I personally needed a heart check. Why am I doing what I’m doing? Why am I posting videos about Jesus and even sharing my Single but in a Relationship with God book?

I started with pure motives, as I felt the Lord call me to teach His word and encourage people to follow Jesus, but as I started seeing other people’s successes and followings on social media, the world’s ways started to influence my heart.

I was no longer posting purely to gain Christ (please Jesus), but to increase my own influence and following to feel “successful”.

I was confronted with Philippians 3:8, which says, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

The Holy Spirit convicted my heart as I read Philippians 3:8. “Why are you doing what you are doing?”

I had to ask myself, am I posting and doing what I am doing to gain Christ or to gain my own influence?

I was reminded why I wrote the Single but in a Relationship with God book in the first place and why I pursued Living Revelations. It was out of a place to please the Lord by obeying and sharing my testimony to encourage others.

I wrote the book and pursued Living Revelations to gain Christ.

Why are you following Jesus? Is it to gain Christ, or to gain your own selfish desires?

Set Your Affections on Things Above

Living an accomplished life and obtaining things is not bad, but when it becomes our sole desire above pleasing Jesus, we have now sinned against the Lord and created an idol in our hearts.

Only Jesus is worthy of our worship. In the age to come, there will only be One seated on the throne who is to be worshipped, and that is Jesus. If we want to produce godliness in our lives, we must set our affections (thoughts) on things above, and not on things on the earth.

God tells us in Colossians 3:2, “Set your affections on things above, not on things on earth.” Your affections will follow where your thoughts go. 

What do you think about a lot throughout the day? What you consume more of is what you will desire more of.

If we are constantly filling our thoughts with worldly things, that is what we will desire and spend our time and money on. For example, if we are consumed with looking good and finding a partner, that is all we will be obsessed about. If we keep looking at the nicest car models or homes that exist, that is all we will want and find our contentment in.

While having nice things, looking good, and finding a partner is not a bad thing, God does call us to live sober-minded and alert of the devil’s schemes. We can easily fall into idolatry and put other things above Jesus when our affections are set on the wrong things.

Jesus invites us to serve him with fervency, and to remember that this world is temporary, but what is to come is eternal.

If we are fixed only on our own success and worldly desires, we can never be about Jesus and His desires. Ecclesiastes 5:15 says, “Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.” The things of this world will fade away.

May we focus on investing in eternal things and for our earthly accomplishments to bear fruit towards eternity and result in saved souls.

Make this your heart cry: “Let your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

Will you set your affections on Jesus and what is to come? God has a purpose for your life, and it can only be found as we choose to set our affections on Jesus and what is to come.

Follow Jesus

To follow Jesus will not be easy. There’s a reason why Paul says “I press on” in Philippians 3:14.

Paul says, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬). The word, “press on” means to suffer persecution.

Following Jesus will not be the popular way (the world’s way), and we will be mocked and persecuted for choosing Jesus, but the prize set before us is greater than any suffering we may face here on earth.

May we live awake and sober-minded, not giving in to temporary worldly pleasures, but instead looking towards eternity with Jesus.

Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Eternal pleasures are only found as we give our lives to following Jesus.

Are you living with the end in mind? Will you say yes to following Jesus no matter the cost?

We all live in fleshly bodies that are slaves to sin, but when we receive Jesus into our lives, His Spirit lives in us, and we become a new creation, no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:17-18).

Every day we must choose to deny our fleshly desire, take up our cross, and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24).

Be filled with the Holy Spirit daily. Put off the old man and choose to live with eternity in mind, beholding God’s Word (Jesus) daily. Our reward is not in this earth, but in the age to come when Jesus comes back.

Be Faithful to God

Faithfulness is more than just doing the right things. Faithfulness starts at a heart level. For example, we can be married and stay committed to our spouse, but unfaithful at heart.

It’s impossible to be faithful without Jesus. Our flesh by nature is fallen by sin. Apart from Jesus, we all have the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life that is not of God (1 John 2:16).

In Christ, however, we become a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). God says in Ezekiel 36:26-27, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

Only God can create in us a singleness of heart and action, so that we will always fear God (Jeremiah 32:39). It is healthy to allow the Holy Spirit to check our hearts and stay unspotted from the world.

God tells us in James 1:27, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

We need to check our hearts daily and make sure we are not pursuing anything out of selfish desire. Just because we started off purely loving Jesus does not mean our hearts cannot stray from Him.

Though we live in this world, may we continue to live set apart from the world, loving Jesus and others purely to gain Christ. So remember, make it your goal to gain Christ.

