, it changes things. God still loves is and still wants to help us, but we have a greater degree of accountability due to knowledge. If we flirt with the devil we will always get hurt. Refusing to put on the garment of praise because we don't feel like it or don't want to is a dangerous games as it opens a door for deeper problems that can cause serious consequences. Whereas if you resist the devil at the onset, extended bouts of depression will be stopped. We resist the devil by submitting ourselves to God and wielding the Sword of the Spirit, which is his Word Ephesians 6:17. We must remember that depression is not part of God's will for us, so anytime we feel anything that is not part of his will we need to pick up the sword of his Word. The Bible promises that if we do that, if we will resist the devil firmly at his onset then he will flee from us James 4. Stand on the Word of God and refuse to let the negative feelings weigh upon us and depress us. In Isaiah 61 we see that Jesus was anointed and sent by God to preach the gospel of good tidings to the poor in spirit, to heal the broken hearted, to set free captives and to grant joy to the mourning, to give them an ornament of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a heavy, burdened and failing spirit. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus Romans 8. This Scripture tells us that we are no longer condemned, judged guilty or wrong, yet so often we judge and condemn ourselves. It is not uncommon for depressed people to carry a huge sense of guilt around with them, sometimes not even knowing why. In order to overcome this, a greater understanding of the Word of God is needed and from this we can learn what we must not only receive forgiveness from God, but that we must also forgive ourselves, stop punishing ourselves for something that God has forgiven and forgotten, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." Acts 10:15. That does not mean that we are now perfect or incapable of error. It just means that we can go on with our lives without being weighed down with a constant burden of guilt and condemnation for what is in the past. As long as we are doing the best we can, we truly repent for our sins and our heart is right before God, we can stay out from under the burden of guilt and condemnation. God knows that if our heart is right then our actions will eventually come into line with our heart.

Sing and Shout for joy!

"Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!" Psalm 32:11. One of the ways we can express our joy and rejoice is by singing psalms, hymns and other spiritual songs. "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord," Ephesians 5:19, this is Paul's excellent advice to us. When the devil starts to bother us we can literally sing him out of our lives, or we can 'shout' him out, which means shouting praise and glory to God. There is no focus on the issue, problem, devil or depression; the attention is ALL on God. If you sing more and shout more you will notice that you will start to feel better as it creates a protective wall around us. These acts can also tear down walls and strongholds. In Joshua
6:20, God directed the people to shout and bring down a wall, they raised a great shout and Jericho's wall fell down and the Israelites passed through and took the city. An excellent way to use this tool is to get up every morning with a song on your lips and praise in your mouth for the Lord as a means of dispelling depression. Discipline yourself to make song and praise part of your morning routine, stop sitting in tired silence or staring at the television. Start your day the best way; sing and shout! Songs and shouts of deliverance can overcome downcast feelings and emotions. David battled with depression, and consequently many of his psalms are songs of praise to God to be sung in the midst of disturbing and unsettling situations. When you feel down, turn to the psalms and speak them out loud. Speaking out loud has a far greater impact on you than just silently reading and as long as we don't just read it and confess it, but actually do it then the promises in the Word of God will come to pass. Paul said that we must operate by the Spirit of God and not by the flesh. In Galatians 6:8 he warned that; "he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." This is why we need to learn to do as David did and speak to our soul, otherwise it will take control over us and lead us to decay, ruin and destruction. "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my saviour and my God." Psalm 42:5. Our inner self can at times feel cast down just like David's did. When he felt that way he put his hope in God and waited expectantly for God, praising him. David knew that when he got down, his countenance went down with him. That is why he talked to himself, his soul, and encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord 1 Samuel 30:6. When we find ourselves in that same depressed state we should wait expectantly for the Lord, praise him and encourage and strengthen ourselves in him. "We who are righteous, in right standing with God, by believing in Jesus Christ, we who take refuge and put our trust in the Lord can sing and shout for joy! The Lord makes a covering over us and defends us, he fights our battles for us when we praise Him!" 2 Chronicles 20.

Smiling is serious business!

The ability to smile is one of the greatest and most powerful gifts that we have, yet look around, there are so many serious, stiff people out there. We all have a reason to smile every single day! We may have had a childhood that didn't give us much to smile about but, "rejoicing comes in the morning" Psalm 30:5. As a saved Christian you have joy in your heart, God knows it's there and he wants you to express it so that everyone can see it and benefit from it. You don't always feel joy until you purposely activate it by making the decision to smile. The beauty is that when joy is obvious in your life, it rubs off on other people but when it is kept inside of you, you can create a heavy, serious atmosphere around you. Joy and sorrow cannot dwell together so you need to decide whether to have light or dark in your life. Society works so much better when the population is smiling and joyful. Joy is infectious; get out there and spread a smiling infection! At times you reach a certain point in your walk with God in different areas and feel you're stuck there. You know that there is more to be had but you sense that something is blocking it reaching you. One of these blocks is a lack of joy. Joy is part of our receptacle to receive things from God and not outwardly showing joy creates this block. If the joy of the Lord is inside of you but you don't smile and express the brightness within you, life just won't go right. How people see you has a great deal to do with their willingness toward you in many areas. People don't usually want to bless or help someone do something if they appear to have a bad attitude. Every one of us knows how to smile, it's one of God's gifts to us. A new born baby can smile at around 4 weeks of age, long before they can walk and talk so this is an indicator of the importance that God places on joy. Expressing joy through the calm delight of smiling will bring good things into your life alongside you showing the light of Jesus to others. In the Bible, the Lord told his people to rejoice when they faced their enemies. He told them to rejoice when they went into battle or when it looked like death was imminent. In Chronicles 20, he told them to rejoice, sing and praise with a loud voice no matter what happened. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds," James 1:2. Sadly, most people truly do not understand how expressing joy in the Lord will get rid of circumstances that are not godly because they are full of the devil. The devil hates God's joy, so by being joyful will help keep him out of your life.

