Today’s Truth
“I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 6:10 NIV).

Friend To Friend 
Debbie’s paternal grandparents had both a housekeeper and groundskeeper who lived in their basement apartment.  Silas and Nina were like part of the family and had lived with the grandparents for as long as Debbie could remember.  On many occasions, when Debbie’s parents and grandparents went out to dinner, she and her older sister were left in the care of Silas and Nina. The girls’ parents had no idea that Silas was molesting their precious children time and time again.

From the time Debbie and Beth were three- and six-years-old, until they were ten and thirteen, Silas fondled and sexually molested the girls in the basement apartment lit only by the black and white television blinking in the background.  While Silas ravaged Debbie’s body, her sister held her face in her hands and told her stories. Together, the girls escaped to a land faraway while the worse nightmare imaginable was played out before them. 

Silas warned them,” If you tell anybody, I’ll hurt your brother.”  So the girls suffered in silence.

When Debbie was ten-years-old, she and her sister spent the night with her maternal grandmother while her parents were away on a business trip.  The elderly grandmother paused at the opened door to watch her precious granddaughters kneeling beside their bed.  With arms wrapped around each other they began to say their prayers.

What began as a tranquil picture of innocence transformed into a nimbus cloud of horrible darkness.  Their grandmother clutched her heart as she heard the two little girls pray.

“Dear God, thank you for mommy and daddy and Kevin, and Grandma and Grandpa Wilson, and Grandma James.  We pray that you will protect us from Silas and keep him from hurting us and touching us in private places.  We pray…” 

The rest was a blur.

The sobbing grandmother rushed to the girls and held them to her breast.  A few hours later, in the wee hours of the morning, their parents came back from their business trip…two days early.  The girls could hear their parents crying in the next room, but nothing was ever mentioned about Silas.  All they knew was that the next time they went to Grandma and Grandpa Wilson’s house, Silas and Nina were gone.

Years passed with little mention of the years of abuse by Silas.  Like old war veterans who never mention the horrors of battle, the girls never mentioned the molestation again.  However, the chronic pain of the past was an undercurrent to their total existence.  Debbie felt dirty, used, and cheap.  She felt like damaged goods.

Debbie accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior when she was a small child, but had a difficult time believing Jesus could accept her.  She didn’t see herself as a precious holy child of God dressed in robes of righteousness.  She saw herself as a dirty orphan dressed in tattered rags. Then one day, she went to a Bible study and heard for the first time about her identity as a child of God.

“I didn’t feel like a holy child of God, but that’s who the Bible said I was,” she explained.  “I read and reread that list of who I am in Christ.  The more I studied about my new identity and the truth that sets us free, the more I began to accept it as true. I began to realize it was Satan who held up the picture of Silas and what he had done to me – to remind me of who he wanted me to believe I was.  But that was a lie. God took the truth and massaged it into my broken heart like a healing ointment. He placed a princess’s crown of beauty on my head and washed away the ashes.  He gave me the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and dressed me in a garment of praise instead of despair. No longer was my identity determined by what happened to me as a child.  My identity is determined by what happened in me through Jesus Christ.”

Debbie accepted her new identity.  It was there all along, like a cloak waiting to be placed on the princess’s regal shoulders.  She received the robe of righteousness and now walks with the confidence of a dearly loved child of the King.  To me, she looks like a Queen.  Debbie is one of my heroes.

This devotion may have been difficult for you to read, but it is very important. No matter what you have been through, if you know Jesus as Savior and Lord, you are a child of the King. Have you accepted your new identity?  Are you ready to start believing the truth?  Are you ready to put off the ragged robes of shame and put on the robe of righteousness that Jesus purchased just for you with His own life?  He’s holding it open for you right now.  Slip it on.  It’s just your size.

Let’s Pray 
Dear Heavenly Father who loves me, I come to you with a heart humbled by Your tender love for me.  I thank You that You have removed the filthy rags of this world from my life and clothed me with the righteousness of Christ.  Help me to hold my head high as a child of the King.

