Chocolate cake by Savannah-Jane
Savannah-Jane icing chocolate cakeIt's in Christ
that we find out
who we are
and
what we are living for.
Long before
we first heard of Christ
and got our hopes up,
he had his eye on us,
had designs on us for glorious living,
part of the overall plan
he is working out
in everything and everyone.
Ephesians 1:11-12
The following statement from my daughter, my little girl shocked me today. My daughter, who is very bright ... top of her class academically, compassionate, pretty, with so many talents actually said this...
I feel so average. I mean, I am not outstanding at anything really.
I was startled when she uttered these words. Usually, she is self-confident and assured of herself ... in a healthy way. She shared her feelings between making a chocolate cake from scratch for her friend's birthday and tackling extensive trigonometry homework. Perhaps average homework for an AP Trig class, but not your average chocolate cake. It has layers made the old-fashioned way --- not from a box and topped with homemade icing --- the kind you have to boil on the stove. It was her first attempt. And it turned out much better than my layer cakes ever do.
I feel so average. I mean, I am not outstanding at anything really.
I was startled when she uttered these words. Usually, she is self-confident and assured of herself ... in a healthy way. She shared her feelings between making a chocolate cake from scratch for her friend's birthday and tackling extensive trigonometry homework. Perhaps average homework for an AP Trig class, but not your average chocolate cake. It has layers made the old-fashioned way --- not from a box and topped with homemade icing --- the kind you have to boil on the stove. It was her first attempt. And it turned out much better than my layer cakes ever do.
I tell her you are no average girl.
(she rolls her eyes)
I say you are unique,
a one of a kind gift from God with a purpose.
(rolls eyes again)
And I say you can bake a mean cake, too!
(she smiles)
I remember being sixteen and asking , “Is this all there is to life?” I wasn't happy about being young and living in the world ... it was 1977. A time of real struggle in my life.
Fast forward to 2008. Society tells young people...
Be happy. Be successful. Believe in yourself.
Is it possible that it' all a lie?
Author Robert S. McGee in his book, The Search for Significance says consider this: "Through Jesus Christ we experience the security and significance for which we were created — not just in eternity beyond the death of our human bodies, but here on earth as well. Through God’s plan of redemption we can be brought back and start our relationship with God all over again.
You'd think that everyone hearing the good news would run to God and trust in what Jesus has done for him. Sadly, that is not so. We are extremely stubborn and full of pride. Rather than receive God’s unconditional love, we create false gods in our own image when we should be humbling ourselves before the real, living God.This is how Paul describes it: “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles” (Romans 1:21-23).God has given us plenty of physical and spiritual evidence to know that He is real. (Check out Romans 1:20.) Yet we ignore the evidence and only believe what we can understand with our human minds. We make substitute gods to worship and look to them for comfort rather than the real God. (See Romans 1:24-25.)Our Creator lets us follow the temporary pleasures (money, sex and power) in our search for who we are. But understand this: All our human answers disappoint us because we exchange the truth for a lie and reduce God to something that we try to explain humanly.
You can either go to God to find out the truth about who you are and what the purpose of your life is — or you can let other people make the rules about what success is and who is valuable.Even those of us who have put our trust in Christ often find ourselves believing Satan’s deceptions. You can learn to counter those lies with God’s plan to bring us back to the destiny for which He originally created us — to become like Jesus Christ. Satan, of course, is absolutely opposed to our becoming like Christ. He has convinced most of the world that this equation of life is true:
You'd think that everyone hearing the good news would run to God and trust in what Jesus has done for him. Sadly, that is not so. We are extremely stubborn and full of pride. Rather than receive God’s unconditional love, we create false gods in our own image when we should be humbling ourselves before the real, living God.This is how Paul describes it: “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles” (Romans 1:21-23).God has given us plenty of physical and spiritual evidence to know that He is real. (Check out Romans 1:20.) Yet we ignore the evidence and only believe what we can understand with our human minds. We make substitute gods to worship and look to them for comfort rather than the real God. (See Romans 1:24-25.)Our Creator lets us follow the temporary pleasures (money, sex and power) in our search for who we are. But understand this: All our human answers disappoint us because we exchange the truth for a lie and reduce God to something that we try to explain humanly.
You can either go to God to find out the truth about who you are and what the purpose of your life is — or you can let other people make the rules about what success is and who is valuable.Even those of us who have put our trust in Christ often find ourselves believing Satan’s deceptions. You can learn to counter those lies with God’s plan to bring us back to the destiny for which He originally created us — to become like Jesus Christ. Satan, of course, is absolutely opposed to our becoming like Christ. He has convinced most of the world that this equation of life is true:
Self-Worth = Performance + Others’ Opinions.
If we base our worth on our ability to perform or on the ever-changing approval of others, we should not be surprised when we are tormented by thoughts of insecurity, fear and anger. The real choice is whether our true value is based on our behavior and the approval of others or on what God says is true about us.Our choice is important because our behavior is often a reflection of our beliefs about who we are — consistent with what we think to be true about ourselves. We have compelling, God-given needs for love, acceptance and purpose. Most of us will go to virtually any length to meet those needs. The power of Satan’s lie is strong when we are feeling weak. The challenge and the choice remain: Can you trust God’s complete acceptance of you as His son and allow Him to free you from your dependence on success and the approval of others?"
Father, help me to be the encouragement I need to be to my precious daughter. Help her to seek You alone for her purpose on earth. I love her so much, Lord, but I know You love her even more. Silence the enemy that fillls her head with lies. Fill her heart and her mind with the peace that passes all understanding. Help her to seek her identity in you and nothing else. Amen.
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