The Power of Rejoicing

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4. Throughout the Bible, God instructs people to be filled with joy and rejoice. Anytime that God tells us twice to do something, as Paul instructed the Philippians, we need to pay real close attention to what he is saying. There is power available to help people who are imprisoned by and shackled with depression. Rejoicing can release so much power just by smiling, laughing and having a good time, and often it can make problems go totally away. When people get depressed, they go for counselling, they start taking medication, but they don't rejoice. If they could just begin to smile, the depression will start to lift and their circumstances would begin to change. Change is often the result of a simple adjustment in how we respond in a given situation, and if we can do this as soon as we feel the beginnings of a depression then it won't have chance to move in. If you are saved, the Holy Spirit dwells within you. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and the Spirit is in you, therefore joy is in you and you need to tap into it. We don't need to go searching for joy, it's already there, we just need to learn how to release it. In order for the joy of the Lord to be your strength, you must be joined with God which provokes joy in your life. But when you are not used to expressing joy it can feel like such hard work trying to be joyful and you may not feel like it is doing any good, but if you keep it up you will soon start to feel the joy. To clarify, joyful doesn't mean laughing hysterically, bouncing around, it is usually much more subtle and often silent. We rejoice by being glad and calmly happy or even simply living in a state of calm delight.

Phases of Depression

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." Psalm 40:1-2. People in all walks of life can suffer from depression. It is not an exclusive illness. The Bible tells of kings and prophets who became depressed, 3 of those being King David, Jonah and Elijah. It is believed that disappointment is the first phase of depression. We all have to deal with disappointment at one time or another, no one has everything happen in life the way they expect it to. There is nothing wrong with feeling this way but we need to know what to do with that feeling. Paul said, "...but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead." Philippians 3:13. Paul knew that one important thing to him was to let go of what lay behind and press on towards the things that were ahead. When we get disappointed, Jesus can re-appoint us and that is what happened to Paul. When this happens we are letting go of the causes of the disappointment and pressing toward what God has for us: a new vision, plan, mindset. If we are willing, God is willing to do new things in our lives but too often we hold onto things from the past. Some people seem to prefer to talk about their life disappointments rather than their dreams and visions for the future. Every day is a brand new start which gives us the opportunity to let of go of yesterday's disappointments and give God a chance to do something awesome for us today. Sadly, some people refuse to hope any longer due to having had lots of disappointment in the past, but a life without hope is a really sad place to dwell. It surely would be far better to hope all of your life and receive nothing than to live with perpetual disappointment. Hope costs nothing but disappointment costs you your joy and your dreams. God promises those who place their hope in him that they will never be disappointed or put to shame, and keeping our hope in Jesus will in time produce positive results. Unfulfilled expectations cause disappointment. We have many expectations every single day, big and small, from expecting to get a promotion at work right down to expecting the newspaper to come through the door on a morning. We also have expectations about other people. We don't expect our friends to gossip about us, but they sometimes do. We expect things from ourselves that we don't carry out, we have all let ourselves down this way many times. This is perhaps because we all expect more from ourselves than we can give. Also, we expect things from God that are not in his plans for us, so they will never be fulfilled and we will feel let down by him. When we get disappointed, we need to decide what we are going to do, how will we respond. The danger is that if you choose to stay disappointed for too long, discouragement will enter which is at a whole deeper level. Discouragement is the opposite of courage. When we are discouraged we have lost our courage. God gives everyone who believes in him courage and the devil tries to steal it. If we are to succeed at anything, we need to remain strong and courageous, "Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 5:9. We need to understand the devil's tactics so that we can be ready to resist them at the onset. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12. When we become discouraged about something we are also hopeless about it and it is impossible to be discouraged and hopeful at the same time. Sometimes there is a battle in our mind between hope and discouragement. The Holy Spirit is leading us to be hopeful whilst the devil is attacking us with discouragement. It is so important at this point for the believer to get victory in the spiritual realm. To be victorious and keep our attitude hopeful we need to renew our mind to God's promises about our situation and stand in faith, believing God will be true to his Word. It is also important to get the victory early because someone who has become depressed can sink deeper. There is depression, then there are 2 deeper levels; despondency and despair. It is at the point of despair that a person will consider or even commit suicide. Mildly depressed people may feel sad and be reclusive, their thoughts are negative and their attitude is negative. They may still have small glimmers of hope and it is ultimately that hope which will help pull the person out of depression. A despondent person has all the similar symptoms of a depressed person but they are deeper. They are dejected in mind, failing in spirit, lost of all courage and are sinking due to a loss of hope. A person in despair is even deeper down. Despair is distinct from despondency in that despair is a total loss of hope whereas it isn't with despondency. Despair is the abandonment of effort, it is also sometimes connected to violent outbursts. Those who attempt to commit suicide are in this deepest state of depression - despair, and it is the devil's aim to lead us to that point.

