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Welcome to
Relationship Advice by Nancy Pina
IN TODAY'S RELATIONSHIP ADVICE ISSUE:
Guest Article: Living Your
Life as a Masterpiece
by: Dr. Charles Stanley
Today’s Relationship Advice by Nancy
"Modesty is the only sure bait when you angle for praise."
*Lord Chesterfield, 1694-1773, British Statesman and Diplomat
"Truth is always exciting. Speak it, then; life is dull without
it."
*Pearl S. Buck, 1892-1973, American Novelist
Living Your Life as a Masterpiece
by: Dr. Charles Stanley
WHEN LEONARDO DAVINCI PAINTED THE MONA LISA, HE HAD NO WAY OF
KNOWING HOW SIGNIFICANT HIS WORK WOULD BE. HE WAS SIMPLY A
FAITHFUL SERVANT TO HIS CRAFT, CAREFULLY RECORDING EVERY DETAIL OF
HIS SUBJECT'S FACE. IT IS HER EXPRESSION THAT MAKES THE PAINTING
SO POWERFUL~IN IT WE SEE A VAST RANGE OF EMOTIONS.
Do you ever wonder what a portrait of you would reveal? If an
honest and talented artist painted you, what would the world see?
Integrity, courage, and conviction? Or dishonesty, fear, and
doubt? Most people live behind a façade of sorts—not unlike the
portraits hanging in museums—that reveals only a part of who they
are. Afraid of rejection, they hide their defects from the world
and even from themselves.
Thankfully, there is one person—the One who matters most—who sees
all of our flaws and failures but loves us completely the way we
are. Just as daVinci saw the inner beauty of the subject he
painted, our Father sees in each of His children the redemption
and promise won by His Son at Calvary. You are His masterpiece, a
work created in grace and love. And if you allow Him to, He will
paint the colors of your life in a way that glorifies Him. "For we
are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which
God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them" ( Ephesians
2:10).
By God's loving grace, we were each created to be the image of
Christ in a lost world. Though our lives, from a human
perspective, are still on the canvas, God has seen the final
portrait. He sees eternity, and He knows exactly which parts of
our lives need His greatest attention. Every frustration, every
disappointment, and every joy has a purpose. He causes all things
to work together for good to those who love Him and are called
according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
For many, this is a hard concept to grasp. You may see your life
as a series of mistakes and disappointments or a hard race in
which you are falling behind. But God views you from a totally
different perspective. When He sees your life, He sees a person of
worth and great promise.
In our technologically driven world, it is not unusual to meet
people who base their lives more on television and entertainment
than reality. I meet people regularly who strive to achieve the
looks, personality, and lifestyle of a celebrity they admire. But
the rich and famous people we see on the big screen are only
characters created for our entertainment by a group of talented
writers, actors, and directors. Tragically, many people fail to
realize this and spend their entire lives striving after something
that doesn't even exist. They turn to money and friends for the
fulfillment only God can offer and are disillusioned when they
feel empty inside.
Contentment in a material sense does not guarantee that the inner
hunger residing deep within our souls will be satisfied. This is
because true fulfillment does not come as a result of owning a
large home, driving a new car, or having money in the bank; it is
the result of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Some of the richest people in the world are the loneliest. They
use their money to travel and buy all that their hearts desire,
but their search for genuine happiness continues. Solomon wrote,
"I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted
vineyards for myself; I made gardens and parks for myself and I
planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; . . . I collected for
myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces . .
. Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me
in Jerusalem . . . All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them.
I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was
pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward . . . Thus
I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the
labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving
after wind and there was no profit under the sun" (Ecclesiastes
2:4-11).
Life at its best is not without trouble and pain, but rather it
encompasses the fullness of experiences that lead to a deeper
wisdom and knowledge of God's grace. Through the challenges of
life, our heavenly Father teaches us, directs us, and shapes us
into truly glorious people. Solomon wrote: "Trust in the LORD with
all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all
your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from
evil" (Proverbs 3:5-7).
When we place our trust in Christ, we essentially abandon
ourselves to Him and willingly let go of the things that captivate
our fleshly attention. We agree with God that we are to resist the
temptation to get caught up in the fray of our society.
Material possessions, financial security, and relationships cannot
fill the deep, unsettling voids that accompany life. Jesus
realized that the powerful hunger in our hearts yields easily to
selfish desires. This is why He told His disciples to "seek first
His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be
added to you" (Matthew 6:33).
Everything you will ever need is already yours in Jesus Christ.
Giving yourself to Him does not mean you will come out with less.
