Identity Theft

Posted in Culture, Perspective, Victorious Living, Words by PCraig on May 26, 2016

One of my favorite fairy tales is that of Snow White.  The most famous scene in the movie is where the evil queen asks her magic mirror, “Who is the fairest of them all?”  The reply is that though the queen indeed is fair there is another, Snow White, which is fairest of them all.

We live in a culture that is obsessed with image and appearance.  It’s not just about looking in a mirror, though that is a significant part, it is also about followers and social media friends.  Our worth becomes measured in our physical, financial, and social media image.

For many, their identity has been taken or stolen from them.  Not their social security number, name, online passwords or credit card information, but who they really are.

As a member of God’s family, the Scriptures declare that we are in Christ, loved by God, saints of God, and made beautiful by Him.  It is only when we begin seeing ourselves as God sees us that we can have a self-worth that is not based upon often temporary and changeable sources.

We may mess up, but positionally in Christ, He declares us as loved, saints of God that are made beautiful by Him.  I’m so glad to be free from measuring myself by culture’s shallow standards of worth, but rather by the eternal measurement of God.

So, look in the mirror today and declare what God says about you over what others may say.  Don’t let some mirror tell you that you don’t matter or measure up when God says you do in His eyes.  “I am a child of God!”

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A Better Way To Live

I heard the other day that no matter how big the plate is that we Americans will tend to eat about everything on it.  So, a strategy for weight loss is simply to use a smaller plate.  What is that saying about us as people?  Do we really have that little self-control?

Unfortunately, this behavior doesn’t just show up in our eating habits, but also in our spending habits as well.  Most Americans would need to borrow money or use a credit card if they had an expense come up for more than $400.  Do we really think our refrigerator will never go out?  Why don’t we save for occasions like that?  For many of us, we’ve never been taught how.  So, we use this pattern: consume first, save second (what we feel we can) and give last (what’s leftover).  What this makes of us is a consumer.  We consume all we can as a first option.

Generous people flip this list, so it looks like this: give first (a set amount), save second (a desired amount) and spend what’s leftover.  When we do this, we become planners.  Also, giving first is a biblical principle found throughout Scripture, often with promises attached (Prov. 3:9-10).

What should we give toward?  Here are my criteria:  What am I grateful for?  For me, that is easy, it’s the local church.  The local church kept me through my life from making poor decisions and living with fewer regrets.  Then, what breaks my heart?  Again, I believe the church is the best agency to address the needs of humanity.  When the church is firing on all cylinders, the hungry are fed, the naked are clothed, the lost are found and people are brought into the full life of Christ.

Take a look at your life.  Are you just a consumer?  God intended for you and I to be much more than that. If we really got ahold of this, needs would be met, and the world would be changed.

For a negative example, look at the story Jesus told about a guy in Luke 12:16-20.

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