new levels of your potential…

when GOD called me to plant a church in las vegas, HE gave me a clear vision of the style it was to be.  over the 15 years i was there, i had many, many critical comments saying we should do different things.  people out of liturgical churches say, “why don't we say the LORD’s prayer and take communion every week?” people out of charismatic churches say, “why don't we speak in tongues and have healing lines and raise our hands?”  and people from fundamentalist churches say, “why don't we have a come-to‑the-front altar call and use hymnbooks?”  if i’d listened to every advice, we would have been a mess.  we would have been a hodgepodge of everything.  you can’t please everybody.  so you just have to say, “what does GOD want us to do?”

it says in romans 8.31 (niv), if GOD is for us, who can be against us?  the lie is that i’ve got to be approved by other people in order to feel good about myself.  that's not true.  the truth is i don’t need the approval of others to be happy.  if you can grasp that truth – if GOD be for us, who can be against us – it doesn't matter, you will be released to new levels of developing your potential.  put GOD in first place; put people in their place. 

i like the prayer from lloyd ogleby:  “secure in GOD’s love, i will not surrender my self-worth to the opinions and judgments of others.  when i’m rejected, i will not retaliate.  when i’m hurt i will allow GOD to heal me.  and knowing the pain of rejection, i will seek to love those who suffer from its anguish.” 

i like the first part –  “secure in GOD’s love, i will not surrender my self-worth to the opinions and judgments of others.”  if GOD be for us, who can be against us.

just a thought from the front porch…