It means you will come out with the best. When we give ourselves
to God, He always gives much more in return. However, His
dividends may not include owning a house at the beach, a mountain
cottage, and a home in the city. Some of the happiest people I
have known have less than those around them, yet they are
spiritually wealthy because they have learned to place their trust
in something that can never be taken away—a loving relationship
with the Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 10:42)
You may be a Christian who attends church faithfully, prays daily,
and even gives generously. Yet if you place confidence in your own
intellect and power instead of trusting God, you are standing in
the way of His highest blessing for your life. Regardless of how
we appear to others, God sees every aspect of us. He knows what
the person behind the façade looks like.
He sees your life from beginning to end and, because He loves you,
He works all things in and through your life for His glory. Many
times, what seems painful to you on the outside is really God
working on the inside to bring you to the end of yourself and
ultimately closer to Him. His primary goal is not to make you
great, but to love you greatly, to experience intimate fellowship
with you, and to prepare you for eternity.
You are His masterpiece, and He has given His Word as a testimony
to the love and joy He has for you. Zephaniah 3:17 says: "The LORD
your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult
over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice
over you with shouts of joy."
God rejoices over you, though He knows your life is still in the
process of becoming all that He has planned—though you are not yet
what you will be when you step into His eternal presence. Until
that time, He is shaping your life, conforming you to the image of
His Son.
Amid the uncertainty and pressures that surround you, Jesus is at
your side to strengthen and encourage. When your eyes are fixed on
Him rather than on the world around you, you begin to see life
differently. Instead of striving to live up to others' standards,
allow the Holy Spirit to teach you to dwell on the things of God,
which are pure and honoring to Christ.
This does not mean that you won't feel rejection or loneliness.
Jesus felt these, and yet the goal of accomplishing the Father's
will was always before Him. He knew that in order to complete His
mission, He would have to endure the trials of life. For Jesus,
this meant the Cross and physical death.
You can walk in victory because Jesus is your example and His
Spirit lives in you. How could He possibly bear the weight of all
our sins and still remain victorious? God had given Him an eternal
perspective; He saw the resurrection as a completed fact. And
after three days, He rose to walk in victory. This is the same
strength and power God gives you through the presence of the Holy
Spirit. (Romans 8:11)
God uses every frustration, fear, and feeling of hopelessness like
colors on an artist's palette to move your life toward completion.
Hardship, however difficult, reminds us of our need for the Father
and chases us to Him, where we belong. One day you will see the
wonder and splendor of God's work and will understand the purpose
behind each of your trials. Like an artist blending both dark and
light colors to achieve a beautiful portrait, He will work in your
life to create a great masterpiece.
Dr. Charles F. Stanley, pastor of the First Baptist Church of
Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, demonstrates a keen
awareness of people’s needs by providing practical biblical truths
for everyday life. Modeling his ministry after the apostle Paul’s
message to the Ephesians, Dr. Stanley believes that: " . . . Life
is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by
the Lord Jesus–the work of telling others the Good News about
God’s mighty kindness and love" (Acts 20:24 LB).
Visit Dr. Stanley's organization at:
http://www.intouchministries.org
Dear Readers,
No matter what life events come your way, God is there for you and
loves you so much.
Here are some practical suggestions for helping you to develop a
conscious awareness of God's unconditional love for you from Joyce
Meyer:
How Can I Really Know God Loves Me?
*Tell yourself in your mind and out loud, "God loves me."
Say it over and over a few times, and let it sink in-especially
when you don't feel like He loves you. Say it in the morning,
during the day, and before you go to bed. Look at yourself in the
mirror, point to yourself, and say, "(Your name), God loves you."
*Keep a diary, a book of remembrance, of the special things God
does for you.
Include little things as well as major things. Read over your list
at least once a week, and you will be encouraged.
*Read some good books about God's love.
Consider starting with two books Joyce has written: Tell Them I
Love Them, and Reduce Me to Love.
*Pray for the Holy Spirit, Who is our Teacher, to give you a
revelation of God's love.
See John 14:26; 16:13.
*Learn, and commit to memory, several Bible verses about God's
love for you.
Here are some to help you get started:
* Psalm 139:17,18
* Isaiah 49:16
* Jeremiah 1:5
* Romans 5:5,8; 8:33-35,38
* Ephesians 2:4-6; 3:17-19
* 1 John 4:16-18
Please write to me at
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With God on your side, who
dare be against you?
I pray that He shine
His light upon you and bless you with
peace, joy and happiness.
May God bless your life and may you
experience abundant love!
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