Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

  Falling From Grace

By: Beth Hays


You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. (Galatians 5:4) NIV

So many times this verse is twisted and used for people to accomplish their own purpose. But, I’m not going to use it to shove anything down your throat. I’m not going to explain why or why not you can or cannot lose your salvation. In fact, my message is so far from that. I think you will find it rather refreshing. I know I did.

Let’s break it down for a minute. “You who are trying to be justified by law.” In Beth’s language: those of you doing things to make God love you. Hmmm…ouch. I don’t know about you, but this one hit me hard. How many times have I done things, and then beamed at God saying, “see…don’t you love me now?” Maybe it’s my humanity, or maybe it’s my selfishness, but I have always thought that maybe if I could reach perfection, I could be lovable. Maybe you understand. If so, this is for you as well.

“Have been alienated from Christ.” Wow…talk about a blow to the self-esteem. I did things to make you love me…to make you proud enough of me to call me your own, and what do I have to show for it? You cut me off, God! At first, this irritated me greatly. Think maybe I was a little disillusioned? I agree. I needed to clarify my spiritual vision. And it’s the last sentence that did it for me.

“You have fallen away from grace.” That’s it! The whole reason I get no where trying to make God love me. I lose grace. Grace—the concept that gives me the opposite of what I deserve. Grace—the emotion so strong it caused the Father to give His Son. When I try to make God love me, I cheapen His death. Because if I earn His love, it’s not grace anymore.

Ever confused about why we can’t make God love us? Frustrated, like I am sometimes, that we can never be good enough to reach His standards? Then, take a deep breathe and relax. You won’t ever earn His love. You already have it. It came in the form of grace. And every time you take matters in your own hands, you fall away from that grace. May you be encouraged to know that this grace (which, by the way, is not dependent on YOU at all) is already poured out upon you. No work required.

[Soldier4Christ]

  God Has Mercy

By: Matt Crawford


"Give thanks to the Lord; for he is good: His mercy endures forever." (Psalm 136:1)

"The Lord will perfect what concerns me: your mercy, oh Lord, endures forever..." (Psalm 138:

"The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy." (Psalm 145:

In Psalm 136, the phrase "His mercy endures forever" is written 26 times! The pattern of thought that implies subconsciously that God is always disappointed with me, always critical of me, and ready to fly into judgment for even the smallest failure, is one that is NOT biblical and far from the truth!

How can I desire to serve God unless I love Him? And how can I love God unless I know Him? And how can I know God if I have an incorrect view of Him?

The beautiful, naked truth, is that I don't have to tense up when I pray. I don't have to approach God as a pathetic soul who He is disgusted to even encounter, but simply tolerates because of His promises. No. I approach God as one who has been forgiven, one who God was so eager to bring into fellowship with Himself, He withheld nothing to make it happen. I approach God as a beloved child, and have the confidence in His grace, to ask and believe that He will teach me His love. Then I trust He will make me full in every area I lack, but be tender, and love me now as if I was already to that point.

God's love does not depend on my performance. If I have a recurring sin, if I confess it, ask for the Holy Spirit's power to conquer that sin, and repent of it, He will honor it. God loves me, even as I struggle, as if the sin was already cleaned away! Surely if He gave His son as a ransom, He will also not withhold from me the supernatural strength to be what He wants! Constant prayer is the key to knowing God more, and being conformed into His image. Perfect love casts out all fear!

[Soldier4Christ]

  A Legend In My Own Mind

By: Tony B. Rhoda


Today was the day that a legend would arise. A hero in the making was about to emerge onto the scene and triumph over all of the evil that has swept the land. A lone warrior who can conquer anything and everything with out a blink of the eye and death was not even a conceivable thought. That legend, hero, warrior, was me.

I took a quick peek over the edge. The bottom was no where in sight. The steepest black diamond ski slope in the east stood before me. Now, I have always been pretty descent at every sport I tackled. Sure, I was not an all-star at any one sport, but I could hold my own with what ever was thrown at me. This however, was a little different. Florida boys are not used to snow. Let alone steep and jagged mountains.

I straightened my skis and jumped.  Thrusting my weight forward, I started to descend the slope of death. I was doing good, I was conquering my fears and I was going to be remembered for years to come for this movie worthy effort. However, I made it about 10 feet down the slope when the unthinkable happened; I lost my balance.

Isn’t it funny during the points of no return we tend to remember we are a Christian. Right before the big test we always remember God is there. We know that He can help us. I figured that I still had a good 400 feet left before I hit the big rock at the bottom and maybe another 200 feet before I slide face first into the trees that would knock me unconscious. So, I did what any great and noble man of God would do, I screamed like a girl: “FORGIVE ME FATHER! FOR TODAY I WILL SEE YOU IN PARADISE”!

I am still here today thanks to whoever came up with the idea of putting thick layers of padding on the ski lifts for people like me to run into. Did I learn my lesson? Yes, next time instead of going face first, try going feet first. But, the other lesson I learned was that God is there for us every step of the day, not just in our time of need, or when we mess up. Sometimes, we get into the habit of using God for forgiveness of our sins and dire emergency. Sure, God is there for those times, but He is also there for the good times and the times you just want to chat. I encourage you today to look over your prayer life. Do you just use God when you need Him? Or do you have a 911 relationship? God can do more than just heal the sick and save the lost, He can be your best friend too. God Bless and Keep the Faith.

[Soldier4Christ]

  The Trouble Treadmill

By: Steve Self


Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV)
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you
will find rest for your souls.

Life may be like a box of chocolates, but the troubles we walk through are like
a treadmill.  It doesn't matter how much we try to walk, we still end up in the
same place.  The exercise may be doing our bodies good, but part of getting in
shape means we also have to get the right amount of rest too. 

My parents used to have a treadmill right beside their bed in their bedroom.  I
would have to force myself to get on the treadmill and start working out (I'm
not big into cardio, so this is a tough thing for me).  After I had been
exercising for a while and started to get tired, the bed would start to look
really inviting.  The bed was big, soft, and comfortable and all I would want to
do is just fall on it and go to sleep.  But before I could lay on the bed, I
would have to get off of the treadmill and it's not very comfortable to step off
the treadmill or stop it because there is an immediate change of pace.  You have
to be very careful or you can fall or hurt yourself.  But once I finally would
step off the treadmill and jump on their bed (without them knowing, of course),
I got to relax and let my body calm down and start allowing the exercise to make
a difference in my muscles.

As we walk through our troubles in life, it's just like we are walking on that
treadmill.  We may be growing stronger out of them, but we are afraid to stop
and get the rest we need.  The reason we are afraid is because our pace would
have to change and there is a possibility we would actually get hurt.  Jesus
tells us to cast our concerns on Him and let Him take care of them.  What this
means is that we need to stop walking in the treadmill of our problems and lay
on the bed spiritually so we can get some rest.

Sometimes the holiest thing we can do is take a nap.  We need our rest in order
for the exercise to make any kind of a difference.  Today, take a step off the
treadmill and give the problems to Jesus.  Let Him comfort you and support you
softly.  Rest in Him.  You'll be amazed at how much Jesus can do when you let
Him take control of your problems.  It's so awesome what a nap can do.   

[Soldier4Christ]

  Inside the Storm

By: Steven Self


2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Life is sometimes unexpectedly hard, sometimes completely overwhelming and it seems like all thats happening to us is that we are wasting away.  But we don't realize that even though we may be hurting and suffering and facing times of extreme trials, God is renewing us inwardly.  God is holding and blessing us while we're down.

On Joan of Arcadia last night, Joan was in a hosptial bed and very sick.  In this TV show, God shows up in several different bodies to talk to Joan.  While she was sick and laying in the hospital bed without her family being around, God showed up.  Not in just one of the bodies, but in a lot of them.  She was surrounded by them.  One was even sitting on her bed with her.  Joan got mad and told Him (them) to leave, as they were leaving, Joan's parents walked in and apologized for leaving her alone for so long.  That scene really drove home the point that God is with us in our times of lonlieness and need.

God wasn't just hanging out with her, He surrounded her.  He surrounds us when we are at our most desperate times.  God's there even when we don't want Him to be.  God's love doesn't depend on us having a good day or us being healthy.  God's love is unconditional and it's more than enough for us.

I've seen several posts lately where many of you are really hurting and stuck in a situation that's pretty tough.  I want you to know that God is with you, He's not just hanging out with you, He's surrounding you.  He loves you.  The harder of a time your going through means the more seriously you need to study your bible and be in constant prayer.  God will listen and God will speak.  He will bless and protect you even when you feel beaten, broken and lying in an emotional hospital bed.  The suffering your walking through right now, will never match the blessings to come.  God bless you.     

[Soldier4Christ]

  Testing Calm Waters

By: Tony B. Rhoda


Trust in the Lord with all heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all ways acknowledge Him, and He shall bring it to pass. (Proverbs 3:5-6) NKJV

Do you ever test the waters of a swimming pool before you jump in, or are you a rebel who jumps in face first? I don’t know, but it could be a hot day and read, “heated pool” on the side, and I’m still going to check to see if it’s cold or not. One thing this Florida boy can’t stand is jumping into cold water.

Let’s say that it happens to be a slightly warmer day than usual, maybe a 110 degrees. A nice cold dip sounds good right? Sure, but its going to have to be really hot, then and only then, will I think about going in if it’s cold. Even when I do get brave, I’ll take the ‘ease-in-method.’ I’ll stick my foot on the step and wait till it becomes numb before I begin to slowly ease the rest of my body in.

When we become Christians, we often test the waters to see if it’s cold or not, even when the Lord puts a ‘heated pool sign’ up in front of our faces. Sometimes you may get the urge to witness to someone but you’re hesitant. The circumstances may have been set up perfectly by the Lord, but we still pass it up trying to convince ourselves that it might not be a good idea.

When we ask the Lord into our hearts, we also ask Him to guide, protect, and watch over us. In return, we are to trust in Him with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding. All though sometimes we think we know better, in the long run He’s always right. The next time you feel the call to do something or when your down and looking for a way out, ‘In all ways acknowledge Him, and He will bring it to pass.’

[Soldier4Christ]

  Jury Duty

By: Amber Owen


“No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you to belong to Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)

Have you ever heard that song “Jury Duty,” by the O.C. Supertones?  Well, if you haven’t, it’s about the lead singer, Mojo, and his story about being thankful for all things—even Jury Duty.  Jury duty? From the stories I’ve heard about jury duty, it isn’t fun. It’s inconvenient, boring, and just unpleasant all the around.  I haven’t been called to do my time yet and I’m thankful for that, but when I get that phone call and the notice in the mail, am I going to be thankful?  Maybe not at first, but refer back the verse.  Paul said, “No matter what happens…”

My message for today is to be thankful, “No matter what happens…”  There is a reason why you are going through things that push you out of your comfort zone.  God is teaching you something.  I’ve have been blessed with great parents, who push me to do my best in every circumstance.  God does the same for you. You must remember that God never wants you to go through things that you can’t handle, and he never wants you to suffer—just like your loving parents never want you to either.  God, the Father, is teaching you things through certain obstacles in your life.

Are you having trials and tribulations in your life?  Be thankful for them!  Be thankful for your car breaking down on the side of the road, be thankful that you have that disagreement with your boyfriend/girlfriend, be thankful that you didn’t make a 100% on that test! Turn to God to help you see what it is that He is instilling in you to be a better person.  God is great, and He knows all!  Have faith and trust in him, and it won’t be a challenge to be thankful for things like jury duty!   

[Soldier4Christ]

  A Baby is Never a Mistake

By: Steve Self


Topic Request:
I would really appreciate on on unplanned pregnancy such as from a rape. just something i could do with rite now.

Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

Satan loves to do things to us to hurt us and bring us down.  He loves to torment us and bring us to situations that makes life look so messed up and crazy.  He is the author of confusion and he works very hard at his job.  But even in the midst of a crisis or time when the world seems out of control, God is present.  Always remember that God is bigger than any storm that Satan can throw our way.  Even when it's hard to see Him there.

Rape could be a whole devotional in itself and it may be soon.  Rape is violent, it is uncalled for, and it's not your fault if it's happened to you.  Someone getting pregnant after being raped would tend to ask God "Where are you?" or "Why didn't you stop this?" or even "Why don't you care?"  The truth is that God is always working and always watching our backs.  Let me tell you, He DOES care and He IS there.  While you may not be able to see the work He's doing, God is always faithfull.

The world likes perfection, did you know that?  They say "well, if it's not perfect, then lets change it."  The world judges by it's own standard.  It's got so many "perfection" devices in place, like plastic surgery, liposucktion, reconstructive surgery, and abortion.  If things don't seem right by the world's standards, then you have the option to change it.  But these options aren't always right in the eyes of God, especially abortion. 

Right now, the entire situation can look so messed up that it may look like there is no end in sight.  But God has a plan for this baby.  God is working so amazingly that one day you'll be able to see the results of His job.  It may be hard to trust Him and have faith in Him, but I can promise you that God is working a miracle.  God will take what Satan meant for evil and completely turn it around on him.  You may have a hard time believing what I've said, but I want you to consider something.  I was an unplanned pregnancy that occured from a one-night stand.  My mom didn't even know the guy's name.  God has worked in my life and has blessed the lives of many people through me.  He has a plan.  Trust in Him, hold on to Him, and rely on Him to do what He says He will do.  God is good, always.

[Soldier4Christ]

  "Hi!"

By: Amber Owen


“This should be your ambition [Paul speaking to the Thessalonians]: to live a quite life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we recommended you before.  As a result, people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others to meet your financial needs.” 1 Thessalonians 4: 11-12 (NLT)

Have you ever thought about how much of an impression you leave on people?  I have.  It’s amazing that in every action I take, those observing react to it no matter if it’s good or bad.  You’ll be surprised at how much of an impact make.   Have you ever heard the story about how a person who was on the verge of committing suicide, decided not to when a Christian at her school just said a simple, “Hi!” to her?  That really puts into perspective how much your actions and words speak to others.

In this verse, Paul is teaching the Christians in Greece about how to live as a Christian. By following what he has said, the Christians will gain respect from those that are not Christians.  We are all disciples of Christ, and thus, we strive to be like Him.  Because we are not perfect like Him, we falter.  We say things that we don’t mean, we let emotion direct our actions, and we choose to do things that are less than perfect. Others see what we do, and doubt who we are. 

Do you want someone doubting whether or not you are living your life for God?  I hope not!  God is nothing to be ashamed of, thus, because we love all our brothers and sisters in Christ we should strive to be conscious of our actions.  We are here to lead by example, and you never know you come save someone’s life one day. Are you living up to the standards that are mentioned in Paul’s sermon?

[Soldier4Christ]

  God Will Go to Any Length

By: Beth Hays


I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.  (Hosea 14:4) NLT
   
A couple weeks ago I was in a horrible spiritual rut. I was walking that narrow road, and I slipped in a ditch. In trying to get out of the ditch, I ended up on a whole other path. I fell into a pattern of habitual sin…again. In fact, I was the most out of control I have been since really committing my life to Christ. Backslidden is an understatement. My close friends were so concerned for me, they seriously considered getting me psychological help. It was serious.

So, why am I telling this? Why do you need to know my failures? Because that’s not the end of the story. The past couple weeks have been terrible. I had a kidney stone that left me in agony and I ended up having surgery to get rid of it. There were complications with the surgery and I ended up with pneumonia and a blot clot in my lung. To say that I am miserable is a cruel understatement.

But, as horrible as I feel, I fully believe that this sickness is God’s way of showing me He loves me. Crazy, isn’t it? But, when I get sick, I have to be vulnerable. And all the things I had turned to in rebellion quickly weren’t options anymore. And there I was alone in a hospital room in blinding pain and feeling more broken than I have in a very, very long time. I ran out of options. I had to turn to God. I was so desperate I cried out for Him, full of sorrow, but more than anything, needing my Daddy.

And ya know what? He came to me, wrapped me up in His arms, and kept me close. I let go of the things I had turned to, and found myself back on the path I was supposed to travel. These past two weeks have been amazing ones, two of the best of my life. I found the horrendous pain to be a gift from the heart of God because it brought me back to Him. He kept His promise in this verse. He was willing to let me hurt so that I would find what my soul truly longed for. That is the kind of God we serve—one who would go THAT far to get my attention just so He could hold me. Wow. Look at your life…how is He showing you that love? It may come in the most unexpected things, even kidney stones.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Go!

