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Created by God
God lovingly, intentionally, and wisely designed and made each one of us in His image on purpose for His glory.
Everything starts with God.
I appreciated the point made in the study that we should live our lives as mirrors, reflecting the image of God (we are “image-bearers”) to others. I especially liked that imagery because a “mirror” is one of my primary leadership tips, as shown in my very first blog post and my very first leadership tip.
My week one takeaways included recognizing:
- I can get anxious in new situations around people who are different from me, especially in situations where there is significant wealth. The question that came up for me was how am I seeking God in those moments?
- I was reminded that prayer should not be limited to a “quiet time.” Instead, I should engage in ongoing conversations with God.
- As God gave Adam work, a partner, and instructions, He wants us to glorify Him and lead others to Him in partnership with fellow believers.
Broken by Sin
Rejecting God’s ways, His Word, and His design brings sin, and sin ultimately leads to death. Anyone who is willing to repent and call upon Jesus and believe in Him can be saved and forgiven. They can experience a new identity, and their lives can be transformed.
God provided everything Adam and Eve needed, but they sought more. Am I—in the same way—exchanging God’s best for what may look better through my own eyes?
Our culture says, “Follow your heart.” However, Hosea 10:2 warns, “The hearts of people are fickle…” We need to make sure we’re following God’s direction.
My different stages of life have brought different identities: athlete, scholar, government employee, NASA, HR professional, speaker, husband, father, Deacon, church member, leader, blogger. It’s a good reminder of how easily I can become distracted with other roles and identities and lose my identity as a Christ-follower.
Everyone is broken differently before God. How often does my own pride and selfishness get in the way of seeing the brokenness around me?
Transformed by the Gospel
God doesn’t just forgive us. He completely transforms us. Wherever we go, the Holy Spirit is inside us. We get to be a holy of holies of God.
When I made the decision to follow Jesus Christ in May 1979 (at the age of seven and a half), God set my life on a new trajectory.
I appreciate that the Lord “put (His) law in (our) minds and writes it in (our) hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33).
The Kendrick brothers point out that the Fruit of the Spirit is a singular fruit, comprised of different elements—not nine different fruits. The different parts work together to form a whole.
I need to walk in the light and be a positive presence for others. If others look at my life, do they see Jesus?
Who We Are in Christ
God, in His mercy and grace, has called us into life through Jesus Christ and has saved us, forgiven us, and made us His workmanship in Christ Jesus.
God has blessed me with every spiritual blessing, and He has my back. My spiritual gifts of leadership and administration have served me well throughout my HR career.
I’m especially grateful that my immediate family has put their trust in Jesus Christ and are standing on God’s truth—we all recognize that our feelings will betray us, so we need to rely on God.
What We Have in Christ
God the Father has had a will and a plan from before the world began, and He’s carrying out that plan to adopt us and to give us an inheritance. The hope we have in Jesus is a sure hope, based on His promises.
Love is inside-out. God loves me, and God’s love flows through me to others.
Romans 8:26-27 is a good reminder that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we are unable to pray on our own:
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
We need to consider our future with open hands. For both Cody and Tanner, they need to consider the question, “Where do I go to bring the most glory to God?” Instead, we generally pray from our near-term, near-sighted perspective of what we want. We need to live in Surrender (see my One Word focus for 2023).
How can I trust God more fully and let Him work through me?
Living Out Our Identity
When you’re at an extreme—you think too much of yourself or you don’t think enough of yourself—usually you’re not abiding in the identity God has for you. We’re beloved children. We need to walk in love toward other people.
It’s important to be part of a church community, where you can see how people love God and one another. That’s certainly been true for our family at University Baptist Church.
When we live out our identity, it’s a good reminder that who we are becomes what we do and what others see. Our speech reveals what is in our hearts.
It takes intentionality to let go.
Walking in the Spirit
The Holy Spirit is never going to lead us to do anything contrary to the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will empower us to do what we can’t do on our own.
Walking in the Spirit is like learning to walk—like a toddler, carefully take each step to maintain balance.
How often am I like a self-driving care or a self-checkout lane, efficiently getting things done but missing opportunities to engage with people around me?
The Holy Spirit is both advocate and truth—revealing God’s love, peace, and joy.
Prepare to take a stand with full armor:
Scripture is good for: (1) teaching; (2) rebuking when you’re doing something wrong; (3) correcting to get you back on path; (4) training in righteousness, which takes action, effort, and intention.
Walking on Mission
You are God’s unique tool to carry out specific works that He has prepared beforehand for you to do.
As Priscilla Shirer put it, “I cannot do 1000 things for God, but I can do 2 or 3 things He equipped me to do.” This reminded me of my personal mission statement (check out my advice on how to apply strategic planning principles for your personal life). My personal mission statement was most helpful in determining the types of volunteer activities to turn down, as I remain focused on my mission.
Shirer also pointed out, “We want God to show us His plan for the next 20 years, while He wants our obedience for the next 20 minutes.” This is similar to Abraham’s calling.
We need to make the most of every opportunity.
The Defined Study discusses themes like self-worth, purpose, and how to live in accordance with God’s intentions. The study combined biblical teachings with practical insights, aiming to help us understand our true identity as defined by God, rather than by societal or personal standards.