The reason for everything

We are not just created by God, but for him too. The ultimate goal of the universe is to show the glory of God. Without his glory, there would be nothing. The glory of God is who he is, his nature, his character and his power. His glory is everywhere around us. Everything created by God reflects his glory in some way. Creation reveals our Creator's glory. Through nature we learn that God is powerful, that he enjoys variety, loves beauty and is organised, wise and creative. The Bible says, "The heavens declare the glory of God" Psalm 19:1. Throughout history, God has revealed his glory to people in different settings, but God's clearest picture of what he is really like is seen in his son, Jesus Christ, "The Son reflects the glory of God and shows exactly what God is like" Hebrews 1:3. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." John 8:12, and because of this, we are no longer in the dark about what God is really like. Jesus' presence on earth has allowed us so many insights into God, "The Word became human and lived among us and we saw his glory...a glory full of grace and truth." John 1:14. As humans created by God we are commanded to recognise God's glory, honour his glory, praise his glory, reflect his glory and live for his glory. God deserves this so much and we owe him every honour we can possibly give. Only 2 of God's creations in the whole universe fail to bring glory to him: fallen angels and us. Not giving God his due glory is sin, in fact all sin at its root is failing to give God the glory he deserves. Refusing to bring glory to God is prideful rebellion and it is the sin that caused Satan's fall, and ours too. We are all guilty of having lived for our own glory instead of God's, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23. This is the worst sin and the biggest mistake we can commit, whereas living for God's glory is the greatest achievement we can accomplish in our lives. God says, "They are my own people, and I created them to bring me glory." Isaiah 43:7. Jesus honoured God by fulfilling his purpose on earth. When anything in creation fulfils its purpose it brings glory to God. There are 5 ways how to fulfil God's purposes for your life:

1. Bring glory to God by getting to know and love him.

2. Bring God glory by learning to love other people in God's family

3. Bring God glory by becoming like Christ

4. Bring God glory by serving others

5. Bring God glory by telling others about him

Self-discovery or following?

There is absolutely nothing gained in going to church if all you are going to do is sit, listen and not act on what you hear and experience. God won't give you more until you start using some of what he has already put in you. We, as Christians need to make a concerted effort to walk around this earth actively seeking people who need our help, compassion and generosity. Sadly, far too few Christians do this and the need is great to get to the root of our bad attitude because God can't help us until we do. We must get grounded in God's love: A tree laden with big fruits but that has tiny roots will blow over in the wind. In Luke 15 we witness the elder brother's religious attitude when his brother had humbled himself and come home, pleading to his dad, "Make me". The dad decided to throw a party to celebrate his son's homecoming, but when the elder brother found out he was so resentful and angry. An 'angry Christian' is a bit of an oxymoron really given that the central theme of Christianity is love. We need to show the fruits of our faith, love, kindness and other positive attributes if the Church is to have power in the world. The elder brother refused to enter the party despite his dad begging him. He was jealous because his brother was having a party and he himself and never been given one. His dad pointed out that he could have had a party anytime if he had asked. The elder brother refused to enjoy the party and have fun on such a special occasion as it was wasn't a special occasion to him, he was jealous of his brother and his religious attitude was too great.

People tend to go about life in 1 of 2 different ways:

1. Self-discovery - they do what they want to do, try to 'find themselves' and live their own life

2. Followers - those that abide by rules and regulations keeping a moral, faithful lifestyle

There is nothing wrong with the 2nd option unless you are doing it for the wrong reasons, such as to be noticed, admired or to feel good about yourself. When we do a good deed, we should carry it out then wait in the shadows so that God gets the glory and not us. Religious Pharisees are like this. They do things just to be noticed, they will count exactly how many prayers they had said and how many verses they have read that day, they will forget the good things that you did but remember all the sinful things and hold a grudge against you over them believing that they are better than you. God really doesn't like this attitude. He abhors us not treating someone right who we don't deem to be as important as us because in God's eyes, the lowly are the most important and he will move these lowly people up when he feels ready to. Jesus chose his disciples and they were all lowly characters and look at the amazing things that occurred. Before you can be joyful you need to really learn how to love and before you can be glad for others you also need to really know how to love. When you are glad for others your own joy will begin to multiply. We need to be more like the prodigal son and ask God to make us what he wants us to be.

Ask God to take away any religious attitude that you might have. Be careful about judging and criticising and pray for those who are in sin and out of the fellowship of God.

God is having a party whether you are there or not!

Religious Attitudes

If we are to defeat a religious attitude we need a starting point of saying to God on a regular basis, 'God, make me what you want me to be' and stopping praying, 'I want this ... I want that...'. One of the very worst things is finding yourself in a situation that God has not anointed you to be in, with no grace on you to achieve and not struggle. We don't understand why God does what he does or what people are going through on the inside, they may seem happy on the outside and have everything that you want but that doesn't mean that they are happy on the inside. They may not have anointing on their life. Happy people know what the anointing on their life is and don't try to live outside of the grace on their life. In Luke 15, the younger brother's sin is obvious. However the elder son's sin was less obvious, he was lost, just as lost as his brother was but in a totally different way. There are two different kinds of lost; lost in sin and lost in self-righteousness (not God's righteousness). The younger brother was lost in sin, the elder, lost in his own righteousness. The minute we begin to judge someone critically or look down on them is when we really need to adjust our attitude. The attitude of the elder brother was dangerous and deceptive, and it alienated him from his father and brother. He had a religious attitude which told him that he was above others because he was doing more right than they were. Many of us are guilty of this though we may not realise it just yet. The Bible tells us to pray for these people, have mercy, sympathy and be concerned for their spiritual wellbeing. A religious attitude not only alienates us from those around us but from God too, and because of this we are unable to come into his presence like he wants us to. Anyone who has a religious attitude will not admit it. They probably know that their attitude is out of order but will not admit it as that is admitting a sin, a weakness and that is not part of having a religious attitude.