In Jesus’ Name, 
Amen

Now It’s Your Turn 
Is there anything in your life that Satan has held up as a distorted mirror of who you are?

What do you need to tell the enemy when he taunts you with the past?

What did Jesus do in the wilderness when the enemy taunted him?  If you’re not sure, check it out in Matthew chapter 4.  The same weapon Jesus used is available to each of us.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Let’s chat.  Visit my blog at www.sharonjaynes.com/blog or www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes

This story was taken from Becoming Spiritually Beautiful – Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes. (This book by Sharon Jaynes was previously titled Experience the Ultimate Makeover.)

If it has touched your heart, you might want to read the entire book to get a firm grip on your new identity in Christ.  Also, if you would like a daily reminder of your true identity in Christ, Sharon has a laminated card filled with Scripture that tucks securely in your Bible.  Just visit www.sharonjaynes.com.

Today’s Truth 
“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 NIV).

Friend To Friend 
Julianna came out of the womb ready to meet every challenge with determination, every celebration with enthusiasm, and every mystery with the passion of discovery.  Her fiery red hair was matched only by her fiery personality.  She never did anything half-way, but with the throttle full speed ahead.  Of the Price’s three children, Julianna was the one who frequented the emergency room for stitches due to throwing caution to the wind as she whirled through her childhood.

One day when Julianna was twelve years old, she rushed out her front door on her way to dance class.  She slammed the door behind her as she hurried to catch her ride, but the door closed before all of her fingers followed her body across the threshold.  Now you have probably have slammed your fingers in a door a time or two, and can remember wincing a bit.  But Julianna never does anything half-way.  She jerked to a sudden halt, spun around quickly, and saw her appendages trapped in the closed door.  When she opened the door to remove her hand, she was horrified to discover that all of it was not there.  She had amputated the upper third of her second right finger.

“Help!  Somebody help me!  I’ve just cut off my finger!”

Fortunately, the woman picking her up for dance class was a nurse.  She rushed to the screaming ballerina.  “Julianna, where’s your mom?” she asked.

“She’s not here,” Julianna answered between sobs.  “Nobody’s here but Daniel.”

“Quick,” the neighbor instructed, “Let’s put some pressure on that nub.  Daniel, come help us!” she yelled.

Daniel, Julianna’s fifteen-year-old brother, ran down the stairs at the cry for help.

“Julianna’s just cut her finger off.  You have to find it.  We’ve got to put it in ice and take her to the hospital right away.”

A pale-faced Daniel went to the scene of the accident.  As he hung his head, he saw the finger lying at his feet.  Trying not to lose his breakfast, Daniel picked up his sister’s digit in a towel and handed it over to the nurse.

Well the good news is that they got to the hospital in time.  The skilled doctor put Humpty-Dumpty back together again and told them to pray that the finger would reattach.

“We’ll keep our fingers crossed,” he said with a grin as he walked out of the treatment room.

A few days later Julianna unwrapped the bandages, afraid of what she might find underneath.  What she saw was not a pretty sight.  Instead of a finger, she saw a black mushroom-like thimble sitting atop her nub.

“Doctor, we took the bandage off today.  It’s black and crusty and looks like a mushroom cap,” her mom reported.  “It looks dead.”

“That’s fine,” he reassured her.  “Don’t worry.  If nature is working properly, and it sounds like it is, the top will turn black, but underneath, nerves and blood vessels are reattaching.  Underneath the thimble, a new finger is forming.  She needs the old part in order for the new part to form underneath. In about three weeks, we’ll know if the procedure worked.  Just keep it wrapped and clean.”

A few weeks after the accident, Julianna came to spend the night with us while she was attending a dance camp in my hometown.  I had the pleasure of her company and the displeasure of changing her bandage.  Her description was accurate.

