“And the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’”  Luke 3:22

Today, would God say He is pleased with you? Would you say He is pleased with you? He wants to say that- and He is, if you have accepted Christ into your heart, life and soul. But there is more to that formula, isn’t there?

God said this at Jesus’ baptism, which at the time was only a cleansing act. Anytime a Jew felt they had sinned and were unclean, they went to be washed by baptism.  Today we must undergo mini baptisms and call upon the blood of Christ to wash us white as snow. How? Confession.

I recall a time that I had done something I should not have done. For the life of me I can’t remember what that deed was, but to this day I remember how horrible I felt. If I told my mother, I knew I’d be disciplined. I didn’t want that. I was afraid she’d find out because moms always do, so I pulled away from her and avoided her the rest of the day.  I barely spoke to her the next day.

Each hour the fear and anguish grew. She paid attention to my siblings but I’d walk away. I actually became jealous that they were in good with her when I was not. I began to think she didn’t love me as much as she loved them. I became the victim instead of the offender. I stewed and stewed until it all burst out in tears. Once I’d confessed, my relationship with my mother was restored. Only then did I learn how much I had hurt her, and myself.

Where are you with God? Are you afraid to go to Him and confess your sins in fear He might discipline you?  Do you pull away because you know He knows? Are you stewing in jealousy of others’ closer relationship with Him?  Do you cry out “Please God love me” forgetting it is you who pulled away?

Ever hear of getting back in good graces with someone? It means to restore your relationship with them so they will think of you in a favorable way – they are pleased to be in your company. Each night, before we close our eyes, we should wipe the slate clean with our Lord. It is a good time to touch base with Him, receive His forgiveness, discipline and loving embrace.

To get back in good graces with God, i.e. receive God’s mercy and grace, we must be the ones willing to come forward and be cleansed. Once we do, He will say to us as He said to Jesus, “You are my child. I am pleased with you.” His Spirit will once again rule in us and we will be thankful.

Question: Do you feel the need to earn God’s love?

Related:
What does your soul crave?

Everyone fails from time to time … even self-important business executives, athletes, or community leaders. The important thing is being willing to get back up and try again. How would you rank your fear of failure from 1 to 10? Would you like to talk with someone about it?

Related reading:
Finding Freedom to Be Yourself – No longer fear what others think

Do you feel like nobody listens? We do. Talk to us.

God loves us. We are to love one another. Real love requires sacrifice and obedience to God’s commands. And lastly, the Apostle John teaches that love is the key to a life full of purpose and joy and contentment. Love really is the answer.

John tells us: “Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble” (1 John 2:10).

Doesn’t that sound attractive? We all stumble in many ways, but John shows us that love overcomes the things that make us stumble – things like selfishness and pride, bitterness and envy, insecurity and anger. We cannot be impatient and love our brother. We cannot be resentful and love our sister. Loving others lifts us above the things that would trap us in sin.

And that is not all. John continues:

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16).

“No one has ever seen God; but if we love each other, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12).

Through love, God makes His dwelling place in us. Love is the way to true fellowship with God. Love completes us.

It begins with God loving us. Through His power we can love those around us with a sacrificial and unconditional love. Then when we love in this manner we are complete in God. We have fellowship with Him and nothing can make us stumble.

Holy God, thank you for loving me. Thank you for showing me that by loving others, I receive the incredible benefits of freedom from stumbling blocks and fellowship with You.  Amen.

Questions: How have you found love to be the key to life on earth? How have you experienced benefits when loving others?

About the Author Suzanne Benner

Have you ever tried to watch a football from ground level? It is difficult to tell what is going on, how many yards there are to go, where the ball is, etc. The view is distorted, which is why coaches are sent to watch from the top and then communicate what is going on with those on the ground, so the sideline coaches can make better decisions.

The same is true for day to day life. Unless you take the time to go a little higher, to sit and watch from a distance, it is difficult to determine which way you are going.

Some days leave us feeling like a mouse in a maze, wondering if we are making one bad decision after another because we cannot see far enough to know where we are heading. After slamming our heads into the wall a few times, we deduct that there must be a better way.

I often wonder if God isn’t looking down on us in this way – watching what we are doing and trying to warn of obstacles that lay ahead, hoping to keep us focused, and trying to communicate with us so that we can make better decisions. During periods of uncertainty and transitions in our lives, it is difficult to know what to pray for, or even how to pray.  Sometimes, life doesn’t make much sense from down here.

At the very least, we can pray for a better view – a higher place – and enough distance to see our options more clearly. One of my favorite scriptures for times such as this is Psalm 61:2 which says, “From the ends of the earth I call to you. . . Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2) Even Jesus had to find ways to reach higher for understanding.