It's yet to be seen what God can do through any one man that is willing to give him all the glory, because once glory appears and we start to take it for ourselves, God stops using us. We need to pray to God for humility and help to assist us to change our religious attitude. A self-righteous attitude causes us to mistreat other people, be impatient about their flaws yet we refuse to see and admit our own faults. There is nothing godly about being harsh and hard on those who don't match up to your standards. The things that we can do, and do well are all by the grace of God who equips us with the tools we need to do what we need to do. We are only righteous through God (Luke 18:9) and the knowledge of this gift should humble us greatly. The Pharisee in the temple in Luke 18:10 was behaving in such an ostentatious self-righteous way in front of the non-religious person. The Pharisee was out to impress, but who was he trying to impress? He prayed to God, "God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men." His attitude towards sinners, in God's eyes, is worse than the actual sins that the sinners had committed. We should never, ever look at sinners in a critical way and say 'I would never do that', because we never know how we would be and what we would do if God left us for a while. It was the big sinners that God came to save, but very often they are the very people that the Church is reluctant to welcome. Members get comfortable and don't like anything to spoil the cosy situation they have got going on, and they don't want to inconvenience themselves. God is really displeased when he sees situations like this. The fact is that we all need to inconvenience ourselves in order to grow and situations like this provide the perfect arena for growth.

We have got life so wrong if we base our worth on how important others see us and pride ourselves on our religious attitude. The Apostle Paul said that he had had it all in his life but it was all worth absolutely nothing compared to knowing God and the power of the resurrection that raises us from the dead. The more time we spend building a relationship with Jesus, the smaller our religious attitude will become.

Overcoming sin

Other people can pray for you to be strong enough to endure the trials in your life, but you need to conquer your own Goliath. The Apostle Paul never prayed for his, or anyone else's problems to go away, instead he prayed that people would know God and his great love for them, and that they would be strengthened through the Holy Spirit to endure anything whilst maintaining a good temper. In Luke 4, Jesus outlasted the devil for forty days and forty nights. The devil threw everything he could at him but Jesus walked out of the wilderness victorious. The devil will try to do the same with us, to move us away from the will of God to try get us to prove something, like he did with Jesus. Nobody can ever be truly be free until you have absolutely nothing to prove and nobody to impress. When you reach the point where you can be the true you and know that you are genuinely loved and accepted for being that way then will you be free. With God's help we can all get through the devil's trials and come out victorious on the other side. At which point we can confess that we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us. Growing is painful, it challenges our mind greatly, but we need to be happy with it and the changes it produces, some of which will be quite staggering. Every time we grow a little as God helps us the things that the devil throws at us become less painful. We need to keep in our mind that Jesus was tempted in every way possible and he never sinned. We need to aspire to be this strong, and we can do it if we put all our faith in the Lord but it will take a lifetime to achieve. The reason that Jesus told his disciples in Gethsemane that he would not be talking for much longer (John 14:30) was that he knew that anything we say when we are upset and frustrated is nothing that actually needs to be said. He knew that if he opened his mouth, the devil will dive in and take some of the power back off Jesus. The experiences that Jesus had ensured that he would understand every single trial that we would go through. We need to keep a real close check on our feelings. Anger, jealousy, bitterness and similar can ruin so much; our life, other people's lives, yet we persist in expressing negative feelings. The devil loves this, watching us go around and around the same mountain, time and time again. You must learn not to be ruled by your emotions.

Get rid of the flesh that is out of control! Stop feeding it. Constantly repeating bad behaviour gives your flesh strength instead of denying it so. Anything that you don't feed will get weaker and weaker until it dies and no longer has any power over you. The first few times will be hard and may hurt but it will get easier and easier each time that you do it successfully. You can change any bad habit if you have the will.

Kill the flesh by not feeding it!

Know your weaknesses!

Pray!

Devil on my your back

In order to stay one step ahead of the devil you need to understand temptation and successfully resist it because it is impossible to live in this world without being tempted, it's a part of life. We are tempted many times a day by things such as lust, greed, impatience and many more and it is so important that we conquer these enemies. We need to have enough faith without constantly praying for the rough, tempting times to be whisked away. We need to be strong enough and faithful enough to behave the same way in bad times as we do in good times. We need to put our feelings to one side at times and think more about how we behave. It is perfectly possible, and it is expected, that when you are upset, angry or frustrated that you still maintain your decorum. Christians behaving well in society is so important as it enables us to set an exemplary example to non-Christians. Everything that God tells us to do in his Word is intended for our benefit, it's not for him, for example he tells us to forgive others so that we don't have to live, locked in a prison of upset, anger and hatred. If you work with God to make his Word a reality in your life you will go from victory to victory having a life increasingly more full of joy, peace, victory and power. One of the problems many of us have is that we do and say a lot of power draining things and we need to learn to add power, not deduct it from our lives. In Matthew 6:13, Jesus said in his prayer, "Lead us not into temptation". He did not say, 'Let us not be tempted', so we are to be tempted but we must not give in to it. One of the main reasons we fall into temptation rather than overcoming and having success over it is that we quite simply don't do what Jesus tells us to do. Most of us don't pray regularly enough, but we should, so that we can recognise temptation and not fall into its trap and we should all be praying the words 'give me the strength to not give into temptation' or words to that effect. Temptation will happen. The devil knows exactly what pushes our buttons and when he pushes them, that's when we really need to behave the way that God wants us to and pray to him to help give us the strength to not give in to temptation. Jesus prayed so hard in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:40) that he began to sweat drops of blood when he was faced with temptation. He was also led into the wilderness for forty days and forty nights where he endured constant tempting by the devil. Jesus was strong and came out victorious (Luke 4). People try to overcome things such as temptation, they try, they hope, they want to overcome. There is no point praying for temptation not to come - it will come. We need to pray that when it does come, we will not be lured in. Sincere, focused prayer works. Challenges like temptation do have their uses in our lives though. If we didn't encounter challenges then we would be weak, foolish and unwise as we would have nothing to help build us up in these areas. It might seem to you that you go through periods of great temptation when the devil is constantly on your back and you feel like you want to give up as you can't cope. But you need to focus on the truth that God will never give you more than you can endure, and for every temptation, God always provides a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). When you encounter a trial, say to yourself, 'God knows how much I can take, there is a purpose in this trial'. Ask God to strengthen you so that you can make it through and be the person God wants you to be.

