Tag: authenticity

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Trust That I AM Bigger

John 15:14 (MSG) You are my friends when you do the things I command you.

Beloved, be obedient to My voice. Regardless of your maturity or lack thereof, I can work with whatever you’ll give Me as you yield to My direction and follow My flow to the best of your ability trusting Me to make up the difference.

There will be times you don’t understand, and times you think I have “missed it” because you mistakenly thought you knew where I was headed – all that is fine and even expected – but refuse to allow it to harden your heart towards Me.

Trust Me to lead. Trust that you don’t need all the details to successfully execute My plans for you. Simply be open to the next step, and the next – on and on until suddenly you realize you know Me better than you thought because you’ve yielded and watched Me move, seen Me follow through, seen Me be faithful, and even seen Me have surprising and unexpected solutions.

Trust that I AM bigger than your failings, bigger than any human shortsightedness or insecurities, imperfections, or presumptions. I AM enough, rest in Me.

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Love, the Primary Focus

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (TPT) Love…extends beyond the gift of prophecy, which eventually fades away. It is more enduring than tongues, which will one day fall silent. Love remains long after words of knowledge are forgotten.

Beloved, resist the temptation to get so caught up in the gifts of My Spirit that you forget My primary focus: love. For I so loved the world that I sent My Son. Love wins the day. Love touches hearts in a way nothing else can. And in the end, love will remain when the gifts are no longer needed.

So focus on love. Be intentional to love. When in doubt, love. When you don’t want to, still love. When it’s undeserved, staunchly love. Whatever the situation, no matter how extreme, remain steadfastly in a stance of love. Be known for your love. Refuse to let it be shaken. Refuse to withhold it like a weapon or use it as a tool to manipulate, give it freely and without reserve – just as I have done for you. Continue reading “Love, the Primary Focus”

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Love as You Have Been Loved

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (TPT) …Love joyfully celebrates honesty…

Beloved, rejoice in what is good. Celebrate integrity. Encourage those around you to walk in what pleases Me and is righteous, not out of some legalistic sense of morality or a sense of superiority resulting from your view of your personal behavior, but birthed from a desire to honor and bless Me and for all people to be blessed by walking in a way that aligns with My word.

Lead by example. Rather than trying to drag someone who is intent on doing wrong kicking and screaming from the shadows, simply shine your light unapologetically and allow the beauty of its rays to draw others to its warmth. Shine, beloved. Love as you have been loved. Continue reading “Love as You Have Been Loved”

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Lift One Another in My Love

Ecclesiastes 4:10 (GW) If one falls, the other can help his friend get up. But how tragic it is for the one who is all alone when he falls. There is no one to help him get up.

Beloved, don’t be found alone. Resist the temptation to close yourself off or to try to protect yourself from getting hurt by refusing to develop deep, intimate relationships. I will protect and heal your heart, and I have put people in your life to bless and challenge you, to encourage you and build you up.

Human relationships will always be imperfect because people are imperfect. Align your expectations accordingly. Look for both the blessings and the opportunities to bless. Bolster those around you. Lift one another in My love.

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Make Me Your Top Priority

Psalm 37:4 (TPT) Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and he will provide for you what you desire the most.

Beloved, make Me your top priority – not as a chore or something to check off your to-do list, but truly find joy and life in your relationship with Me. Let it be authentic. Share your deepest thoughts and hopes, confess your deepest concerns and fears – give them all into My capable hands.

Let the time in My presence shape and mold you. Let it inspire and encourage you. Let the hope found in the promises of My word bolster your faith and keep your time of waiting expectant because you know that you know I will move on your behalf because I AM faithful. Hope in Me.

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Be a Living, Breathing Testimony

Colossians 1:10 (VOICE) May their lives be a credit to You, Lord; and what’s more, may they continue to delight You by doing every good work and growing in the true knowledge that comes from being close to You.

Beloved, draw near. Come close and abide. Fix your heart on Me and hold Me close, meditate on My word – delight in Me. Make Me your filter, see everything through Me and My heart. Refuse to experience the world simply through the reactions of your flesh or be slave to your fickle emotions, but rather be firmly rooted in Me.

May your life be a testament to Me. You are a child of the day. Shine, beloved, reflect the Son. May the peace in your heart be the evidence of your time dwelling in My presence. Let My joy pour forth and infiltrate everything you do. Bear fruit. Give evidence of your relationship with Me. Be a living, breathing testimony.

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Ignite the World

Romans 12:11 (VOICE) Do not slack in your faithfulness and hard work. Let your spirit be on fire, bubbling up and boiling over, as you serve the Lord.

Beloved, ignite the world with your zealous love of Me. May your passion burn so brightly those surrounding you cannot help but catch flame. When your personal walk with Me is genuine, sincere, steadfast, and intimate; when by observation others can clearly see your love, honor, obedience, and integrity; you will win lives without a word.

Focus on your own walk with Me and the integrity of your own actions. Be intentional to obey My voice both in My word and Spirit-breathed. Refuse to be caught up in judgment and telling others how they should live. Lead by example and love without restraint. In doing so, you cannot help but ignite the world.

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May Your Motivations Be Pure

2 Chronicles 19:9 (NET) He commanded them: “Carry out your duties with respect for the LORD, with honesty, and with pure motives.

Beloved, I desire true relationship with you not one birthed of ritual or rote obligation. Be honest not just with Me but with yourself about what drives you. I want more than obligatory actions and feelings from you, I want your whole heart.

Give with joy. Be honest with Me about your thoughts and feelings (I can handle messy – just read the Psalms!). May your motivations be pure and rooted in love – a desire to please Me because you love Me rather than of a fear of what I will do if you don’t. Trust that My heart for you is good.

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Sole Priority

2 Samuel 6:14 (CJB) Then David danced and spun around with abandon before Adonai, wearing a linen ritual vest.

Beloved, refuse to let the thoughts and opinions of others cause you to stifle your words and actions. Allow the overflow of your heart to pour forth in unabashed praise. Move past simply “working through it” to a place where those thoughts and opinions no longer matter and you’re not even aware of them anymore.

Be radical for Me. Be completely sold out for Me. Make Me the center of your world. Be abandoned in your praise and intensely persistent in your pursuit. Be relentless. Don’t hold back. Be “even more undignified than this.” Focus on pleasing Me alone. Make that your sole priority. Continue reading “Sole Priority”

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Obedience Born of Love

Matthew 5:48 (VOICE) But you are called to something higher: “Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Beloved, I AM righteous just as you are you are called to righteousness. Being given the gift of grace in no way absolves you from the responsibility to walk in obedience. If salvation is your only motivation for obedience, then your heart is amiss.

Choose obedience out of your love for Me and out of a desire to please Me. I am well aware you will fall short, but your desire and efforts bless My heart and set you apart from the world. Continuing to try after you’ve failed demonstrates a keen perseverance and sends a message to those around you that I AM worth the effort. So be a person of integrity and holiness. Be like Me.