Four weeks after Julianna had returned home, she wrote me a thank-you note for having her in our home.  She ended by saying, “P.S.  Guess what?  My crusty thimble fell off and I have a new finger!”

Now don’t ask me how this happened.  It is a mystery to me.  But scripture tells of another mystery that is just as amazing.  Another grafting process that is just as miraculous.   When God warned Adam and Eve not to eat of fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, He told them that their punishment for disobedience would be death.  They did eat – and immediately their spirits died- their zoe life was taken away and they were cut off from God.   As a result, every person after that time has been born with a dead spirit, including you and me. 

But God didn’t leave us that way.  God demonstrated His love toward us, that while we were still a sinner (cut off, dead, rotten to the core), Christ died for us and made it possible for us to be grafted onto the living root – Himself (Romans 5:8, Romans 11:17).   At the very moment we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we receive a new living spirit (zoe life) to replace our old dead spirit.  In the twinkling of an eye – in the time it takes for us to say, “I believe,” we become a spiritually new creation.  However, God’s process of shaping and molding us into the image of Christ, takes a lifetime.  That process is how to become spiritually beautiful.

Paul tells us: “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 NIV).  Reflecting the Lord’s glory!  I know of no other beauty treatment that will make a woman truly beautiful.

Let’s Pray 
Dear Heavenly Father, I know I became a new creation in Christ when I became a Christian.  But sometimes, I just feel like the same old me.  Please help me to become more conformed to the image of Christ today.  Take away whatever needs to be taken away to reveal the beauty of You that is in my heart. Help me to be spiritually beautiful today and always.

In Jesus’ Name, 
Amen

Now It’s Your Turn 
How would you describe “spiritual beauty?”

Who do you know that exemplifies what “spiritual beauty” looks and acts like?

What do you think makes that person reflect the beauty of Christ?

I’d love to hear your responses.  Let’s chat.  Go to www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes and tell me what you think makes a woman spiritually beautiful!

Today’s Truth: 
“You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:12,13 NIV).

Friend To Friend You are the salt of the earth. Have you ever tasted potatoes without salt added?  They are bland, blasé, and blah.  Likewise, a world without Christians would be very unappealing.

 Salt has three primary purposes. It preserves, heals, and gives flavor.  As Christians, one of our privileges is to preserve what is right and good in the world in which we live.  Satan is referred to as a roaring lion.  He prowls around seeking to rip Judeo-Christian values from the government, public schools, entertainment industry, and the very fabric of life.  Christians, on the other hand, serve to preserve the values of our godly heritage. 

Salt is also an effective healing agent. Gargling with salt water helps heal a sore throat, swimming in a salty sea helps heal a skinned knee, and fellowshipping with “salty” Christians helps heal wounded souls by introducing them to spiritual, mental and physical wellness afforded them through a relationship with Jehovah Rapha – the One who heals.

The most common use of salt is to add flavor, and as Christians, we add flavor to our world.  A gourmet cook once told me that salt not only gives food the salty flavor, but it also brings out the natural flavor of the food to which it is added.  As Christians, we should bring out the best in other people as well.

You are the light of the world. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.”  He also said, “You are the light of the world.”

 For eighteen years, I worked as a Dental Hygienist.  Fourteen of those years I worked with my husband, Steve, and four to six other Christian women.  When I think back on those days, I see our team as a chandelier of light: individual yet united to shine the light of Christ to our patients. In the reception room, Newsweek, Southern Living, and Better Homes and Gardens were mixed in with Focus on the Family, Guidepost, and Decision magazines. 

Steve and his assistant volleyed ideas about various aspects of the Christian faith back and forth like a tennis ball over a net while they worked on patients.  Talk about a captive audience!  We prayed with patients, sent them books, and listened to their family problems.  Someone once asked, “Aren’t you afraid you’ll offend someone and lose patients?”

“Someone might leave,” I answered.  “But a person can get into heaven with a cavity, but they can’t get to heaven without knowing Christ.”