We are always wanting and expecting other people to change so that we are not aggravated and bothered by them, but the truth is that God wants us to change. This doesn't mean that God agrees with what others are doing but it highlights that we, ourselves, can't change those people. They need to go on their own journey but even if they refuse to do so, it doesn't mean that there isn't a way for you to enjoy your life - there is - Let God change you! We pray so often for God to change things in our lives, but how often do we actually ask him to change us? Generally, non-Christians don't handle temptation well, but Christians do as they are at various stages of learning how to rise above the flesh. The devil will continue to tempt you in your weak areas until we eventually ask God to change us. "GOD CHANGE ME!!!!!!!!!"

Life is a temporary assignment

The Bible is full of metaphors that teach the brief, temporary nature of life on earth. Life is described as a mist, a fast runner, a breath and a wisp of smoke. The Bible says, "For we were born but yesterday...Our days on earth are transient as a shadow." Job 8:9.

To make the best use of your life, you must never forget two truths. First, compared with eternity, life is extremely brief. Second, earth is only a temporary residence. You won't be here long, ask God to help you see life on earth as he sees it. David prayed, "Lord, help me to realise how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for bit a moment more." Psalm 39:4. God's Word repeatedly compares life on earth to temporarily living in a foreign country. This is not your permanent home or final destination. The Bible uses terms like alien, pilgrim, stranger, visitor and traveller to describe our brief stay on earth. David said, "I am but a foreigner here on earth," Psalm
119:19. God says that his children are to think differently about life from the way unbelievers do, "All they think about is this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven where the Lord Jesus Christ lives." Philippians 3:19-20. Real believers realise that there will be far more to life than just the few years we live on this planet. Your identity is in eternity, and your homeland is heaven. God is very clear about the danger of living for here and now and adopting the priorities, values and lifestyles of the world around us. When we flirt with the temptations of our culture, God calls it 'spiritual adultery', "You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way." James 4:4. The Bible says that we are ambassadors of Christ, but sadly many people who think of themselves as followers of Christ often forget this spiritual truth. They have wrongly concluded that because they live on earth right now that it is their permanent home: It isn't. Peter said, "Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cosy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul." 1 Peter 2:11.

God warns us not to get too attached to what's around us, because it's all temporary, "Those in frequent contact with the things of the world should make good use of them without becoming attached to them, for this world and all it contains will pass away." 1 Corinthians 7:31. Modern day life is so easy. We are constantly entertained and catered for, but with all the attractions it's easy to forget that the pursuit of happiness is not what life is about. The fact that earth is not our ultimate home explains why we experience difficulty, sorrow and rejection in this world. It also explains why some of God's promises seem unfulfilled, some prayers seem unfair. In order to keep us from becoming too attached to earth, God ensures that we feel a significant amount of discontent and dissatisfaction in life, longings that will not be completely happy on earth because this is not our intended home. There will be many happy moments in this life but nothing compared to what God has planned for us. Realising that life on earth is just temporary should radically alter your values. Eternal values, not temporal ones, should become the deciding factors for your decisions. The Bible says, "We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 1 Peter 2:11.

It is a big mistake to assume that God's goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success, as the world defines it. The abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance, and faithfulness to God does not guarantee success. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. He's more interested in what you are becoming than in making this life easy for you. Paul was faithful to God yet he ended up in prison. John the Baptist was faithful to God and he was beheaded for it. Untold amounts of faithful people have been martyred, have lost everything, or have come to the end of life with nothing to show for it in the world's eyes. But the end of life is not the end! In God's eyes, the greatest heroes are not those who achieve prosperity, success, and power in this life, but those who treat this life as a temporary assignment and serve faithfully, expecting their promised reward in eternity. Once you get to heaven you will quickly wonder why you placed so much importance on temporary, earthly things that don't last. When life gets tough, when you're overwhelmed with doubt, or when you wonder if living God's way is worth the effort, remember that you are not home yet. At death you won't leave home - you'll go home.

Life on earth is a trust

This is the second metaphor of life that we find in the Bible. Our time, energy, intelligence, opportunities, relationships and resources are all gifts that God has entrusted to us. We are stewards of whatever God gives us. This concept of stewardship begins with the recognition that God is the owner of everything and everyone on earth, "The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are his." Psalm 24:1. We never really own anything during our brief stay on earth. God just loans it to us while we are here. It was God's property before you arrived and he will loan it to someone else after you die. You just get to enjoy it for a while. When God created Adam and Eve, he entrusted the care of his creation to them and appointed them stewards of his property, "God blessed them, and said, 'Have many children, so that your descendants will live over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge.' " Genesis 1:28.

