identity

You

Dr. Mike 2022 , ,

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

You are God’s image bearer. You reflect HIS Glory. Therefore, your value as a person is determined by your Creator.

Yes, you and every person you meet reflects a portion of God’s attributes and value.

Whether you are male or female, rich or poor, Jew or Gentile, slave or free, born or unborn, as a human agency, you were made to reflect God’s image and glory for the world to witness. Your value comes from HIM.

God so strongly emphasizes this point; HE gave decrees throughout Scripture to refrain mankind to create or make a stone or metal image of either HIMSELF or people (Deut. 4:16) to worship. Nothing was and is to replace mankind as image bearers of Almighty God which you and I are.

When you realize your life was designed to be a witness for others to represent HIM before all of creation, your attitude and focus becomes more aligned with HIS. As you slowly taste life from HIS perspective, you want more of HIM involved in your daily life. Your desire is to know more about HIM. Your aim is to become HIS student. Your hope is to become more like HIM. Overtime, HE, and you develop a Father/Child relationship. HE becomes your role model.

Life takes on new meaning. Every person you meet is a walking billboard of God Almighty. Every person has good qualities which allows you to learn more who God IS. Every person also has qualities which allows you to learn the opposite of who HE IS. For though each person is made in HIS image, we have all acquired godless attributes caused by the sin virus which weigh us down. But HE in HIS magnificent foresight, has already dealt with the situation through Jesus Christ.

In Jesus, we have the perfect representation of God. As a man-God, HE walked the earth living a sinless life by taking on our humanity within HIM and killing the penalty of SIN at HIS crucifixion. HE overcame life’s tribulations, even death at HIS resurrection, so that you and I may have life now and for all eternity. HIS life and story are the good news for all image bearers.

Jesus opened the door for every person to have a direct relationship with HIS Father God. Everything HE did was to include you within HIS family. But you need to accept this fact, be reconciled to HIM, and live out the family culture.

Until then, you will find yourself struggling to discover who you are, looking for love, joy, and peace in all the wrong places, and in the process of fighting your true birthright, you most likely will become more despondent and angrier at yourself and those around you.

The real you is desirous to be fully released. But you need to allow your Creator access into the inner chamber of your heart. He will not force HIMSELF upon you. He respects you because HE respects HIMSELF. He made you in HIS image and has wired you for a purpose. Why not let HIM fully maximize your human and eternal potential?

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books 

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Comparison Trap

Dr. Mike 2020, Traps , , ,

2 Corinthians 10:12

Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

Who do you compare yourself with?  Your neighbors?  Work associates? Family members? Your peers?

How does that make you feel? Superior? Proud? Or Cast down? Disappointed?

Comparing yourself one to another only leads to frustration and self-pity or if you are one of the select few, pompous and arrogant. It may take time or may occur immediately, but the end result is realizing we all don’t have it. Someone will always be #1 in your industry, your peer group, and your family. But eventually #1 takes a back seat to someone else in due time.

However, when you truly realize you are included in Jesus Christ which means your identity is found solely in HIM, you can breathe a sense of fresh air knowing you are worth more than you believe, and possibly if you hold a high opinion of yourself, less than what you believe. Jesus Christ evens out the playing field.

In Christ, we all have what God designed us for. He designed us for good work and equip us with the necessary abilities for successful fulfilling His desires for us. When you realize each of us are uniquely empowered to glorify God in our work, relationships, and conduct, the praise goes to Him and not ourselves. Only God truly knows the effort we have employed to take our natural abilities and align them with Him in support of His kingdom.

For example, John the Baptist’s public ministry preceded Jesus and was very short term – approximately one year. Yet he even realized that his service was secondary to Jesus and even commented that his ministry must decline so Jesus’ may increase. He didn’t get caught up with the comparison trap but instead fulfilled his unorthodox mission and gladly stood aside for God’s glory. Jesus’ own reply paid greater homage to John stating that no prophet was greater than him.

So, when you view the pages of your Facebook friends, or your associate gets the promotion you sincerely desired, or your neighbor drives home with a brand-new sports car that you always wanted, thank God. Thank God for your friends, associates, and neighbors, For, without them, you wouldn’t recognize how God’s Spirit of love was lacking in your heart without these events occurring. Thank God to make you aware so you can draw closer to Him until He becomes your prime joy and measurement of comparison. Then you will learn to walk humbly with your Lord, and serve Him, without expecting anything in return but to experience the love, joy, and generosity of your Creator. 

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2020 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

The Difference Between Your Role and Your Identity

Dr. Mike Life Tools, Your Identity , , ,

Ecclesiastes 10:10

If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

identity

One trait that most people rarely develop into a positive habit is learning the art of turning failure into success. Like an old ax with a dull blade, we continue to exert more physical energy in its use rather than employ sound wisdom on the problem. Like the person who keeps trying to mop up the water in the bathroom without first turning off the faucet, we work harder rather than smarter. But sound wisdom is available for those who are tired of continually falling short of the mark.

To pursue any type of success without expecting setbacks is like running a marathon without expecting to take a drink of water. Life is not designed that way. The quicker one learns to turn lemons into lemonade, the more enjoyable life will become.

First failure is in the eye of the beholder. Thomas Edison failed over two thousand times to find the perfect filament for the electric light bulb. That is how an outsider viewed the situation. However, Mr. Edison himself simply viewed each test as one step in the process of eliminating what doesn’t work.

The largest reason, I believe, people are able to properly manage the mental anguish of failure is the ability to separate their identity as a person from the role they are working through. When you truly realize you are a child of the same God who holds the universe together, held in the grip of Jesus Christ, made and being morphed into his image, you have an eternal identity which no failure nor person can remove. However, when your identity is found in anything else (no matter how good it may look or be), you have made an idol that will eventually come crumbling down.

When you can separate your identity from your role in life, then you will find it easier to evaluate the situation and come up with more reasonable solutions to your dilemma. However, when you use your role as your identity cup, that cup will leave you totally empty when the role is over. Roles come and go but your identity in Christ remains forever.

You see this all the time. The person whose career is over becomes lost because their identity was solely buried in their work. The mother whose identity was found in her children becomes lost when the children leave home. The teenager whose identity is found with his friends becomes lost if not accepted by his peers or their friends move away. The athlete whose identity is found on the football field finds himself loss when he is discarded because of his age.

When you know who you are in Christ though, then each role you accept becomes a learning process of developing the necessary skills needed to succeed in that role. No matter how well you succeed or fail to succeed, you are only defining your ability to manage that role. Your identity in Christ doesn’t change. Yes, you may be a lousy waitress, but you are an awesome child of God. Yes, you may be a lousy ballplayer, but you can improve by sharpening the necessary skills need to succeed. The same with any role you have chosen to pursue.

Of course, when you build your role upon the God-given gifts and natural abilities given, the path will be easier. Yet motivation and hard work developing the necessary skill set is also necessary and doable. You may not become the #1 rated person in your industry, but you will be greatly respected for what and how you do it.

So, the next time you find yourself short of your mark, thank God for the opportunity you have been given, find yourself a mentor, and know that failure only sets the bar for you to discover what you need to change to become more effective in the role you are working through.

Don’t confuse your identity with your role. Master your role. Keep centered in your identity. Then failure is only a holding pattern in a learning process of improving your role.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

*  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
*  Great Business Emulates a Good God
*  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
*  Simply The Messenger
*  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2019 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved