Be Secure - Martin Wiles

For I can do everything with the help of Christ, who gives me the strength I need. Philippians 4:13 NLT

Donned in my walking attire, I looked at my wife and said, “Anyone who can wear this is secure in themselves.”

For years, I’ve walked to keep off the extra pounds. But one day, when I dressed in the clothes I intended to wear while walking, my wife took one look and said, “That’s a hot mess.”

My pants had stripes, and my jacket had checks. I topped off my outfit with a striped Fedora hat. I really didn’t care what anyone else thought about my outfit—but that hasn’t always been true.

When I was a young lad, my appearance caused me great insecurity. Somewhere along the line, I stopped caring what others thought and became secure in my identity.

Paul had many reasons to be insecure after choosing to follow Christ. He was hounded frequently by unbelievers who would have loved nothing better than to destroy his ministry. The multiple trials he faced also added to his precarious situation. But he was confident.

As followers of Christ, we can be secure in our identity. The Bible calls us saints. The last time I checked, I was far from sainthood, but that’s my position in Christ. When we trust Christ as our Savior and receive his forgiveness, we trade in the label of “sinner.” Though we still sin, it’s not the pattern of our lives, nor does it have to be. The indwelling power of the Holy Spirit gives us the power to live above sin regularly.

As believers, we can also be secure in our life situations. Paul experienced good times and bad times. He established many churches and witnessed thousands trust Christ as their Savior, but he also experienced patience-trying and life-threatening situations. Yet he was secure. In another place, he wrote, I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. Learning that lesson isn’t easy or quick, but when we’ve mastered it, unpleasant situations won’t cause us to feel insecure.

Further, as God’s child, we can be secure in our gifts. God gives all believers at least one gift of the Spirit, but most have more. Our responsibility is to use it (or them) wisely, faithfully, and in ways that honor the God who gave them.

If your life is hounded by insecurities, God can empower you to overcome them.

Father, I give my insecurities to you, believing you can help me conquer each one. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Insecurity Examination - Martin Wiles

Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. 2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT

Self-examinations can be lifesaving.

Women who’ve had breast cancer or are at high risk due to biological reasons are encouraged to self-examine. Since doctor visits are separated by months—sometimes years--examinations are vitally important and could mean the difference between life and death.

People who’ve had skin cancer are encouraged to perform self-examinations. My cancer was basil cell carcinoma and was barely a noticeable place on the back of my ear. Other than it bleeding when I dried off after a shower, I would never have known it existed. Since then, I’ve had a few different places frozen or cut off. So, I regularly self-examine. My skin doctor appointments come months apart, and a lot can happen in that time.

Another critical self-examination falls in the area of insecurity. Insecurities occur for various reasons. Perhaps the messages a child heard while they were young were primarily negative. “You can’t do that,” or “You’ll never amount to anything.” Similar messages are often perpetrated by those who heard those same messages when they were growing up. Messages like this can form an adult who has low self-esteem, is overtly shy, and may be afraid to set goals or make decisions. Spouses who live with emotionally or physically abusive partners can also face insecurities.

But Paul deals with one area we never have to feel insecure about. He suggests self-examination regarding salvation—faith in Christ. We came into this world a sinner. Left to ourselves, we will carry out the effects of that sinful nature in unhealthy attitudes, actions, and words. Without any action on our part to correct it, we will go to our graves the same way and spend eternity apart from a loving God. But we don’t have to.

Jesus paid for our sins, but we must accept his actions. His sacrifice removes our sins and gives us His righteousness when applied to our lives. This act should also remove our insecurities. After a self-examination, we conclude that, indeed, we’re in the faith and secure in his love. Forgiveness, abundance, joy, power, confidence—and most of all, heaven—are all ours.

Plan to do a regular self-examination.

Father, when I examine myself, may I find my security in your unconditional forgiveness. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Passed Over - Martin Wiles

In honor of the LORD your God, always celebrate the Passover at the proper time in early spring. Deuteronomy 16:1 NLT

Having a team captain choose team members can be a frightening occurrence. There’s always the chance of being passed over. And I was. Often.