By: Jeff Lappano


“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 (NASB)

            Today I feel impressed of the Lord to bring a word of encouragement. For some of you it is summer vacation. It’s a time to chill out and relax. Days will be spent in the pool, playing sports, and hanging out with all of your friends. Coming out of the long school year, you sure deserve it!

            Lets focus for a moment on what the Lord said here in our text. Jerusalem is representative of your home and/or neighborhood. Judea would be your city, followed by Samaria as your state.

            Today we’re going to focus on Jerusalem, which of course would be your immediate sphere of influence.  During the summer you have the opportunity to rekindle friendships with people you haven’t seen in several months because of the winter and of course you hang with different crowds at school. The bible says in 2 Corinthians that you are an ambassador of Christ. That’s right, wherever you go you represent Christ! As your chillin’ with your “Hommies” this summer will you be a witness Christ? You don’t need a 3-point sermon to win people to Christ. All you need is yourself. The cripple dude in Acts 3 got healed…he sure had something to talk about. Stop and think about it for a moment; what has God done for you that you can share with your friends? Some of you may have scored a summer job; God provided for you, amen?

            I want to finish this devotion by sharing a thought with you: “Don’t be a selfish Christian.” What does that mean? For whatever reason your not sharing Christ with those around you. Christ didn’t die just for you…but for your friends and family as well.

            May you truly have a great and blessed summer in Jesus’ name. May you remember who you are in Christ ready to share what He has done with everyone and anyone you come into contact with.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Party!

By: Amber Owen


Who doesn’t like a party?  I love getting together with loved ones and celebrating at any occasion.  Last night was my twenty-first birthday celebration.  I had so much fun; my family and some of my friends gathered at an Irish pub to celebrate.  I’m telling you, we had a good time. 

After the blessing of the food, there was a point in the night that dawned on me how blessed I was.  I was surrounded by friends and family! Those that could not be there, made a phone call to wish me good wishes for another happy, healthy year to come. It was nice being the center of attention, and seeing everyone having a great time in each others’ presence.   

Thinking back on the night, I thought this must be how God feels when we, His family, gathers together in fellowship, praise and worship, and gift giving to His ministry. He must feel the same joy in His heart, like I did last night, when His loved ones gather together to celebrate Him. “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the LORD in holy array.” (1 Chronicles 16:29).  In this verse, David was encouraging Christians in his day and age to gather together and give thanks to God.  He is encouraging us to do just the same! 

Fellowship with someone today in the name of God and give praise!  God is the great and He deserves our thanks and praise!  Amen!   

[Soldier4Christ]

  Highly Coveted

By: Matt Crawford


"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew of the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forevermore." (Psalm 133)


According to this Psalm, for brothers and sisters in the faith to have unity and fellowship is a VERY important and precious aspect of our faith. In fact, the Psalmist lists it as being a very pleasant thing, equally pleasant to the anointing oil that fell on Aaron, the father of the Old Testament priests. To the Old Testament believers, the priesthood of Aaron was a highly coveted thing, because Aaron was ordained to give the sacrifices, to make offering for the people’s sins, and provide them with forgiveness before God. This allowed them God’s blessing and favor. Without the priesthood they considered they didn’t have access to Him. So accordingly, anything listed as being pleasant like the fragrant oil that was poured over Aaron to ordain him, would be something highly esteemed by the Israelites, and made a highly coveted part of their religion. 

In our time, we have the priesthood of Jesus Christ, which is even better than the priesthood of Aaron, to provide salvation for us. Jesus was ordained once to provide a sacrifice for all time, and then sat down at the right hand of God. Jesus being our high priest and sacrifice for sins is an irremovable part of Christianity. If the psalmist lists the fellowship and unity of brethren hand-in-hand in importance with the priesthood of Aaron, then we who follow Christ should put even more importance on that unity. Like Jesus himself, it should be a highly coveted part of our religion.