In our own simple way, we were being light in a very dark world.

Think for a moment about what light does.  It drives out darkness.  Even the smallest birthday candle in a darkened coliseum will push the darkness aside.  Jesus encourages Christians not to hide their light under a bushel, but to put it on a stand to be seen by all. Jesus said He was the light of the world. He has put that same light in you.  It is part of your new identity.

Robert Louis Stevenson said, “When a happy man comes into a room, it is as if another candle has been lighted.” How much more does a Christian who has something to be truly happy about light up a room!

Let’s Pray 
Dear Lord, I look around and see what the world would be like if all the Christian influences were removed.  Help me to make a difference in my sphere of influence, bring the healing of Jesus Christ with those I come in contact, and encourage the best in others to surface. Help me be salt and light in the world.  In Jesus’ Name, 
Amen

Now It’s Your Turn What do you think this verse means? “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men” (Matthew 5:13).

 What do you think this verse means? “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house” (Matthew 5:14,15).

I’d love to hear your answers.  Click on www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes or my blog at www.sharonjaynes.com/blog and let’s chat.

Think of one way that you and your family can be salt and light in the world today.

Try sprinkling a little salt by giving words of encouragement to at least five people today.

 Today’s Truth
“So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons” (2 Samuel 9:11 NIV). 

Friend to Friend
Who in the world is Mephibosheth and what possessed his momma to give him such a name?  Well, I can’t answer the second question, but I can shed some light on the first. Mephibosheth was a man who was living way below his potential.  He was the grandson of King Saul and the son of Prince Jonathan, but he lived like a pauper.  When he was a boy, his nurse dropped him while fleeing from their enemies.  As a result, he was crippled in both feet (2 Samuel 9).

 When David took over as King of Israel, he wanted to know if there was anyone in Jonathan’s household to whom he could show kindness.  Jonathan had been David’s best friend and he loved him as a brother.  A servant told David about the crippled Mephibosheth, and he was summoned immediately.  Mephibosheth lived in a place called Lo-Debar (meaning a pasture-less land).

 My own (very unofficial) translation of Lo-Debar is “below the bar.”  Mephibosheth was living below the bar.  He was the grandchild of a king, but he was living in a pasture-less land like a pauper.  When he came before King David he said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”

 David didn’t even answer him.  He simply turned to his servant and commanded that all the land that had been Saul’s be given back to his grandson and that Mephibosheth should eat at the king’s table everyday.

 Perhaps you are walking around like a crippled because of something that has happened to you as a child.  Perhaps you feel like a “dead dog.”  And yet, God is looking for ways to bless you, to restore what has been taken away, and invite you to feast at His table everyday.  Mephibosheth was a grandchild of King Saul and potential heir to the throne.  However, he saw himself as nothing more than a “dead dog,” unworthy to receive even the smallest crumb of kindness from David. David’s desire was to restore to Mephibosheth all the land that would have been his inheritance and invite him to feast at his table daily. Mephibosheth didn’t see himself as he really was.  In reality, he was royalty.  “A dead dog?”  I think not!

 Do you see yourself as you really are?  You are a chosen, dearly loved, child of God.  You have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of light!  You, girlfriend, are a child of the King! 

 Let’s Pray  
Dear Lord, so many times I walk around with an emotional limp like a wounded animal.  But the truth is, I am a child of the King and I should act like one!  Thank you for inviting me to feast at Your banquet table every morning by feeding my soul from Your Word and drinking in the Holy Spirit’s power.  Today, I will not limp about, but run, jump, and even dance with the joy!

In Jesus’ Name Amen 

Now It’s Your Turn
Be honest.  Do you act more like the pitiful Mephibosheth or a powerful princess?

 What mind adjustment do you need to make to start acting like a child of the King?

 You have been invited to feast at His table and do so every time you open the pages of your Bible.  Have you accepted His invitaton?