The first job God gave humans was to manage and take care of earth and all it contains. It is still a part of our purpose today. Everything we enjoy is to be treated as a trust that God placed in our hands, "What do you have that God hasn't given you? And if all you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own?" 1 Corinthians 4:7. Our human nature says, 'If I don't own it, I don't have to take care of it.' But God expects us to live by a higher standard, in that we must take the best care of earth we possibly can. Jesus often referred to life as a trust and told many stories to illustrate our responsibility toward God. In the story of the talents in Matthew
25, a businessman entrusts his wealth to the care of his servants while he's away. When he returns, evaluates each servant's responsibility rewards them accordingly. The owner says, "Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness." Matthew 25:21. At the end of your life on earth you will be evaluated and then rewarded according to how well you handled what God entrusted to you. That means that everything you do, even simple chores have eternal implications. If you treat everything as a trust, God promises 3 rewards in heaven: affirmation, promotion and celebration.

Most people fail to realise that money is both a test and a trust from God. He uses finances to teach us to trust him, and for many people, money is the biggest test of all. God watches how we use money to test how trustworthy we are. Jesus said, "If you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?" Luke 16:11. God says that there is a direct relationship between how you use your money and the quality of your spiritual life. How you manage your worldly wealth determines how much God can trust you with spiritual blessings. Life is a test and a trust, and the more God gives you, the more responsible he expects you to be.

Life on earth is a test

God continually tests people's character, faith, obedience, love, integrity and loyalty. Words like trials, testing, temptation and refining occur more than 200 times in the Bible. God tested Abraham by asking him to offer his son Isaac. God also tested Jacob when he had to work extra years to earn Rachel as his wife. Adam and Eve failed their test in the Garden of Eden and King David failed tests from God on various occasions. But the Bibl also gives us many examples of people who passed personal tests of their character such as Joseph, Ruth, Esther and Daniel. Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of life is a test. You are always being tested and God constantly watches your response to people, problems, success, conflict, disappointment, illness and even the weather! God even watches the simplest actions such as when you open a door for others or pick up rubbish in the street. You can't know for certain what tests God will give you but you can make predictions based on the Bible. You will be tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossible problems, unanswered prayers, undeserved criticism and even senseless tragedies. A very important test is how you act when you can't feel God's presence in your life so sometimes, God purposely draws back and we can't sense his closeness. Hezekiah experienced this test, "God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him to see what was really in his heart." 2 Chronicles 32:31. Hezekiah had enjoyed a close fellowship with God, but at a crucial point in his life God left him alone to test his character, to reveal a weakness and to prepare him for more responsibility.

When you understand that life is a test, you realise that nothing is insignificant in your life, even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day and every second is an opportunity for growth to deepen your character, develop your love or to depend on God. Some tests will seem overwhelming to you whilst others will silently pass you by, but all of them have eternal implications. God wants you to pass the tests of life, so he never allows them to be greater than the grace he gives you to handle them, "God keeps his promise and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm so at the time you are put to the test he will give you the strength to endure it and to provide you with a way out." 1 Corinthians 10:13. Every time you pass a test, God notices and makes plans to reward you in eternity. The Bible says, "Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

Seeing Life from God's View

The way you see your life shapes your life. How you define life determines your destiny. Your perspective will influence how you invest your time, spend your money, use your talents and value your relationships.

If you were asked how you picture life, the image that appears in your mind is your 'life metaphor.' It is the view of life that you hold in your mind whether consciously or subconsciously. It's your description of how life works and what you expect from it. People often express their life metaphors through clothes, jewellery, cars, hair styles and tattoos. Your unspoken life metaphor influences your life more than you realise. It determines your expectations, values, relationships, goals and priorities. For example, if you view life as a party then your primary value will be having fun, or if you see life as a battle or competition then winning will be very important to you. Have you stopped to consider that you may be basing your life on a faulty metaphor? You may have picked it up from a parent, friend, TV show or another fallible source, but to fulfil the purposes God made you for, you'll have to challenge conventional wisdom and replace it with God's metaphors of life. The Bible says, "Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God." Romans 12:2.

Made to last forever

This life is not all there is. Life on earth is just a dress rehearsal. You will spend far more time in eternity than you will here. Earth is a staging arena, the warm up for your life in eternity. This life is preparation for the next. At the most, you will live a 100 years on earth but you will spend forever in eternity, "God has planted eternity in the human heart." Ecclesiastes 3:11. You have an inborn instinct that longs for immortality, this is because God designed you, in his image, to live for eternity. Even though we know that everyone eventually dies, death always seem unnatural and unfair. The reason we feel we should live forever is that God wired our brains with that desire. The day your heart stops beating will signify the end of your body and your time on earth, but it will not be the end of you. Your earthly body is just a temporary residence for your spirit.

While life on earth offers many choices, eternity only offers two: heaven or hell. Your relationship to God on earth will determine your relationship to him in eternity. If you learn to love and trust Jesus, you will be invited to spend the rest of eternity with him. On the other hand, if you reject his love, forgiveness and salvation, you will spend eternity apart from God.

