Liberating Truth

We all have fears. One of my fears is failure. I have recognized that often fear inhibit's me from walking with God. Sometimes the spirit may lead me to do something and before giving it a go I say, "no!" When pride gets in the way, we can't be used by God. Mike Clarkson, a pastor from South Carolina, follows the motto "Get out there and do. Some of the things you do are going to work, so keep doing it. Some of the things you do aren't going to work, so stop doing it."

Today's daily bread speaks about the liberating truth for Christians.

"An unmarried missionary had been disparaging herself. She was unhappy with her life in general, but she was especially displeased with what she felt was her low level of spiritual growth.

One morning she looked searchingly at herself in the mirror. Then, very slowly, she said, "God I thank You that I am myself and can never be anybody else."

That was her moment of liberating self-acceptance. She realized that by God's design she was an absolutely unique person, a Christ-redeemed human being who could never be replaced or duplicated.

Do you condemn yourself because you aren't as spiritual as you think you ought to be? Do you see yourself as a second-rate disciple, lacking the gifts and graces possessed by fellow believers who seem to be models of prayer, witness, and service? We can rise above the mood of self-rejection and enjoy grateful self-acceptance when we put our lives into the nail-pierced hands of Jesus. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, [and] the forgiveness of sins" (Eph. 1:7). We are accepted and chosen by Him (V. 4-6).

If the Lord has accepted us, surely we can accept ourselves! That's the liberating truth." -Vernon Grounds

He made us accepted in the Beloved. -Eph. 1:6