So much of what we do is driven by what others thought us, think of us or will think about us. There is one problem with this thinking, however. It’s deadly! We give control of our lives to others if we let what they think about us dictate what we do.
“Will they still like, let alone love me, if I do it?” Maybe, maybe not. “Will they hate me for what I am about to do?” Maybe, maybe not. But who cares! You can’t control what others say about you, let alone what they think about you. A friend once said, “What other people think of you is none of your business.” It’s totally true!
We only have control over one thing – our choices, not others’ thoughts. Because of what Jesus gave us at salvation, we can make the right choices regardless of how others react to them. We can listen to and follow Jesus, which only makes us feel great when we do what He tells us to do.
As a believer in Jesus you are a secure child of God. Let what He thinks about you drive your choices. And remember, He may be disappointed in what you do at times, but He will always love and stand by you no matter what others may think of you.
“S”et Free Nowww

Ever notice the amount of stuff (junk?) you collect or store in your garage or storage unit? In fact, I’ll bet there are items you’ve even forgotten about hidden away on some back shelf behind another item you might not have used in quite a while.
It’s these forgotten items stored away in your brain that can wreck havoc in your life. Ever find yourself doing something that you can’t remember why you did it; and in fact, didn’t even want to do it when you did it, but you did it anyway? It’s because you’ve got forgotten the lies stored away on some back shelf behind another forgotten item.
Don’t focus on your behavior. Remember only the truth, not hard work, will set you free. Allow the Spirit to uncover the lie behind your drug of choice, sinful behavior, so He can help you exchange it with the specific truths He gives you. For this to happen, the Spirit must shine His light on your storage device so you can discover what those hidden lies are so you can get rid of them and store the truth instead.
Want to become like Jesus? Then be willing to ask yourself, “So what am I storing?”
Se“T” Free Nowww

Prayer is, “about connecting to the awesome, fearsome, loving, ultimately ineffable Creator of the universe. Prayer is the periodic hopscotch to…the ultimate union. Prayer prefigures the conclusion of life and animates the path of life,” writes one rabbinical writer.
Prayer takes us beyond the realm of our challenges and drugs of choice, to the only One who can make us more like Jesus through them – the Source of Life and the Source of Power behind that Life – God Himself.
It takes us from feeling like we are alone (though in reality we are not) to the all Oneness of God. Are you not a secure child of God, made this way by faith in Jesus? Therefore, your God wants to hear from you not only today, but throughout your today. And your conversations with Him today only prepare you for when you leave this planet tomorrow.
“S”et Free Nowww

As kids we used to play Four Square during recess. It’s a game where there is one person within each of four squares. As the ball is hit into any square the person in that square must hit it into another square. There are two options if they fail to do so. One, they leave the game and go to the end of the line of people waiting to get into a square. Or two, they can call, “Do over!” and stay in the game. However, you only get one “do over” per recess. It’s a second chance to stay in the game.
This illustrates the “N” principle – never give up on yourself as Jesus won’t – in our struggle to overcome our drugs of choice. Jesus gives us a “do over” if we fall. Keep in mind that just like in Four Square, you failed in front of all those playing the game. It was embarrassing; and yet, you’re still in the game with a chance to redeem yourself. And just like in the game, you can be victorious next time over your drug of choice.
As one author put it, “We are never finished with our work in this world. There is always more untapped potential. No matter how successful (my note: or unsuccessful in some cases) and busy we are, there is room for “Act Two.” … There is always more we can to do. And remember: it’s not your burden; it’s your pleasure!”
Failure or success doesn’t define you; being a secure child of God does. Jesus gave us Himself, which gives us our unlimited potential to be victorious like Him. There is always another Act to our life’s play. We don’t have to like, be comfortable with or even want failure, but it is our reality this side of heaven. And though Act One might have stunk, Act Two can be sweet.
This process is not a burden, but a pleasure because it gives you another chance to taste the sweetness of victory. Jesus’ “do overs” give you the opportunity to taste that sweetness.
Set Free “N”owww

“That sure was a waste of time and effort!” I had dug in the wrong place and I knew better. I had a leak in one of two water lines in my backyard as there was a water mark on the surface of the soil surrounding one of my fruit trees.
After eliminating one line, I saw the water start bubbling up through the gravel. So I started digging where the water exited through the gravel, forgetting that underground water finds the weakest place to surface. This doesn’t mean, however, that’s where the leak is. I was digging in the wrong place!
It took about five minutes and ten shovels of dirt to realize my mistake. This was where the water was surfacing, not where it was leaving the plastic water line. I soon dug around the closest sprinkler head and lo and behold, there was the leak. I should have dug here first. If I had, I would have saved myself a lot of time and effort.
This is a great illustration of the “T” principle – transform your behavior by changing your thinking. Our sinful behavior, drug of choice, is simply where the lies (water) find access to the surface. Your behavior is not the problem, your thinking is.
Therefore, if you want to see permanent Christ-like life change, you must start digging at the source of the problem, your thinking. Let the Spirit of God dig up the lies in your thinking and repair those leaks with the truths He gives you from the Word. Digging anywhere else is simply a waste of time and effort.
Se“T” Free Nowww