When you finally comprehend that there is more to life than just the here and now and you realise that this life is just preparation for eternity, you will begin to live differently on a daily basis. You will start 'living in the light of eternity' and that will colour how you handle every relationship, task and circumstance. When you live in light of eternity your values change. You use your time and money more wisely. You place a higher premium on relationships and character instead of fame, wealth, achievements or even fun. Your priorities are reordered. Keeping up with fashions, trends and popular values just don't matter as much anymore. Paul said, "I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done." Philippians 3:7.

The most damaging aspect of contemporary living is short-term thinking. To make the most of your life, you must keep the vision of eternity continually in your mind and the value of it in your heart. Yet, the capacity of our brain is unable to handle the wonder and greatness of heaven. Words have not been created that could possibly convey the experience of eternity, "No mere man has ever seen, heard of even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord." 1
Corinthians 4:9. However, God has given us glimpses of eternity in his Word and we know that he is preparing an eternal home for us. In heaven we will be reunited with loved ones who are believers, released from all pain and suffering and rewarded for our faithfulness on earth. We will enjoy unbroken fellowship with God and he will enjoy us for an endless forever. One day, Jesus will say to you, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world." Matthew 25:34.

God has a purpose for your life on earth, but it doesn't end here. God offers you an opportunity beyond your lifetime. In the same way as being in your mother's womb prepared you for this life, this life prepares you for eternity. Death is not the end, it is beginning of your eternal life.

Purpose-driven Life

Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life. We were made to have meaning. When life has meaning, you can bear almost anything; without meaning, nothing is bearable. Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope. In the Bible, many different people expressed this hopelessness. Isaiah complained, "I have laboured to no purpose. I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing." Isaiah 49:4. Job said, "My life drags by, day after hopeless day." Job 7:6 and "I give up; I am tired of living. Leave me alone. My life makes no sense." Job 7:16. The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose. Hope is an essential part of life. You need hope to cope and this hope comes from having a purpose. If you have felt of feel hopeless, hang on in there! Awesome changes are going to happen in your life as you begin to live it on purpose. You may feel you are facing an impossible situation, but the Bible says, "God is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes." Ephesians 3:20

Knowing your purpose simplifies your life. It defines what you do and don't do. Your purpose becomes the standard you use to evaluate which activities are essential and which aren't to God's purpose in your life. Without a clear purpose you have no foundation on which to base decisions, allocate your time and use your resources. We tend to make choices based on circumstances, pressures and our current mood. People who don't know their purpose try to do too much, and that causes stress, fatigue and conflict. Knowing your purpose also focuses your life, it concentrates your effort and energy on what's important. You become effective by being selective. But without a clear purpose you will keep changing directions, jobs, relationships or churches hoping that each change will settle the confusion or fill the emptiness in your heart. The problem you have is a lack of purpose and focus, but none of these changes will solve that, "Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants." Ephesians 5:17. There is nothing quite as powerful as a focused, purpose-driven life. Paul, one of the most effective leaders in the Bible said, "Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead" Philippians 3:13. If you want your life to have impact, then you need to give it focus. Stop trying to do so much, do less and focus more. Knowing your purpose energises your life, it produces passion because a clear focus is motivating. When your life lacks purpose, small things can become a great chore, even getting out of bed. A meaningless life wears us down, saps our strength and steals our joy.

Knowing your purpose prepares you for eternity. Many people spend their lives trying to make a lasting legacy on earth because they want to be remembered when they are gone. But, ultimately it doesn't matter what others say about your life but what God says. Living to create an earthly legacy is a short sighted goal. It is far better to focus on building an eternal legacy, after all, you weren't put on this earth to be remembered, you were put here to prepare for eternity. On the day that you stand before God, he will do an audit of your life, a final exam before you enter eternity, "Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God." Romans 14:12. God wants us to pass this test. He will not ask about your religious background and doctrinal views, but he very much wants to know if you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and trust him. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6. God wants you to know, love and trust his son who he sent to earth to show us what God is like and to forgive and save us. God will also want to know what you did with the life that God gave you. He will want to learn if you used your talents, gifts, opportunities, relationships and resources on yourself to fulfil God's purpose in your life.

What drives your life?

Everybody's life is driven by something. Do you know what the driving force is in your life? Right now you may be driven by a problem, pressure or deadline. You may be driven by a painful memory, a huge fear or a belief. There are hundreds of circumstances, values and emotions that can drive your life, in particular these 5 common ones:

1. Guilt Many people spend their whole lives running from regrets and hiding shame. Guilt-driven people are manipulated by memories, they allow their past to control their future and often subconsciously punish themselves by sabotaging their own success. When Cain killed his brother, his guilt disconnected him from feeling God's presence and God said, "You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." Genesis 4:12. This describes most people today - wandering through life with no purpose. We are all products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it. God's purpose is never limited by your past. Moses was a murderer and God turned him into a compassionate leader, he also turned Gideon, a coward, into a courageous hero. If God did this, he can do amazing things with your life too. God loves to give people a fresh start.

