| Back to Back Issues Page |
 |
|
Toward stronger confidence April 13, 2022 |
Battling low self worth is a lifelong fight
If it were not so tragic, it would be funny. I'm talking about the ways people try to solve the problem of low self worth.
The first method involves stuff: "See what I own? Only cool people have this. I'm okay because I could buy this." Or accomplishments: "I got (fill in award name here)," or "I did this." "That proves I'm special. Um, doesn't it?" While there's nothing wrong with stuff and doing great things, if you base your self worth on externals, you're heading for a fall. Single friend, it took me decades, and I mean decades to figure out that trap. I won't be angry if you think I'm a slow learner, but as Illinois' favorite president Abraham Lincoln said, "I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards." If the specter of low self worth ever sneaks into your life, read more on the permanent solution to low self worth.
Seek ye the LordEvery day you make decisionsin this life you have to lead. Many voices try to sway you with the things they say you need. Buy our phone! Buy our car! But dreams don't come from idols Seek ye the Lord. More precious than a diamond, Seek ye the Lord. ~ Jack Zavada, www.inspiration-for-singles.com, 2022 ~
How to know if you're about to make a mistake
What's better than learning from your mistakes? Learning from the mistakes of others!
When I wrote Hope for Hurting Singles, I wanted readers to not only learn from my mistakes, but also from the mistakes of other people I'd been observing closely for 40 years. I began to recognize patterns that were like warning lights that something bad was going to result. I coupled that with solid principles from the Bible and came up with a guide for making wise decisions. But Hope for Hurting Singles is so much more. It's filled with proven guidance for dealing with such problems as:
QOTM: The point is clearApril's Quote of the Month comes from Robert S. McGee, from his classic book, The Search for Significance:~ Robert S. McGee ~ The younger you are when you grasp that Christ is the meaning of life, the more content you'll be. Look, there's nothing wrong with wanting a nice car, a comfortable home and attractive clothes, but none of those things can fill the hole inside your heart. Trust me. I tried them! When things get bad in your life, and someday they'll get very, very bad, only Jesus has the power to sustain you. You can lose everything except him. He never goes away. Thank God, he holds onto you and me no matter what. If you haven't already put Jesus in First Place in your life, reorder your priorities and do it today. It will be the wisest decision you ever make.
Easter: Nope. Not about bunnies
Leave it to the world to make Christmas about shopping. Leave it to the world to turn the holiest day of the year into a kids' holiday about candy and colored eggs.
For us singles, Easter represents the most encouraging words we could ever hear: He is risen! As the Bill Gaither song says, "Because he lives, I can face tomorrow." The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the turning point in human history. We singles have hope in an eternal life where all our desires will be fulfilled. It will be the life we wanted but could never have on a sin-stained Earth. No matter how many millions of people deny the truth about Jesus Christ, they can't cancel what happened. Jesus was raised from the dead. He is the Source of eternal life. This Easter, give thanks for our Savior and his incredible love for you.
Prayer: Like beating your fists against a brick wall?See if you can relate to this:
Those are some of the feelings I have had over the course of my life. I still have many of those emotions today. Praying can be really hard. I wish it was different. I wish I could get my will more in line with God's will for me. I wish I were not so selfish. Actually, I have prayed to not be selfish, but my sinful nature isn't going away in this lifetime. At least I'm making some progress. But I do have a few thoughts to pass along.
God doesn't explain himself. He's God. He doesn't owe us an explanation, so the sooner we accept that, the smarter we'll be. I know. Not understanding why is frustrating, but that's how it works. Demanding an explanation is like beating your head against a brick wall. I still have the lumps from trying that. No matter how you feel, God loves you. I've been angry at God, perplexed by him, and even doubted him. He's still there. He keeps us breathing and going. He doesn't hold our frustration against us. All we need to do is look at a cross to remind ourselves just how much he loves us. You know, every month when I work on these newsletters, I try hard to come up with something practical and relevant for your life. I hope I'm hitting the mark. If they help—or if they don't—you can email me using our secure contact form. So there's the April issue, single friend. Lee Strobel told a good story recently on the John Ankerberg Show. He said a 17 year-old boy had experienced all kinds of illness and surgeries. Lee said the boy had spent 13 of his 17 years in hospitals. When someone asked him how he remained so upbeat, the boy said, "Hey, God's got all of eternity to make it up to me." How 'bout that? Happy Easter!
|
| Back to Back Issues Page |
God's on the same side of that brick wall with you. You don't have to fight to reach him. He's right inside you, as the Holy Spirit. It's his job to listen to your prayers, then take them to Jesus. We can't always feel him, but he is there.