 I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s devotion. Is this something that you have struggled with in your Christian walk?  Let’s talk… http://www.sharonjaynes.com/blog  or www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes 

Someone once told me that faith is believing that God tells the truth.  But many of us don’t know the truth about who we are in Christ, what we have in Christ, and where we are in Christ.  If you would like to learn more about your true identity as a child of God, read  Becoming Spiritually Beautiful – Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes.  (This book by Sharon Jaynes was previously titled Experience the Ultimate Makeover.).   

 Also, on Sharon’s books and audio page, you can find alaminated card of verses about your true identity in Christ to tuck in your Bible for quick reference! To order, visit www.sharonjaynes.com 
    

 Someone once told me that faith is believing that God tells the truth.  But many of us don’t know the truth about who we are in Christ, what we have in Christ, and where we are in Christ.  If you would like to learn more about your true identity as a child of God, read  Becoming Spiritually Beautiful – Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes.  (This book by Sharon Jaynes was previously titled Experience the Ultimate Makeover.).   

 Also, on Sharon’s books and audio page, you can find a

laminated card of verses about your true identity in Christ to tuck in your Bible for quick reference! To order, visit www.sharonjaynes.com 
 

Today’s Truth 
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he (she) is a new creation, the old is gone, and the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Friend To Friend 
One of the greatest philosophers of all time is Charlie Brown, the little round-headed kid in Charles Schulz’s Peanuts cartoon.  But even Charlie Brown has his problems.  One day he was visiting his psychiatrist, Lucy.  Lucy sat pensively behind her makeshift booth that resembled a lemonade stand.  Her shingle read – Psychiatric Help 5 cents.

Frame one: Lucy says to Charlie Brown, “Your life is like a house…”

Frame tw “You want your house to have a solid foundation, don’t you?”

Frame three: “Of course you do…”

Frame four: “So don’t build your house on the sand, Charlie Brown…”

Frame five: A strong wind blows, knocking Lucy off her chair and the booth into a heap on the ground.

Frame six: “or use cheap nails.”

I see many women today who have started building their spiritual houses on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, but then proceed to build on that foundation with the cheap nails of outward appearance, performance, possessions, power, and the praises of others.  Alas, when the strong winds of adversity begin to blow, just like Lucy’s makeshift psychiatric booth, we fall apart.

In second Corinthians 3:10-15, Paul talks about two types of building materials.  One type is wood, hay, and stubble.  These are what man produces.  He plants and he reaps.  They are very temporary and can be burned up or lost in a moment.  The other type of building material is gold, silver, and precious stones.  These are what God has created, but we just have to discover – sometimes requiring digging through mountains of dirt.

The culture’s outward beauty ideas are very temporary … wood, hay, and stubble.   But the principles found in God’s Word are eternal with everlasting results.  We can try the beauty tips in the magazines, but true beauty occurs when we sit in God’s spa and let Him perform a miracle.

Women love the idea of a day at the spa.  After all, Queen Esther in the Bible stayed in a spa for an entire year before she claimed her title of Mrs. Xerxes.  Her beauty regimen included six months with oils of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics (Esther 2:12).  Not only that, she was assigned seven maids to take care of her every need.  Now that sounds like a spa package worth looking into!

Let’s face it, women want to be beautiful.  However, many fail to realize that true beauty begins on the inside and works its way out. But how do you become beautiful on the inside?  You will not discover the secret in magazines, talk shows, or reality TV.  Inner beauty is the result of God’s transforming power in the heart of a willing soul.  He doesn’t simply cover up our flaws; He miraculously starts from scratch and makes us new.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, (she) is a new creation,” Paul wrote, “the old is gone, and the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The best beauty treatment is spending time with the makeover artist Himself … Jesus.   God’s spa is always open and the price has already been paid. So what are we waiting for!  I’ll see you there.

Let’s Pray 
Dear God, I thank You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Lord, I pray that You will make me spiritually beautiful.  I thank You that I am a new creation in Christ.  Help me to walk in that truth today and wear that heavenly glow that only comes by spending time with You.