Sports were never my thing. I suppose my build fought against my involvement. While I loved attending games and watching sporting events on television, I never played a single one from first grade through graduation. Neighborhood games and PE classes were my only connection—and I hated both. Neighborhood friends never picked me first. Neither did the team captains. I was too skinny . . .  too shy. So, I settled for being passed over until the very last.

Being passed over can damage a young person’s emotions. Feelings of inadequacy surface quickly and often. These feelings affected more than my involvement in sports. They transferred over into academic life and relationships. As a teen, they upset my dating habits. Not until I became a young adult did my self-perspective change.

For the Israelites living in Egyptian slavery, being passed over was a good thing. It meant the death angel that traveled through the land and killed the Egyptians’ oldest children, along with the firstborn of all their animals, would pass over their homes. He would see the blood they had smattered on the doorframe and keep moving.

I didn’t enjoy being passed over by the popular girls or the team captains, but I am glad God passed over me when it came time to deal with my sins. Focusing on God’s love is easy; realizing there is a holy wrath side of His nature is more difficult—yet biblical.

We are born with sinful natures, but we are also responsible to God. Since God is holy, He can’t associate with sin. Sin makes us unworthy to serve on His team. Yet He is willing to pass over that if we do our part. For the Israelites in Egypt, it meant sacrificing an animal and spreading its blood on their doorframes. For us, it entails accepting what God allowed His Son to do on Calvary’s cross—pay our sin debt.

Knowing what Christ did isn’t enough. We have to incorporate Him into our lives. Being on the team doesn’t automatically happen.

Has God passed over your sin because you are in Christ?

Father, I thank You that in Christ You will pass over my sins. I am no longer under condemnation. 

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Beloved and Up Close - Munashe Nguruza

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased!” Matthew 17:5 NLT

I pleaded. I begged. I would not take no for an answer. I wanted to feel beloved and up close.

Then, I heard God say, “You are not my son.”

I was dumbstruck.

I said, “Lord, that is so unkind and cruel.”

He replied, “I am your loving Dad, and you are my beloved son. Don’t make yourself less than that.”

I had begged for days on end, yet no answer had come. The Lord, in his kindness, gave me fresh knowledge. He made me a son, not a beggar. He brought me close because he intends to hear from me.

God set my theology right. The way I saw myself would affect my prayers. How often had I prayed like a servant, leaving my identity entirely out of the equation? Who God says we are is who we are.

We are guaranteed an answer from God. Sometimes it comes as information and sometimes as a superb miracle, yet we will always have it.

I had begged until God reminded me I was his son. Then, I thanked him for his love and grace. Somehow, I knew he would come through, and he did in an amazing way.

God’s Word says his children will dwell in safety. Making ourselves less than we are takes away our advantage. No greater security exists than the love of the Lord, which he has poured greatly on us. We pray from a place where our identity is the key. God made us irresistible to him when we accepted Jesus.

Go bravely into the light with God’s peace. Say, “Loving Father, your beloved child is grateful, then boldly state your case.

How can you better understand your identity in Christ?

Tweetable: Do you know your identity? 

Munashe Nguruza is a child of God, soul winner, and blogger. His passion is to see lives transformed and healed by the Word of God 

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Living in Beggar Mode - Martin Wiles

May you experience the love of Christ . . . . Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:19 NLT

She was a princess who became the wife of a beggar who turned out to be a king.

The princess’ father was a king and intended to marry her off to another king. But she was a stubborn child and wouldn’t consent to his wishes. Although he paraded three kings before her, she rejected each one. In a rage, her father said, “Then I’ll marry you off to the first beggar who comes along.” And he did. Perhaps living as a beggar’s wife would teach her a lesson.

