– Scripture:

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

Romans 12:1–3 MSG

– Reflection:

Update Your Gauges

Respect, status, wealth, and favor are all things that many men seek in life. It’s important to remember that measuring yourself against another person isn’t necessary because God is the true measuring tool. People in the entertainment industry, whether in movies or music, are flawed just like the rest of us. By trying to compare yourself to them while overlooking their flaws, you miss the better guidance that comes from what is in your heart.

We should stop thinking that being “square” or conventional is a negative thing; God loves squares and promotes them frequently. The glitz, glamour, and flashing lights can lure you into a life filled with sin, problems, and regret. As someone who identifies as a square, I ask: why put yourself through that?

If you do things God’s way, the money will be there and endure longer. I promise you that it will. The respect you seek will last if you honor the work God has placed before you and walk accordingly. Take a moment to evaluate your measuring tools and ensure they are the right ones.

Where do we go from here?

Moving forward, we need to rethink our measures of success. True value comes from being respected for who you are and your purpose, not merely because of a record label or a movie poster. It’s crucial to spend quality time with your family and create meaningful spaces for connection, as this is a far more valuable gauge of success than being away from them and letting the outside world influence them. Let’s discard these misleading metrics and learn to measure our worth in a healthier way.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for waking us today and allowing us to reflect on the work you have set for us through your Son. He is the way for us to follow, and measuring ourselves against anything else is just idolatry. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

– Scripture:

So if they don’t trust you and aren’t convinced by the first sign, the second sign should do it. But if it doesn’t, if even after these two signs they don’t trust you and listen to your message, take some water out of the Nile and pour it out on the dry land; the Nile water that you pour out will turn to blood when it hits the ground.” Moses raised another objection to God: “Master, please, I don’t talk well. I’ve never been good with words, neither before nor after you spoke to me. I stutter and stammer.” God said, “And who do you think made the human mouth? And who makes some mute, some deaf, some sighted, some blind? Isn’t it I, God? So, get going. I’ll be right there with you—with your mouth! I’ll be right there to teach you what to say.” He said, “Oh, Master, please! Send somebody else!”

                            Exodus 4:8–13 MSG

– Reflection:

               Do What Is Asked of You

There are times when we almost miss out on the great things that God wants to do in and through us because we talk ourselves out of believing what He says. When God asked Moses to go and tell Pharaoh to free God’s people from slavery, Moses responded, “I can’t do that. I have a speech problem and I’m not a good speaker.” I always have to remind myself of God’s response to Moses, which was a question: “Moses, who made your tongue?” It was as if God was saying, “I’ve already equipped you with everything you need. Take a step of faith, and you’ll discover gifts inside of you that you never knew were there.” It may take time, but as you draw closer to Him, the courage to step into whatever He has for you begins to feel easier.

Where do we go from here?

Don’t let the size of your dreams or the challenges to your dreams intimidate you. Just think about that for a moment. If you can fix something that you have asked GOD for, why would he show up in that? For example, “God, I need you to help me with practicing my speech and the nervousness I feel in front of others while speaking.” This is something you can fix on your own by practicing and placing yourself in those uncomfortable speaking environments. And don’t let naysayers discourage you from pressing forward, either. You must realize that God will never put a dream in your heart without first equipping you with everything you need to accomplish it. If you don’t have the necessary wisdom, talent, or resources, remind yourself that God has matched you with your world. Do as Moses did and keep taking steps of faith, and God will do the rest.

Our Prayer for Today

“Father, thank you for the gifts and talents you have given us to accomplish our dreams. We are grateful that we don’t have to feel like we already have everything we need in order to move forward. We can declare that we will keep taking steps of faith and trust you to guide us to where you want us to be. In Jesus’ name, amen.”