Lying to Yourself
Do you ever have those feelings when you're driving down a country road, the wind blowing in your hair, the sun shining down across the hilltops, and a perfectly uplifting song comes on the radio and you realize, "I'm still not happy!"
It's irony at its finest... when the scene is set for a perfect spring day and no matter how perfect the landscape is, you still don't feel completely whole inside. The road before you is shining bright and butterflies are floating past your car, but your heart feels like an abandoned concrete cell.
I think it's important in these times for us to stop lying to ourselves and stop trying to make ourselves happy. We need to accept that the pleasures of the world will never fully fulfill us, and focus our eyes on the salvation that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. We should focus more on unseen entities rather than worldly pleasures.
The Bible talks a lot about seeking good, true things rather than things of the world:
2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV~
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Mark 8:36 NIV~
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NIV~
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
The way I like to think of it is this: The world just doesn't cut it. It can never and will never be able to fulfill the desires of our hearts. Never ever never ever ever never everrrrrrrrr. Only God can grant the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4)
So when you feel like you're meaningless, or without purpose, or never good enough-- keep in mind who the judge is. Don't let yourself think that the world's judgement is going to be good enough for you. The world's opinions are crap. They don't mean anything. Don't try to live by what the world expects of you, because 1) you'll never do it, and 2) even if you DO somehow manage to be perfect in the world's eyes, the "happiness" you experience is nothing compared to the joy you receive in Jesus.
In God's eyes, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:13) He has a brilliant plan for your life, and you DO matter to Him. In fact, he cares about you so much He saved you from sin and sent Jesus to be your eternal sacrifice!
Have peace and know that no matter what happens, and no matter how you feel about yourself, or what the world says about you-- you are loved by the only One who really matters.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Romans 8:38-39 NIV
Go in peace, knowing you are loved.
Do you ever have those feelings when you're driving down a country road, the wind blowing in your hair, the sun shining down across the hilltops, and a perfectly uplifting song comes on the radio and you realize, "I'm still not happy!"
It's irony at its finest... when the scene is set for a perfect spring day and no matter how perfect the landscape is, you still don't feel completely whole inside. The road before you is shining bright and butterflies are floating past your car, but your heart feels like an abandoned concrete cell.
I think it's important in these times for us to stop lying to ourselves and stop trying to make ourselves happy. We need to accept that the pleasures of the world will never fully fulfill us, and focus our eyes on the salvation that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. We should focus more on unseen entities rather than worldly pleasures.
The Bible talks a lot about seeking good, true things rather than things of the world:
2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV~
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Mark 8:36 NIV~
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NIV~
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
The way I like to think of it is this: The world just doesn't cut it. It can never and will never be able to fulfill the desires of our hearts. Never ever never ever ever never everrrrrrrrr. Only God can grant the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4)
So when you feel like you're meaningless, or without purpose, or never good enough-- keep in mind who the judge is. Don't let yourself think that the world's judgement is going to be good enough for you. The world's opinions are crap. They don't mean anything. Don't try to live by what the world expects of you, because 1) you'll never do it, and 2) even if you DO somehow manage to be perfect in the world's eyes, the "happiness" you experience is nothing compared to the joy you receive in Jesus.
In God's eyes, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:13) He has a brilliant plan for your life, and you DO matter to Him. In fact, he cares about you so much He saved you from sin and sent Jesus to be your eternal sacrifice!
Have peace and know that no matter what happens, and no matter how you feel about yourself, or what the world says about you-- you are loved by the only One who really matters.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Romans 8:38-39 NIV
Go in peace, knowing you are loved.
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