The beggar was kind and pledged to love her, but when she refused to perform her wifely duties, he sent her to a king’s home to work as a servant. Perhaps this would teach her appreciation. It did. She soon realized what she had turned down in the other kings’ marriage proposals.

But this king was about to be married. She couldn’t leave until she helped carry off the wedding. Her heart raced when she was introduced to the king. He was her beggar husband. And her? She was a queen. She would live a full life after all.

The princess could never live in queen mode as long as she was living in beggar mode. Not until she realized she was the wife of a king could she even begin to experience everything that belonged to her.

As believers, we too can live in beggar mode. But if we do, we’ll miss out on so much that’s ours because of our relationship with Christ. Since we’re the bride of Christ, everything he has is ours. We’ll only enjoy it, however, when we fully comprehend his love.

God’s love is wide, long, high, and deep. It reaches out to the entire world and expands enough to cover any life experience. He has loved us in the past, loves us now, and will love us throughout eternity. When we celebrate what God does through us, he celebrates with us. But when we’re in the depths of discouragement and despair, he is there as well.

Don’t live life on a lower level than God intends. Live it to the fullest.

Prayer: Father, help us realize all we have in You so we might experience the fullness of our relationship with You.

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Incapacitated by Fear - Martin Wiles

Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome. Ephesians 3:12 NLT

If not checked, we can become incapacitated by fear.

Many fears accompany growing up. Like all children, I wanted to be accepted. I feared that only a few would like me—that I wouldn’t be popular. I lived out the reality of this fear, partially because I let it incapacitate me. I wasn’t overly fond of my looks. Skinny. Freckled face. Shy. Glasses. These things gave me a complex, and I chose to give into my fear instead of facing it.

Many children who might not normally be popular can be popular simply by letting an outgoing and kind personality compensate for what they lack in other areas. I was kind, but I wasn’t outgoing. I settled to live with my fear of not being accepted.

The reactions I feared from others while growing up I don’t have to fear from God. Others did reject me; perhaps because I didn’t give them a chance. I wasn’t always chosen for sports’ teams due to my build. But I complicated the situation by not trying.

I could interact with God the same way I once did with others. After all, he has traits that frighten me. He’s all-powerful and could snuff out my life in a second. He has the power to cast me into an eternal hell. Not a pleasant picture. If I let these fears incapacitate me, I’ll avoid him. That too has unpleasant consequences.

Christ has removed our need to fear or be afraid of God. 

We fear or respect God, but we don’t fear he’ll reject or punish us indiscriminately. Christ has made it possible for us to come fearlessly into God’s presence. He welcomes us. Often and regularly. He loves us unconditionally and wants to guide us into abundant living. By accepting his offer of forgiveness through Christ, we remove any reason to fear God. Nothing can separate us from his love.

Are you living fearlessly in a relationship with God?

Prayer: Father, thank You for allowing us to come fearlessly into Your presence where we can find help in our times of need. 

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Pronounced Good - Martin Wiles

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! Genesis 1:31 NLT

 

I wanted to be pronounced good, but many didn’t.

 

Near the end of my elementary school journey, the unthinkable happened. I knew I couldn’t see well, but I didn’t think anyone else knew. However, my teacher did. I suppose my getting up from the back—where I always sat because my last name began with W—and slithering down the aisle to see what the teacher had written on the blackboard gave it away. My eyes were terrible. She notified my parents, they gave me a home test, and then they took me to the eye doctor—who made the fatal pronouncement: “You need glasses.”

 

I’ve known children and teens who wore fake glasses because they thought they looked good. In the 1960s, no one did this. Young folks didn’t want glasses because their friends would call them “four-eyes.” Contacts weren’t an option, so I had to get the dreaded glasses to see things clearly. Sure enough, many of my friends called me “four-eyes.” That and other labels I received because I was skinny and non-athletic hurt. Some of the sayings I remembered years later.