In Jesus’ Name, 
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn 
Do you have any “cheap nails” in your life?  If so, what are they?

Have you ever gone through a struggle and seen those “cheap nails” give way under the pressure?

What do you think it means to be a “new creation?”

Write today’s truth on an index card and memorize it.

I always like to hear what my girlfriends in God are thinking.  Let’s talk about cheap nails and come up with a list.  Visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes and let’s share our ideas.

Every woman loves the thought of a day at the spa.  If you’d like to learn more about becoming spiritually beautiful, see Becoming Spiritually Beautiful – Seeing Yourself Through God’s Eyes. (This book by Sharon Jaynes was previously titled Experience the Ultimate Makeover).

Today’s Truth
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)h

Friend to Friend
There’s a game that I’ve played many times at conferences and retreats as an icebreaker activity.  Each person has the name of a famous or infamous person taped to her back.  The women in the room walk around giving each other clues about who they “are.”  “You always put off worrying until tomorrow.”  “You had so many children you didn’t know what to do.”  “You were the queen of soul.”  The point of the game is to figure out your identity. Once you guess correctly, you take a seat.

 As I watched the women play that game, I was struck with its similarity to real life. Many times we determine our identity, by what others tell us about ourselves. You are so smart. You are a loser. You are so pretty.  You could do anything you set your mind to.  You are so ugly.  You are so fat. After a while, those messages determine how we see ourselves, whether true or false.  It is only a mature person who realizes that just because a person perceives you a certain way, doesn’t make that perception true.

 One of the greatest blessings of becoming a Christian is receiving a new identity. In the Bible, when God touched and changed a person’s life, many times He changed his or her name.  He said, “You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow” (Isaiah 62:2). Saul became Paul. Abram became Abraham.  Sarai became Sarah. Jacob became Israel. Simon became Peter.

  Likewise, when we accept Christ, God gives us a new identity and a new name. If we want to know our true identity, we need only look in the mirror of God’s Word to discover it. It may be different from what you’ve heard others say about you, but which do you think is more accurate?  Who do you think has a better perception of who you are, your Creator, or other creatures just like yourself?  If you are a Christian today, the following verses describe your new identity. 

My Identity in Christ 
I am the salt of the earth.Matthew 5:13        
 I am the light of the world.  Matthew 5:14  I am a child of God.John 1:12   
 I am part of the true vine, a channel (branch) of  Christ’s life.John 15:1,5 
I am Christ’s friend. John 15:15 
I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit. John 15:16  
I am a joint-heir with Christ, sharing  His  inheritance with Him. Romans 8:17      
I am a temple of God.  His Spirit dwells in me. I Corinthians 3:16  
I am a member (part) of Christ’s body.  I Corinthians 12:27 2  
I am a new creation.  C orinthians 5:17 
I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation.2 Corinthians 5:18,19   
I am a saint. Ephesians 1:1 
I am blessed with every spiritualblessing in heavenly places.Ephesians 1:3        
I am sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit who has been given as a pledge of my inheritance.Ephesians 1:11  
 I am God’s workmanship created in Christ to do His work that He  planned beforehand that I should do.Ephesians 2:10          

That is a lot to put on a nametag, but that is your new identity.  Neil Anderson, in his book Victory over the Darkness notes, “The reason so many Christians are not enjoying the maturity and freedom which is their inheritance in Christ is because they hold wrong self-perceptions.  They don’t see themselves as they really are in Christ.  They don’t understand the dramatic change which occurred in them the moment they trusted in Him.  They don’t see themselves the way God sees them, and to that degree they suffer from a poor self-image.  They don’t grasp their true identity.” 

 In that paragraph, Dr. Anderson described me perfectly.  For the first twenty years of my Christian walk, I had no idea who I was, what I had, or where I was in Christ.  As God opened my eyes to the truth, I realized that how I saw me and how God saw me were in stark contrast to one another.  I came to a crisis of belief…who was I going to believe?  And that, dear friend, is the same question you need to ask yourself.