Dear God,  Sometimes we wish we could sit beside you, to see what you see and know what you know. But at other times, we recognize that you are the only one who can be trusted with our future. Lead us to a place where we can see your will more clearly.  Take us to a place where we are no longer distracted by what we see in front of us and we can focus on the bigger picture. Forgive us when we struggle. Deep down, our only desire is to please you, from wherever you are watching. In Jesus Name, Amen

Question: Have you been listening for God’s warnings lately?

About this Author: Janet Morris Grimes

“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free?’” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed”” John 8:31-36

According to man’s thinking, freedom means being able to choose or act with few if any restraints, limits or accountabilities. According to God’s view, this definition is actually a description of rebellion, where submission to authority is rejected and people all do as they see fit. (Judges 21:25) True freedom – being free from bondage to sin – is found only through Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:16-17)

The first step to freedom is recognizing where we are not free, that is, areas where we remain imprisoned. People who have not received Christ as Savior are in bondage to unbelief. They can neither believe God nor trust the promises of Scripture. Sin has blinded their eyes to the truth that they need a Savior.

Even Christians can find themselves in bondage, especially with regard to subtle kinds of enslavement. Feeling inferior is a type of bondage that can dictate how we respond to people. Insecurities can color our responses to life’s challenges and alter our ability to think or act; they also will affect our ability to trust and obey God. Furthermore, feelings of worthlessness or rejection can inhibit our Christian witness.

God wants us walking in freedom. Scripture reveals that we are set free when we know our position in Christ, our person in Christ, and our possessions in Christ. The path to discovering these truths is found only through the living Word of God. (John 8:31-32) Meditating on the eighth chapter of John is a good place to embark on freedom’s road. Its truths will set us free!

Question: In what way are we set free by knowing Jesus personally?

About this Author: Charles Stanley

Maybe the clash of cultures was too great for us to bear. My mother was always unhappy for leaving her family behind, and my father never succeeded in anything, no matter how hard he tried. He was very strict and did not allow any freedom in our lives (friends, parties, boyfriends etc.). They are divorced today.

I was never “one of the girls,” never had money for clothes, going out, etc. I had no social skills; I was very shy and passive and I did not have friends. My schoolwork was poor.

Trying to gain control

I started having eating disorders at the age of 15. Food seemed like the only thing I had control over. Anorexia, bulimia and diet pills consumed my life. If I could not be successful, I thought, at least I could be thin.

At the age of 19 I fell pregnant and decide to abort the baby. Afterwards, I tried to study to become something, but I was always interrupted by getting involved in dead-end relationships. I was looking for love and acceptance at any cost. The cost was my health, my education and my sanity. I also developed a great hatred for my father, which affected my whole being. I blamed him for everything that went wrong in my life. I was 21 and I was a failure.

My mother was concerned about me and suggested that I take a year off. I went to South Africa to find myself. In the country of my birth, I felt like I was in a strange land, hardly able to understand the language.

Understanding love

And yet, the family I came to live with showed me incredible love, acceptance and care. I was very shocked by their attitudes, because my family knew nothing but conflict and strife.

On my third day in the country, I went to church with this family. Though the minister spoke in English (my mother tongue is Brazilian) I understood the invitation to find hope, forgiveness and a future through Jesus. This was for me! That day, I invited Jesus Christ to be my Forgiver and Leader.

He set me free from my eating disorders, my fears and insecurities. He delivered me from my hatred to my father, and today we have a good relationship that we have been working on. He has blessed me with a Christian husband who has walked with me on the painful path of healing and restoration, and has accepted me just for who I am: “a lost girl in search of life.”

I got involved with a non-profit organization, which cares for the homeless, fatherless and widows. I enrolled in theology classes, and started to learn about this God who loves and accepts unconditionally. It is now nine years and seven months since I gave my heart to Jesus, and He has transformed me from a passive girl into a totally new woman. I am confident that with Christ, I will never be alone again.

Today my husband and I manage a center that cares for mentally challenged people. I also counsel women who have been through the same things that I have.

I know that life in this world is never going to be perfect, but every day with Jesus is a day to grow and give to others the same comfort that He gave me.

Do you feel lost, trapped, like you do not really belong anywhere? Do you suffer with eating disorders? Do you feel afraid and rejected? Did you have an abortion? Have you encountered broken relationships and family strife? I’ve been there. And I have found that Jesus can bring a healing touch to ALL of it.

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here’s a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to You and ask You to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of woman You want me to be.

Please excuse the repetition, but I want this article to score highly in Google searches.

