God speaks to us from the depth of who we are and this is why it is so important to become comfortable with who He has created us to be.  This is why we cannot allow ourselves to get caught up in the conforming power of the world around us, but must seek to be transformed by the continual renewing of our mind through His Word and Spirit.

God speaks blessing, peace, love and grace into our lives all the time, but we often fail to hear it, because we have allowed so many other sources of noise to become a part of who we are and what we do.

Do not listen to the other voices.  Our listening only empowers them and instead of lifting us up, it tends to press us down.  God’s Spirit will often speak conviction, but not with the purpose of crushing us, but of convicting us, so that we might get free of the restraints of sin that so often hold us down and keep us back.

God does not just hang around the one who has received Him.  God is around and in those of us that have received Him and this should always lead, grow and empower transformation in our lives.  The holy life is the life that allows God to live in and through it.

I Corinthians 6:19-20 ask the important question and then commands the right direction when it says:  “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

 Lord, Help me to live in You, because you live in me.  Give me understanding and belief of Your equipping power in me.  Help me when I respond to the world around me, to respond according to Your will and not according to my plans.  Please inhabit my life and all the moments of my life.  Let Your grace influence my thoughts, Your love control my words and Your Spirit guide my behavior in all that I do.

Why are you so worried about what other people think?  The people that we call our friends will prove with their reactions and actions what they really are.  We will most likely find out that some are in deed true friends, friends who want what is best for us.  And we will find that there are some others with their own agendas.  Don’t allow what others think to get in the way of what our Creator knows about who we are and what we are supposed to do.

There is only ONE that we need to be concerned about and HE is the ONE that created us, protects us has an amazing plan for our lives.  It is a shame to think that we could miss out on His amazing plan because we are so wrapped up in what other people “might” think.

Our Creator simply asks for one thing – that we trust Him.  We can’t truly trust Him and fear what others think.  Romans 8:1&2 says:  “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” 

It just does not make any sense that we would trade in the freedom that Christ has given, for the fear of what a friend might think.  We play all kinds of “justification” games, but they just take us farther away from what God has for us.  I mean come on think about it!  God has created us on purpose and for a purpose – don’t miss it!

It really is simple!  God created us.  God loves us.  God has a plan for our life.  God wants to use us right not, but we often get in the way of His plans.  We need God’s help and He is waiting for us to ask and be ready for His answer!

Here are a few steps to help us stop worrying about what others think and start focusing on what God has planned for our lives.

1.  Pray!  Simple, but very effective!  Take time to talk to Your Creator.  Tell Him what you are thinking and feeling and ask for His help!  It really is amazing what we can hear, see and feel – just by spending a little time in His presence.

2.  Perspective!  Don’t over think it, but make sure that you are seeing things as they really are.  We are great at clouding our own vision.  What really matters at the end of the day is this:  Am I living and growing in the will and plan of my Creator?

3.  Passion!  Control your emotions or they will control you!  Emotions are powerful and they can be used to accomplish very good things or very bad things.  We have to learn to control our emotions in a positive way by looking past everything else to the Spiritual, because at the end of the day, this is what really matters!

My Prayer:  God help me to take my eyes off of others.  Help me to take my eyes off of myself.   Help me to focus my eyes, heart and life totally and completely on You.  I don’t want to miss Your amazing plan for my life.  I do want to live in the freedom, You created me for and I want my life to bring You great glory.  Help me, help myself by being obedient to Your ways!

Problems are a reality of life.  We don’t like them and we do our best to avoid them, but live life long enough and you are going to have your fair share.  The big problem with problems is not so much our problems, but our trust.

If God allows a problem to come into our life, then we can count on the fact that He knows about us and our problem and He has a plan.  I think that sometimes God allows the problems to flow into and through our lives, so that we might have the opportunity to trust in Him more and better.

We often think of trust as a one time event, but it is really an ongoing thing that allows me to grow in my relationship.  Trusting God means that we stay close to Him and responsive to His will.  This is not our natural response, and so this is something that we have to work at.

To grow our trust, we must exercise our faith in Him and His plans and this will grow our trust as we learn to walk with Him moment by moment and day by day.  This does not mean that we have not and will not ever get hurt.  Hurt is actually one of the motivations that helps us to turn away from self and toward Him.

It’s easy to trust God in some situations and hard to trust God in others.  I want to learn to trust Him in all situations, not just some.  I don’t have to understand everything or have all the answers to trust and when I trust, His presence and power is guaranteed.

Lord, Help me to get through this day, through this moment, trusting You.  Give me what I need to live victoriously according to Your plans.  I want to depend on You, I need to depend on You, so in this moment I give myself to You and leave the next moment to You!