Prayer: Jesus, only You are worthy of our love, devotion, and worship. Search our hearts and reveal any areas where our affections have drifted away from You. Help us to set our minds on things above and to live with eternity in mind. May our greatest desire be to gain Christ and to live for Your glory alone. Let Your kingdom come, and Your will be done in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Podcast (iPhone): https://apple.co/4xfPLeP
Podcast (Android): https://bit.ly/4x9AmMZ

Please consider donating to the ministry if you have been blessed. You can do so by clicking here: GIVE   

Every dollar counts towards spreading God’s truth and sowing seeds worldwide. Help us reach more lives with the gospel of Christ.

I was a very insecure person growing up, especially about my physical features. Though my mom loved me, she was often very critical of my looks. I do not blame her because she also grew up in an environment where she was criticized a lot.

Because my mom often compared me to other women, I sought validation from others and compared myself with others.

If my mom or boyfriends didn’t call me beautiful, I felt ugly. I would replay the thought that I was not beautiful till I got to a place where I truly believed I was not.

There were seasons in my life when I tried to look a certain way to please my boyfriend. It was not until I was 25 years old that I learned to find my identity in Christ and understand that my worth is found in what God says about me in the Bible and not from others’ opinions of me.

What is My Identity in Christ

The first thing you need to know about your identity in Christ is that you are loved.

You belong to Jesus. 

From beginning to end, the Bible shows God’s constant pursuit of His people. Sin separated us from God, but God sent His only begotten Son (who is spotless and perfect) to die for you so that you could be His.

Isaiah 54:5 says, “For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;” You are God’s bride, His chosen and beloved one.

God also says we are children of God. Galatians 3:26 says, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”

What does this all mean? It means that you are loved, wanted, and cared for by the God of the universe, the King of kings and Lord of Lords.

It is okay to want to be loved by people, but don’t let your identity be in how people love or treat you. People are not perfect, but God is perfect, so only His love is perfect (1 John 4:18).

Think about what being a wife and a child means. A wife is to be faithfully loved, cherished, and protected by her husband, and a child by the parent.

When we do not feel loved, or our circumstances are not good, we must remember our identity in Christ. We are a child of God and the bride of Christ.

Jesus Loves you

Jesus loves you so much. Will you believe this truth?

When you think no one is watching you, know that you are the apple of God’s eye (Psalm 17:8).

When you think no one is thinking about you, remember that God’s thoughts towards you outnumber the grains of sand (Psalm 139:18).

When you feel like no one is pursuing you or praying for you, know that Jesus is constantly interceding for you (Romans 8:34).

When you feel like no one cares about you, know that Jesus invites you to cast your cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7).

When you feel like no one is here to protect you, know that Jesus is your Shepherd (Psalm 23:1).

Whenever the thought, “Jesus does not love me,” comes to your mind, be intentional to renew your mind with God’s truth. Above are just a few examples of who God is to you.

Nothing can separate you from God’s love (Romans 8:38-39). God’s love is not something we need to always feel, but we must always know. By our understanding and revelation of His love, we will then experience His love.

We live in a sinful world, so bad things are bound to happen, but we can rest in our identity in Christ and look at what God’s Word says about us.

Made For Intimacy with God

You may never understand why Jesus loves you, but the truth is He does. What is man that You are mindful of him….(Psalms‬ ‭8‬:‭4‬).

God cares so much about you. In fact, God made you and me to have intimacy with Him.

He wants us to know Him intimately and not only by what someone tells you about Him. He wants a unique relationship with you that is different than His relationship with others. Every parent has a unique relationship with their children, and a wife has a relationship with her husband that is not the same as others.

What is spoiling your joy and intimacy with Jesus? Is it worry? Are there lies that you are believing? Is it greed or selfish ambition? Is it lust or offense?

These sins may seem “small” because they are just wrong thinking and feelings, but these sinful thoughts or “little foxes” do ruin our intimacy and relationship with Jesus.

Our heart was made to be a vineyard that bears fruit for us to taste and see God’s goodness.

Song of Solomon 2:15 says, “Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes.”

It’s impossible to delight in God and live out our identity in Christ when we allow the little foxes of sin into our lives.

Will you catch the foxes that may be spoiling your relationship with God? What truths in the Bible do you need to declare over your life and choose to believe?

Instead of looking for love from an imperfect world and imperfect people, look for love from a God who is perfect and eternal. Jesus loves you. So remember, find your identity in Christ.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for loving us and inviting us into intimacy with You. Thank You for making a way for us to be reconciled to God through Your sacrifice on the cross. Help me to live daily knowing my identity in You and how much You love me. 

Podcast (iPhone): https://apple.co/4frbyK5
Podcast (Android): https://bit.ly/4v3FBg0

Please consider donating to the ministry if you have been blessed. You can do so by clicking here: GIVE   

Every dollar counts towards spreading God’s truth and sowing seeds worldwide. Help us reach more lives with the gospel of Christ.