You see, Google Zeitgeist, the mega-search engine’s report on its most popular search topics, says the heiress scored number one on 2006 Google News searches. The report presents a glimpse of the “spirit of the times,” giving clues to websurfers’ interests.

In news (yes, I said “news,” not “entertainment”) searches, Paris beat Orlando Bloom, cancer, podcasting and Hurricane Katrina. Borat and Hezbollah topped “Who is” searches. Among U.S. searches for “Scandal,” the Duke Lacrosse episode took three of the first four slots.

What else do people want to know about? Google’s top-ten lists in various categories include MySpace, Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, Britney Spears, Paul McCartney, Pamela Anderson, Reggie Bush, and Clay Aiken.

Why do celebrities and entertainment rank so high? Perhaps it’s the desire to connect with something larger than ourselves. Maybe boredom explains some celebrity obsession. And don’t rule out diversion.

For some – maybe many – daily life ranges from harried to overwhelming: soured relationships, job conflict, financial pressure, health distress. Diverting focus can ease your troubled mind, at least temporarily.

Of course, everyone needs mental and emotional breaks. Diversion can be a healthy coping mechanism – until it becomes obsessive. Then it can lead to denying reality, perhaps obscuring genuine wants and needs.

Suppose we had a mind/heart/soul reader to discover what people really want once their basic physical needs are met. What would we find? Psychologist Abraham Maslow’s renowned hierarchy of basic needs includes safety, love, esteem and self-actualization.[i] Perhaps our soul reader would detect desires for acceptance, thriving personal friendships, peace of mind, health, security.

Maslow also realized that several profound fears – including the fear of death – trouble humanity.[ii] Our soul reader might find that people also want an answer to death.

Anthropologist Ernest Becker argued in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Denial of Death,[iii] that much human behavior can be explained by a deep desire to deny death’s reality, to repress “the terror of death.” No wonder. Which would you enjoy more, right this minute: contemplating your own death and its aftermath … or reading, exercising, web- or channel surfing, conversing, partying, working, shopping, etc.?

If we don’t have a solution to fear of death, we can invent ways to avoid thinking about it. Alas, attractive and even worthwhile pursuits can become enslaving. Amassing the most “toys”; rat-race schedules; obsession with career, job, education, sports or even friends can insulate people from facing their own mortality.

The biblical book of Hebrews presents a similar analysis of the human dilemma, reasoning that people “have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.” [iv] It claims that Jesus died to “deliver” people from this slavery so they might connect with God in time and eternity.

It seems morbid to always be thinking about your own death. But could avoiding it altogether constitute unhealthy denial? Could excessive focus on certain pursuits become risky diversion from life’s real issues, like personal meaning, personal worth, fulfilling relationships, and what Sigmund Freud called “the painful riddle of death”? [v]

Could obsession with Paris Hilton and her Google Zeitgeist pals conceal deep longings, insecurities and fears in individual websurfers and in society at large?

As the esteemed British philosopher and rocker Sir Mick Jagger famously counseled, “You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometime … you just might find you get what you need.” [vi] A friendly question for my fellow websurfers: Is what you want, what you need?

Young teens become insecure.  They can start to feel like they don’t measure up or that no one cares about them.  Most parents dread this period and wish their kids could skip these teenage years.  Wouldn’t it be great if there was a button that could be pushed so children could go from sweet, obedient little boys and girls directly to adulthood?

The teenage years are necessary

But no one can avoid the teenage years.  For teens — and their parents — these years are an important time of growth.  Teens need to understand this process of physical, spiritual, emotional, social and intellectual change.   Parents should also make an extra effort to understand their children.  Teens often face a lot of worry and depression.  Knowing that they have understanding, compassionate parents can help teens feel more grounded.

As parents we have the responsibility to walk alongside our children through the difficulties of the teen years.  We need to give them a solid foundation to grow on and help them establish the right goals in life.   Parents have the ability to help teens build a healthy self-image and model good relationships, correct values and beliefs.  All of this will assist the teen as they move on to the next period of leaving home and becoming independent.

Communicating openly with your teens

Have you ever talked to your tee about sexual morals, drugs, masturbation, dating, and other serious issues?  Perhaps you try to avoid talking about them, hoping that these problems would not happen to your “sweeties”.  Or you may try to stay away from these mines and not deal with them unless they explode.  I read the book Preparing for Adolescence by Dr. James Dobson and was quite inspired by it.

There were many good, practical suggestions in his book which have helped me deal with a lot of tough issues with my three teenage children.  I will briefly summarize below those useful suggestions along with my twenty five years of experience as a parent.  I truly hope this would be helpful as you and your children move through the storm of their teenage years.