 

Margaret knew pain like mine. She was a little on the overweight side. I suppose her classmates thought she ate too much—and perhaps she did—but they showed their insensitivity by calling her fat, a stigma that stayed with her until she became an older adult and finally chose to change her eating habits and undergo weight-loss surgery. Even at retirement age, she still remembered the names. And I remember the little jingle, too, that students called those who were overweight: “Fatty fatty two by four, can’t get through the kitchen door.”

 

Thankfully, God doesn’t give labels such as fat or four-eyes. When He finished His work of creation, He pronounced it good. This included the humans He had made. He even went a step further and created us in His image. This makes us different than animals.

 

Low self-esteem doesn’t have to haunt us—nor do the names or labels others give us. God says we are good because He made us. He is our Creator. And on a more personal note, He is the heavenly Father of all who acknowledge His Son as their Savior. 

God doesn’t make junk. We may wonder why God created us as we are, but a reason exists—even if we never know it.

 

Eventually, I learned to see myself as God sees me. Margaret did, too. And so can everyone else who has been labeled with a self-esteem-lowering tag. We’ll look at others through different lenses when we view ourselves as God does. We won’t see faults and flaws, but someone loved by God—and someone whom we should love.

 

Learn to pronounce others as good—and then treat them accordingly.

 

Father, we thank You for making all things good, including us. 

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Knowing Our Identity - Anne Adams

If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15:19 NKJV

Knowing our identity is crucial.

After his speech at a campaign fundraiser rally, a hungry Mayor George hurried to the food stand for a late lunch. But he soon encountered a challenge. 

The glum server dispensing the food shoved a paltry serving of fried chicken, potato salad, and beans across the counter.

“Hey, can I get some more chicken?” the mayor asked. “I’m really hungry.”

“No more!” the server snapped. “We’ve got a lot of folks to feed, and we’re running low. Now move along.”

A glance behind him revealed an oncoming crowd, so he decided on a new tactic.

“Look, I want some more chicken. Do you know who I am? I’m the mayor–I’m in charge of the government.”

By now, a line had formed behind him, but the woman was unfazed.

“And do you know who I am?” she sniffed. “I’m in charge of the chicken. Now move on!”

That lady certainly had self-confidence—a trait I usually lack, particularly when it comes to spiritual self-confidence. Yet, one way to get it is to know my identity.  

Jesus assures us that since He’s chosen us to live in His presence, we should have the assurance of who we are. We are entitled to rely on Him for our needs, rather than bowing to fear, self-pity, and uncertainty.

How can realizing your identity change your perspective on life? Don’t cringe like an orphan.

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Anne Adams is a retired church staffer living in Athens, Texas, where she writes a historical column for the local newspaper. Her book Brittany, Child of Joy, tells about her mentally disabled daughter and was published in 1986 by Broadman. She has taught junior college history and has published in Christian and secular publications for forty years. 

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Shame, Shame, Shame - Martin Wiles

Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame. Romans 10:11 NIV

As I child, I heard it from parents and grandparents.

“Shame, shame, shame,” one of my parents…or more likely one of my grandparents…might say. If they did, it meant I had broken one of their rules or behaved in a way they deemed inappropriate. Even as a young child, which is when I normally heard this, I knew what it meant.

As I got older, the three words didn’t bring the same response as they had when I was younger and wanted to please everyone. The larger problem related to God’s rules, which my parents’ and grandparents’ rules supposedly mimicked. If I broke their rules, I was guilty of infringing upon God’s principles.

But I also experienced another type of shame: shame over my body. To say the least, I hated it. Skinny. Bony. And if that wasn’t enough, I had to get ugly glasses while in elementary school. Other classmates made fun of my shape, and I certainly wasn’t one they wanted on their team in Physical Education class when we played basketball or dodgeball.

Paul says anyone who believes in Christ should never be put to shame.

Shame comes in two varieties: misplaced and rightly placed. One bad, the other good. If I do the opposite of what Paul says, I experience misplaced shame. I should never be ashamed of who I am in Christ. Nor should I ever refrain from telling others through my actions and words that I belong to Him. Hiding who I am because I don’t want others to make fun of me or persecute me leads to misplaced shame.