 Let’s Pray  
Dear God, I thank You that I am a new creation in Christ.  I admit that sometimes I feel just like the old me and act like the old me, but I believe by faith that I am brand new.  Thank You that my identity is based on my position in Christ rather than my performance on earth.
In Jesus’ Name,  Amen

  Now It’s Your Turn
Do have any labels from your past that are in conflict with what the Bible tells you about who you are as a child of God? Look at the above verses.  Do have a difficult time believing the truth about who you are? 

Now here’s the big question. Are you going to believe what others have told you in the past or are you going to believe God? 

Now, go back up to the list of verses again and read them to yourself aloud.

Today’s Truth 
2 Corinthians 3:4 (NIV) “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God.  Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.”

Friend To Friend 
The three-headed monster of inferiority, insecurity and inadequacy can paralyze a Christian into inactivity and leave him or her sitting on the bench during the game of life … afraid to get into the game.  God’s desire is to destroy the monster with the truth and render him impotent in our lives.  Satan’s desire is to feed him with lies until he’s big and strong.  Who are we going to believe?

Believing who we are in Christ destroys feelings of inferiority.  Believing where we are in Christ destroys feelings of insecurity.  Believing what we have in Christ destroys feelings of inadequacy.  What a transformation when a Christian believes the truth.  She experiences a confidence makeover!

I do not want you to think I am always victorious and never struggle with the three-headed monster.  He still rears his ugly head every now and then.  Let me give you one example.

It was my first large speaking engagement to about 450 women about thirteen years ago.  My topic was “Unshakable Confidence in Christ.”  Two weeks before I was to speak to the group, I attended a luncheon.  Two ladies whom I did not know were sitting at my table, and they were talking about a speaker they had recently heard at the church where I would be speaking in a few weeks.

“He was the most powerful speaker I have ever heard,” one said.

“I cried all the way through his testimony.  Just to think, he had to live with the fact that his son was an arsonist.  Oh how God has worked mightily in the family.  The pastor was so moved, he asked him to speak at the Sunday night service.  That is highly unusual.  I don’t think we will ever have a speaker that good again.”

On and on they sang the praises of this mighty man of God.  They used words like dynamic, powerful, electric, and eloquent. I never mentioned that I would be the speaker for their next meeting.  At that point, I wasn’t so sure I would be.

As I listened to the ladies, my throat constricted, the tea sandwiches clung to the roof of my mouth, and my heart pounded wildly.  Then Satan, the gatekeeper for the three-headed monster, let him out.

“Who do you think you are, going to speak at this event?  Listen to the caliber of people they bring in.  This man came from all the way across the country.  You are coming from just across town.  What could you possibly have to say to help these women?  If I were you, I’d bow out now before you embarrass yourself.” 

You know what? Even though I knew it was the enemy whispering in my ear, I started to believe him.  After all, what he was saying made a lot more sense than the “Who I am in Christ” statements taped on my refrigerator door.

After the luncheon, I decided to go by the church and purchase a tape of the previous speaker, just to see what I was going to be compared to.  I walked into the church, paid my $5.00, popped the tape in the console, and braced myself for the hour of power. 

            Nothing happened. 

            I fast-forwarded the tape.  

            Nothing happened. 

            I flipped the tape over. 

            Nothing happened. 

            The tape was blank. 

            At that moment, I did not hear the dynamic speaker on the tape, I heard God.

Sharon, you do not need to hear what my servant said to these people two weeks ago.  The tape is blank because I do not want you to compare yourself to anyone else.  It doesn’t matter what he said.  I will give you a message for these ladies.  I can speak through a prophet, I can speak through a fisherman, and I can speak through a donkey. I gave him a message and I have given you one as well.  Who are you “performing” for, my child, them or Me?  Do not compare yourself to anyone.  You are my child and I am asking you to speak to an audience of One.  It was indeed an hour of power.  I didn’t bother getting my money back for the defective tape.  It was exactly what I needed to hear.