Number one issue for teens

The first issue teens need to face is the “insecurity” problem.  This can be the cause of much pain and hurt for teens. Teens often feel that no one really loves them, that they can’t do anything as well as other people.  They need reassurance.  Remind them often how much you love them, how proud you are of them.  Teens can see themselves as not as beautiful, smart or talented as others.  Some teens become convinced that they are the worst in the world and that they will always be a “loser”.

Many problems can be avoided when parents have a healthy attitude to help their children understand the challenges they are going through.  Offer affirmation and unconditional love to your teen.  Let them know that they have not let you down.

Statistics tell us that 80% of the teenagers in Americadon’t like the way they look.  They complain that they’re too tall, too short, too fat or too skinny.  Some don’t like their noses some spend over an hour each morning doing their hair and are still unsatisfied. These problems may seem petty to adults, yet teens can have nightmares and loose appetite over them.  Knowing their own self-worth and having parents who are supportive and encouraging can greatly minimize these teenagers’ worries.

Entering a Brave New World

Teenagers are not abnormal creatures.  Their bodies and souls are caught between two worlds: childhood and adulthood.  They’re at the fringe of entering a brave new world.  Though they try hard to become an adult, they still can’t avoid being childish and naïve at times.  Between ages thirteen to eighteen, they often do things that surprise and shock their parents.  Children in this stage encounter changes in a few areas which may cause problems.  Parents can expect changes in five major areas:

1. Changes in appearance. Girls usually mature mentally and physically much sooner than boys.  Especially around 7th and 8th grade, girls may be more mature but still emotionally unstable.  They like to experiment with clothing, be praised by their peers, worship popular idols, and daydream in their rooms about their Prince Charming.  Boys at this age may be interested in girls but in a silly way.  They may feel bad about not being as strong and muscular as others and blame their own parents.  Their self-esteem is often based on external looks and physical strength.  For teens at this stage, over 85% of their conversations revolve around sex (the opposite sex, of course).
2. Demanding independence. Often you will hear, “I know, mom!  Please don’t tell me what to do!”  Teenagers are moving from dependent children to totally independent adults.  Usually both parents and teens will end up full of battle scars going through this stage.  If the parents are too controlling, some young people will defy them and seek independence by total rebellion.  It is very important for kids this age to be in a loving environment where the parents appropriately encourage them to grow and be independent and to have supportive peers.
3. Need of peer acceptance. The easiest way for teens to become accepted by their peers is through activities.  Parents need to encourage them to be involved with positive activities and organizations such as: band, choir, sports teams, academic competitions, school newspaper, community service groups, etc. These groups can give teens opportunities to establish friendships and become more socially mature.
4. Allow self-control or establish a standard of right conduct. According to some psychological research, the most important character traits for young people of the 21st century are: optimism, empathy, self-control and self-understanding.  Swiss psychologist Paul Taurier thinks that it is an abuse when parents only demand obedience without any regard for the preference of their children.  It may feel risky to let your children express their interests, preference and thoughts, but only when you respect them will your children know that their existence is valued.  It is absolutely necessary for parents to let go at certain times and allow the teens to make some of their own choices.
5. Need of encouragement. Encouraging words and actions will bring results beyond your expectations.  Affirmation shows your faith, support and appreciation for your teens.  Teens’ self-image and self-confidence are often determined by their parents’ comments to them.  My son who is now a sophomore once said the most heart-warming thing—“My mom is the person who has the most faith in me in this world.”  He would say that because whenever he was facing a competition or test, I would always say to him, “Son, I believe you can do it.”  My principle has been: as long as my children have done their best, then they have “done it”.  The actual results become not as important.

Parenting through the teen years is not a easy task, but the results are worth it.  Happy, well-adjusted teens become adults that everyone wants to be around.  The role of parents is to guide children into adulthood.  So often we want to quit on our teens when really we are so close to the finish line.  If you haven’t done it yet, go tell your teen how much you love them and how proud oyu are of who they are becoming.  You’ll be amazed just how far those simple words can go.

Life can be a roller coaster – the demands and pressures that parents face can be overwhelming. What is the answer? Where does peace come from? You can have the peace that you are looking for. When there’s no one to talk to, we can also pray. When we don’t know what to do next, we can pray. What good will come form praying? Why talk to Jesus? Because he understands suffering — not in some distant cosmic way, but in the flesh. He suffered greatly during his time on earth. He was innocent and died a cruel and horrible death. You can talk to him because he cares about you and knows what you are going through. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here’s a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of woman you want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.

If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you’ll experience life to the fullest.