Misplaced shame also shows up when I try to improve on how God made me and who He made me to be. He gave me my body and my personality. What others think is, on one hand, important, but on the other hand, not so important. I’m here to please God, not others. When I fail to accept that, along with the gifts God has given me, I feel shame when I shouldn’t.

Rightly placed shame entails recognizing I am what the Bible says: a sinner in need of forgiveness. I should feel ashamed that I’ve failed God. The good news is that God made a way out of that shame. Through believing in His Son, I can experience forgiveness and release from condemnation, knowing Christ has paid for all my sins. Daily confession of my failures and sins keeps me on good terms with God.

Satan wants us to continually beat ourselves up, making us think we are no good, getting us to think God can never use us. If he convinces us, we’re defeated, and God won’t be able to use us. Because of misplaced shame.

Don’t let the wrong type of shame lead you to a life of misery. Experience God’s forgiveness and enjoy being the person He created you to be.

Prayer: Father, thank You for making it possible for us to live without shame.

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Be Yourself - Martin Wiles

Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. 1 Samuel 17:38-39 NLT

“I want to be like you when I grow up.”

Who you was varied. As a youngster, I had the same heroes others did. Boys wanted to be doctors, lawyers, policemen, and firemen. Girls wanted to be mothers, nurses, and teachers. I suppose parents put these notions in their heads. These were honorable professions—and they paid decent money. Some boys also had sport’s participants as their heroes. A great basketball, football, or baseball player, even though statistically, very few who played sports then, or now, would ever make it to the big league.

I’m not sure the heroes have changed much, other than now girls can work in professions that once only boys could. And some boys choose professions that only women once occupied. Though still present, glass ceilings aren’t as steadfast as they once were.

Heroes are everywhere … and important for us to have—as long as wanting to mimic a person or work in a profession doesn’t take us away from reality or ourselves. It did for David, and he discovered doing so didn’t work.

When Goliath the giant emerged and taunted the Israelites and their God, David went to the king and told him he’d fight the pagan. As a shepherd boy, he had killed lions and bears. The king insisted that David put on his armor. David tried it on, but it didn’t fit. It wasn’t him. He knew only a robe, a staff, and a club. With his shepherd’s bag and a few stones, David took care of the giant.

God creates each of us uniquely. When we try to be someone else, we only discover failure and disappointment. Happiness, fulfillment, joy, and peace come from doing what God wants us to do, regardless of whether it fits society’s norm or fulfills the expectations of someone else—even our parents or grandparents.

Raising a child in the way they should go involves noticing their God-given talents and gifts and encouraging them to use them for God’s purposes. Finding our place in this world involves personal introspection of those gifts and talents. When we pray and seek direction from God, He’ll show us the right path.

Rather than listening to what others tell us to become, we should pay attention to God’s directives. Competition and jealousy are rife in our world, but doing what God wants us to do—and enjoying the journey He takes us on—brings satisfaction as nothing else can.

Don’t follow what others want you to become; be the person God created you to be.

Prayer: Father, guide us along the path You have appointed for us to travel.

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Throwback Tuesday - Looks Aren’t Everything - Martin Wiles

 Looks Aren’t Everything

“Isn’t there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry?” they asked. “Why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife?” Judges 14:3 NLT

His untimely death proved to many that looks aren’t everything. 

Jimmy was born with a severely disfigured face and a medical condition that resulted in seizures. Doctors prescribed medicines to control the seizures, but there was nothing further they could do to change his appearance. My wife and I happened to be good friends with his mother. She shared his difficult journey and how no one would even employ him because of his appearance. Knowing of an open position in a restaurant owned by another friend of ours, my wife immediately called and secured him the job. Unfortunately, Jimmy died from a seizure a few months after beginning his first situation, but at his funeral, his employer testified about what a superior employee he had been. Looks mattered not. Read more...

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