Tag Archives: #identity

#inspiration, #spirituality

Including Others

Remember when you were a kid and you got picked to be on a team? If we were playing basketball, I got picked last or not at all. I was horrible at basketball.

Everyone wants to belong, to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Kids join gangs because they think they’ve found their people. Their family lives are a mess or nonexistent. Adults join car clubs and country clubs. They belong to a unique, sometimes exclusive group.

We should always treat others with kindness and respect. They might not belong to something we do, but that doesn’t make them less important.

Our identity is found in who we are, not what groups we belong to…

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#inspiration

Looking Back

Today’s post is not about reliving your past. Long time readers know me to say that our best days are ahead of us. That hasn’t changed. The focus for today is on growth.

Change is gradual. This is true for positive change as well as developing bad habits. It happens little by little. But when we reflect on where we were ten years ago, we can see how we have changed. We have gained wisdom, and perhaps we are in better physical shape now than we were before. If our bad habits are the same today, then maybe it’s time to face the root cause and remove it.

If you feel like you haven’t gotten to where you planned to be, give yourself a little grace. You certainly aren’t the same person you were a decade ago. And that’s a good thing…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

In Your Eyes

We like to focus on the shortcomings of others. By doing this, it keeps us from having to look objectively at ourselves. We compare ourselves to you so we can feel superior to you.

In the world of Christianity, we observe some (not all) Christians condemning gay people. They love to single out the homosexuals. Yet, everyone sins. Everyone.

Jesus spoke of this often. He challenged us to focus on removing the beam in our own eyes rather than calling out the speck in the eyes of others. He told us we shouldn’t judge or we will be judged in the same way.

Eliminate judgment from your thinking. Jesus died for all of us, even the gay people…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Love Your Neighbor

Jesus told us to “love our neighbor as we love ourselves.” Yet you can’t truly love people you don’t know. You can show compassion, though.

Two months before her death, Rachel Joy Scott wrote a paper titled, “My Ethics: My Codes of Life.” In her piece she wrote, “Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to offer. I have this theory that if one person would go out of their way to show compassion, it would start a chain reaction of the same. You never know how far a little kindness can go.” Showing compassion to our fellow man is demonstrating our concern for their sufferings. We can show we care about what happens to others.

In addition to showing compassion for others, let’s be kind to ourselves. Hold yourself accountable, but don’t beat yourself up over past mistakes. After all, you are a perfectly imperfect human…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

The Flow

You were created for greatness. By greatness I don’t mean fame and fortune. I’m talking about more than that. You are unique, with abilities only you have. Your voice speaks in a way like no others.

“Going with the flow” will only get you so far. To reach your full potential, you must be willing to stand out, to be different from the crowd. Everything you do must be aligned with your true identity, not how the world sees you. You must move with purpose in mind.

Start now. If you don’t know which way to go, ask God for guidance. Then listen for His answer. Stay in touch with God. Ask for the courage to take the initiative and make a difference.

You can do it. Now get going!

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Biology

Biology is the study of life. In a way we are all biologists.

Spending time watching others and how they live is what many people do. We see the lives of celebrities and want to live the way they do. People observe their scripted, filtered, perfect-looking photo shoots and believe they must not have any problems in life. This is simply untrue.

Everyone faces challenges. Everyone. No one escapes difficulty on this side of eternity. This world is imperfect and always will be.

Find hope in your life. Don’t wish for the life of someone else. You were given this one opportunity to make a difference. You can make history. You might not get your name in lights, but you will be remembered by the One who matters. God is a biologist, too…

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#spirituality

Validation

Aren’t we all looking somewhere for validation that we are important and valued? Many people are looking in the wrong places.

Money, position, sex and power aren’t enough. If you are chasing those things you will always be chasing.

Our value comes from knowing who created us. His name is God, and God doesn’t create junk. If the God who created everything that is beautiful made us, too, that’s good enough. See yourself the way God sees you. Then see your fellow man in the same way. God made them, too!

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