It was a good day of labor and interaction on many fronts. Father, thank You for the wherewithal to accomplish what You set before me. May Your blessings be on it all.
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I know of a man who has had his spiritual ups and downs throughout his life. He accepted Christ as His Lord and Savior at an early age but even though he has been very devoted to trying to keep in step with Jesus’ direction for his life, he feels that far too often he has undershot what should have been his goals.
At least in his own heart and mind, he is anything but a shining example of what a follower of Jesus should be. Yet he is amazed that God continues to use Him, though a weak and cracked vessel he may be.
Recently he was almost brought to tears when something came to mind that helped his day start on a much better note. It was nothing of any particular importance, but he got the distinct impression that the thought came not from his own consciousness but was whispered into his spirit by the Holy Spirit.
The reason it affected him so is that he seems to be struggling more in recent weeks than he has for a while but still God reached out and prompted him with a very small thing. It was as if he was being reminded, “Yeah, I know you’ve been having a lot of ups and downs recently. But I just want you to know…I still love you. You’re important to Me and I want to encourage you to hang in there. Keep at it. You are worth it, and all of your labors are worth it!”
He really felt that God was reminding Him that he was much more than useless!
So today, as you read this post, I want to encourage you to hang in there as well. Keep at it. If I am worth it – yes, I am the man – then you are worth it! And all of your labor is not in vain, but that which is done for the Lord, He will bless!
Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, “…you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” NLT
Reading it in from the Amplified Bible helps, too.
You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect. [emphasis mine]
We strive for perfection, but we mustn’t beat ourselves up when we fall short – even if that’s what happens regularly. The idea is to not stop striving! God is in our corner – mine and yours! He’s our biggest encourager! Do not let the devil undermine God’s work! God hasn’t given up on us and we need to encourage one another to not give up on ourselves! For we all are much, much more than useless!
Nov 17th, 2021, Wed, 8:39 pm