2. Resentment Lots of people hold onto their hurts and never get over them. Instead of releasing their pain through forgiveness, they let the pain dominate their mind. Some resentment-driven people internalise their anger, while others explode with it in an uncontrolled way. Both responses are unhealthy and unhelpful. Resentment always hurts you more than it does the person you resent. While the offender has probably forgotten about the offence and is getting on with life, you continue to dwell on the past, perpetuating your pain. Those who have hurt you in the past cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold onto the pain through resentment. Your past is your past and nothing will ever change it, "To worry yourself to death with resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to do" Job 5:2

3. Fear Fears may be a result of a traumatic experience, unrealistic expectation, living in an over-disciplined home, or other things. Regardless of the cause, fear-driven people often miss out on many opportunities because they're afraid to step out. Instead, they play it safe and avoid risks. Fear is a self-imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be. The only way to defeat fear is to move against it with the spiritual weapons of faith and love, "well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life, fear of death, fear of judgement, is one not yet fully formed in love." 1 John 4:18

4. Materialism The desire to acquire for many people becomes the main goal of their lives. This drive to always get more is based on the misconception that having more will make you more happy, important and secure. But all of these three are untrue. Possessions only provide temporary happiness, because things do not change and we eventually become bored with them and then want a newer, better version. It's also a myth that if you get more you will be more important. Your true value is not determined by your valuables and having more money will not make you more secure. Real security can only be found in things that can never be taken from you such as your relationship with God.

5. Need for approval Some people allow the expectations of those around them to control their lives. Many adults are still trying to earn the approval of dislikeable parents. Others are driven by peer pressure, always worried by what others might think. One of the sure ways to fail is to constantly try to please everyone. Being controlled by the opinions of others is a guaranteed way to miss God's purposes for your life.

There are also other forces that can drive your life, but they all lead to the same dead end; unused potential, unnecessary stress and an unfulfilled life. That's why there is nothing more important than knowing God's purpose for your life, and nothing can compensate for not knowing it, not success, wealth, fame or pleasure. Without a purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without reason. Without a purpose, life is trivial and pointless.

It all starts with God

The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfilment, your peace of mind and your happiness. It's far greater than your family, your career and your ambitions. You were born by God's purpose and for his purpose. The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years, because we typically begin at the wrong starting point - ourselves. We ask self-centred questions such as 'What do I want to be? What should I do?' and so on. But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life's purpose, "It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone's life is in his power." Job 12:10. You exist only because God wills you to exist. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense. It is only in God that we discover our origin, identity, meaning, purpose and destiny. Every other paths leads to a dead end. Many people try to use God for their own self-actualisation. They want God to be their own personal genie in a bottle who serves their self-centred desires, but that will always result in failure. You were made for God, not he for you, and life is about letting God use you for his purposes, not you using him for your own purposes, "Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life." Romans 8:6. Being successful and fulfilling your life's purpose are not the same issue. You should reach all your personal goals, becoming a success by the world's standards, and still miss the purposes for which God created you. The easiest way to discover the purpose of your life is to ask your creator: God. You can find all answers in His word where he has clearly revealed his five purposes for our lives. The Bible explains why we are alive, how life works, what to avoid and what to expect in the future.

God is not just the starting point of your life, he is the source of it. To discover your purpose in life, turn to God's Word. You must build your life on unchanging eternal truths, not the opinions of talk shows, self-help seminars and such, "It 's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard from Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone." Ephesians 1:11. This verse offers three insights into your purpose. First, you discover your identity and purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Second, God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about him, and thirdly, the purpose of your life fits into a much larger purpose that God has designed for eternity.

You are not an accident

Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. You parents may not have planned you, but that doesn't mean God didn't plan you. He works even through human errors and failings, and he was not surprised by your birth, in fact he expected it. It is not by fate, chance or coincidence that you are here right now. You are alive because God wants to create you! "The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me." Psalm 138:8. God designed every detail of your body. He deliberately chose your race, the colour of your skin, your hair, and every other feature. He also determined the natural talents you would have and the uniqueness of your personality. "God, you know me inside out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something." Psalm 139:15. Because God made you for a reason, he also decided when you would be born and how long you will live. Your whole life was planned in advance, "You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe." Psalm 139:16. God also planned where you'd be born and where you'd live for his purpose. Your race and nationality are no accident. God left no detail to chance, he planned it all for his purpose. Nothing in your life is arbitrary, it's all for a purpose. Most amazingly, God decided how you would be born. Regardless of the circumstances of your birth or who your parents are, God has a plan in creating you. He knew the two individuals who had exactly the right genetics to create the customised you that he wanted for you. There may be illegitimate parents but there are no illegitimate children! Some children may be unplanned by their parents, but they are not unplanned by God. God's purposes take into account human mistakes, even sin. This doesn't mean that God causes or condones sin or evil, he doesn't, but it does mean that God is able to redeem all situations and use them for his own good if he so wishes. So regardless of the circumstances of your birth, you can celebrate the fact that God created you to be YOU! God never does anything accidentally and he never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything he creates. God's motive for creating you is love. "Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love." Ephesians 1:4. God was thinking of you even before he made the world. In fact, that's why he created it. God designed this planet's environment just so we could live in it. We are the focus of his love and the most valuable of all his creation, "God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the important of all the things he made." James 1:18. God is not haphazard, he planned it all with great precision and the more scientists learn about the universe, the better we understand how it is uniquely suited for our existence, custom-made with the exact specifications that make human life possible. So why did God do all this? Why did he bother to go to all the trouble of creating a universe for us? The answer is simple: He is a God of love and he made you so that he could love you! This is the foundation that you need to build your life upon.

The Bible tells us, "God is love" 1 John 4:8. It does not say God has love. He is love. Love is the essence of God's character and he wanted to create you so that he could express his love, "I will take care of you. I made you and will take care of you." Isaiah 46:4. If there was no God we would not be here, it's as simple as that. But, there is a God, who made you for a reason, and your life has profound meaning. We only discover that meaning and purpose when we make God the reference point of our lives, "The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us." Romans 12:3.