 So the next time Satan said to me, “Who do you think you are?” let me tell you what I said. “I am the light of the world.  I am the salt of the earth.  I am a child of God.  I am the bride of Christ.  I am a joint-heir with Christ.  I have the power of the Holy Spirit. I have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of Christ.  I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved.”

Two weeks later I spoke with confidence, and God blessed us all.

Let’s Pray 
Dear God, I know that without You I am nothing but an empty vessel.  However, because of You, I am filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and have been blessed with every spiritual blessing!  I can be confident because of who I am as a child of the King.  I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me!

In Jesus’ Name, 
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn 
When is the last time you had a case of the “I can’ts? 

Where do you think those feelings of insecurity come from?

Do you believe that the power of God lives in you?

Do you think there is any incident in which God would say “I can’t?”

I hope you answered no!  Look up these two verses and write them down.  Post them in a visible place and look at them every time your confidence begins to wane this week.

Luke 1:37

Genesis 18:14

If you are struggling with insecurity, I’d like to hear your thoughts on this devotion.  Visit my Facebook page and let’s chat.  www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes

If you ever struggle with feelings of inferiority, insecurity, or inadequacy, then you’ll want to study Sharon Jaynes’ book Experience the Ultimate Makeover.  The message of this book will help you to see yourself as God sees you!

Today’s Truth 
“Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on my holy mountain.  Let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, surely it is near” (Joel 2:1 NIV)

Friend To Friend 
In just a few days, you will most likely be taking down those Christmas decorations and packing them up until next year…when you will be pulling them out and decorating all over again!  Yes, Christmas is coming again…unless Jesus comes back before then.

This year, as you pack away those tinseled treasures, I want you to think about this:  The babe who was born in a manger, who lived a perfect sinless life, who died on the cross and rose again so that you and I can have eternal life…He’s coming again!  Only next time he will not come as a babe in a manger, but as a reigning King.

John saw Jesus as He will appear when he returns, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.  His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.  His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters” Revelation 1:12-16. 

And He has promised that He will come again to reign in Zion forever.  When that day occurs, we will have eternal “peace on earth.” 

Listen to what the prophet Isaiah wrote about those final days. 

 Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.  And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob: that He may teach us concerning His ways.  And that we may walk in His paths.”  For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war. (Isaiah 2:2-4 NASB) Here’s how God revealed Jesus’ second coming to John. 

I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them.”  And He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.  And he who sits on the throne said, “Behold I am making all things new.”  And he said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”(Revelation 21:1-5 NIV) I don’t know about you, but I can hardly wait.  The prophet Joel said that the day was drawing near.  I don’t know when Jesus will return, but I do know that it is sooner than it was yesterday.  Until then, we’ll continue to celebrate Christmas until He comes to take us home where we will have the most wonderful eternal Christmas celebration imaginable. And the good news is…God has already decorated for the party.

Let’s Pray 
Dear Lord, Thank You for the promise of heaven.  What a wonderful celebration it will be to see Jesus face-to-face. Until then, I’ll celebrate Christmas in my heart everyday, thanking You for the gift of Your Son.

In Jesus’ Name, 
Amen

Now It’s Your Turn 
What about heaven are you looking forward to the most?

Skim through the book of Revelation and note John’s description of what he saw in his vision of heaven.

Read Isaiah 6 and note what the angels were singing before the throne of God.

Can you imagine yourself joining the heavenly chorus?

More From The Girlfriends 
Heaven will be so amazing!  I can hardly wait.  However, for now, we are here on earth for a purpose and a plan.  As you go into the New Year, if you would like to learn about the incredible plans that God has for your life, see Sharon’s book, Dreams of a Woman: God’s Plan for fulfilling your dreams.

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