In Aaron’s priesthood, the oil poured over his head anointed him; in other words, it was the proof that he was being appointed priest. As Christians, we are called a royal priesthood before God, and a holy nation. If unity was compared to the oil over Aaron’s head, we should consider unity the proof that we are that royal priesthood. After all, Jesus said this: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples: that you love each other." If we claim to have Jesus, we should also make a point to have unity and love with believers. It should be a highly coveted part of our religion.

The psalmist went on to compare the unity of saints with the dew of the mountains of Zion. Zion usually refers to Jerusalem, but always refers to the dwelling place of God, or the presence of God with his people, and the blessing he puts on them. The psalm is going as far as to list unity of believers in the same importance with God’s presence and blessing. He is saying that if a person holds God’s presence and his blessing as important things (which no Christian would deny), they would also love the unity of the believers, and strive for it. It should be a highly coveted part of their religion.

Too many of us are "solo flyers" when it comes to our faith. We have no excuse, because the bible clearly shows us what our preference should be as people who claim to love the Lord. Its time to seek fellowship in church, and more, in smaller groups, where real fellowship can happen. Fellowship takes work. It doesn’t just mean once a week on Sunday. Real relationships take time and effort. That is the kind of unity God wants. It should be a highly coveted part of our religion.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Fighting Surrender

By: Tony B. Rhoda


Be delighted with the Lord. Then he will give you all your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him to help you do it, and He will. (Psalm 37:4-5) TLB.

It's a battle in which we all want to come out as winners. A war, which will take us from the boundaries of life to the void of the soul, is fought. While our minds conduct a symphony of worries and trials, our heart embraces every beat of the timpani that seems to be off key. What does it all mean? How can we escape the depths of a world of unknown? Is the answer out there?

Search the outer regions of a sky filled with stars and what do you see? Scan the depths of an ocean and what will you find? We struggle daily to find the answers to all of life's problems. We are trapped by the cares of this world to such an extent, that we can't seem to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Inside each of us is a space that longs to be filled. Deep inside our bodies we embrace the idea of being whole. The emptiness of this disease has only one cure and that's the antidote of Christ. Through Jesus our worries and cares are violently flooded away by the crimson blood of the cross. The nails that were so brutally thrust through His hands still thrust through our problems.

The cross has more power in one splinter than the government has over the whole nation. If there is something in your life that is hindering your walk and depressing your life, then I urge you to go into your room. And when the door is shut go to prayer with your Father. If you think the stars in the sky is was a masterpiece, just wait till God gets done with you. God Bless and Keep The Faith!

[Soldier4Christ]

  Will I Ever Belong?

By: Beth Hays


Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household. (Eph. 2:19) NIV

I have a close friend who often tells me that he doesn’t feel as if he fits anywhere. When I step back to think about it, we all feel that way sometimes, don’t we? At least I do. It seems like everyone else’s jagged sides form a puzzle, and we’re left over.

I never had a crowd in high school. The preps were too rich, the druggies too tough, and the smart kids were too…well…smart. Then there was me. If you look at my family, my parents fit well together, my aunts fit, and my grandparents are off in their own world. But, then there is me, who has always stood out. The more I look at it, the more I see I don’t fit anywhere. Feel the same?

I have great news! We’re not supposed to fit. Well, in this world that is. We’re not supposed to be accepted, admired, and clicked with. We’re not supposed to fit in this world. If you do, you may want to re-evaluate things. God’s called us to stand out. We have no place in this world.

Tempted to be sad about that aren’t you? Look around one more time: drugs, murder, rape, divorce, yeah that’s something I’m sad about not fitting with. Look in Ephesians for a minute. Don’t you see? We’re called to belong in a better place. We’re called to fill our place in God’s plan. Can you imagine that, my friend? You’re asked to forfeit your citizenship to this world and handed a passport into heaven.

You want the truth? You DO fit. You DO belong. God chose you specifically to fulfill a certain purpose on this earth. Let it be in THAT place you find your value. Listen one more time to this verse, try the message paraphrase, and let it sink it, my friend, you’re a beautiful piece of the glorious puzzle.

“That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all--irrespective of how we got here--in what he is building.” (Eph. 2:19)MSG