“Men, What Are You Saying to Yourself?”

Luke 15:17, “HE began to think about what HE had done. HE said to HIMSELF…” (NLV)
Now, if you’re a dad, somewhere down through the years you’ve heard the command (that sounds like a question or request...but it’s not). It’s the words, "Daddy, would you come and play with me?" As a mom, I can still hear those echoes from when our kids were little. However, a recent doctor’s appointment made me recall those words because of a dad and son. The dad was preoccupied reading his Sunday newspaper - you know, one of the big ones that comes in volumes. Well, his little guy kept tapping on the newspaper and asking his Daddy to play with him. But dad kept giving him little things to do to keep him occupied while he continued to read. Finally, after the last interruption, dad tried a different approach so he would be able to finish his paper. He tore out a page that had a map of the world on it and he ripped it into pieces. He said, "Look, put this puzzle together. And as soon as you've got it finished, I promise I'll come and play." Two minutes later, junior was back tapping on dad's newspaper again. "I'm finished," he said. And there it was - the whole map of the world, together on the floor! I was as shocked as dad was. Then he said, "Son, how did you put that together so fast?" Junior replied: "It was easy, daddy. There was a picture of a man on the other side. When I put the man together right, the world went right!” In my head, all I could think was, “out of the mouths of babes!” And as comical and simple even as that may be, truth is, many are in a particular season of life that’s just like that. Many pieces to the puzzle, scattered everywhere, but if only you could get one piece in place, the rest would take care of themselves. And honestly, right now, maybe there's just a lot of pieces you’re working with at the moment: financial, health, mental, emotional, spiritual, marital, parental, work, church, family. And for most, that list gets longer and longer by the day. For some there’s that inner struggle with who you are and why you're here, what are you supposed to be doing, or where you're going. It's a time of confusion and frustration, maybe even some despair. 
You've been pretty focused on your battles and on your problems. But you may be missing one piece of the puzzle, the baseline issue really. It’s what that little boy said to his dad that may be a key to getting things together for you, “…When I put the man together right, the world went right!” There's a helpful picture of many of us in a story that Jesus told, recorded in Luke 15, beginning with verse 11. It's the story of the Prodigal Son; a guy who was the missing piece to his own life puzzle. Take a listen to his story: 
Luke 15:11-24, “And Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons.  The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, let me have the part of the family riches that will be coming to me.’ Then the father divided all that he owned between his two sons.  Soon after that the younger son took all that had been given to him and went to another country far away. There he spent all he had on wild and foolish living.  When all his money was spent, he was hungry. There was no food in the land.  He went to work for a man in this far away country. His work was to feed pigs.  He was so hungry he was ready to eat the outside part of the ears of the corn the pigs ate because no one gave him anything. “HE BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT WHAT HE HAD DONE. HE SAID TO HIMSELF, ‘My father pays many men who work for him. They have all the food they want and more than enough. I am about dead because I am so hungry.  I will get up and go to my father. I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am not good enough to be called your son. But may I be as one of the workmen you pay to work?”’  “The son got up and went to his father. While he was yet a long way off, his father saw him. The father was full of loving-pity for him. He ran and threw his arms around him and kissed him.  The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am not good enough to be called your son.’  But the father said to the workmen he owned, ‘Hurry! Get the best coat and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.  Bring the calf that is fat and kill it. Let us eat and be glad.  For my son was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and now he is found. Let us eat and have a good time.’ (NLV) 
The portion I pray encourages my brothers is this, “When he came to his senses" - or "when he came to himself". The New Living Version says it like this: “…HE BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT WHAT HE HAD DONE. HE SAID TO HIMSELF…” That young man probably thought of every possible reason for his predicament except the real one - HIMSELF. That's where your answer will begin as well. Truth is, all of us have a tendency to lay blame for how our lives have turned out…except laying that blame on our own front door, and better still, in our own lap! Because then we would have to take accountability and responsibility for our choices, consequences and change. Which means, you’d have to get past what your spouse or your kids or your parents or your coworkers, church folks, or other people have done or said. And instead, look in the mirror and clear up the vision of the man you distorted. 
James 1:22-24, “Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.” (MSG)
And haven’t you done that long enough? How many additional years are you going to see your flaws in your reflection in the mirror, point them out, but never acknowledge them enough to fix them? It’s not that you don’t know what to do, it’s that you haven’t done it! And what's the danger in that? Well, the Bible says, "Remember, it is SIN to know what you ought to do and then not do it." (James 4:17 NLT)
Could it be that you're the puzzle that needs putting together – and more than that, you are the missing piece to the puzzle? The prodigal son never lies to himself. He doesn’t make any attempt to retell his story in a more favorable light. He doesn’t point fingers, accuse anyone else, or lay blame. “…HE BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT WHAT HE HAD DONE. HE SAID TO HIMSELF…”
As comical as it may sound, maybe today is a good day to have a little talk with yourself…and Your Father! The prodigal son did and so did David:

“Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in Your laundry. I know how bad I’ve been; my sins are staring me down. You’re the One I’ve violated, and You’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before You; whatever You decide about me is fair. I’ve been out of step with You for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. What You’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life. Soak me in Your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to Your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with Your praise. Going through the motions doesn’t please You, a flawless performance is nothing to You. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice…” (Psalm 51:1-17 MSG)

Like the Prodigal Son and David, are you yet ready to acknowledge that the problem and the answer just may be YOU?

What I love about the prodigal son and David is that neither tried to make their mess look good. Neither put a, ‘if they didn’t; or if she would have; or if he had only’, spin on it. Nope…God it’s ME and only ME. It’s the way I’ve handled my spouse, my children, my finances, my health, my education, my missed opportunities, my ministry. It’s the way I handled the pressure, the challenges, the struggles, the temptation, the sin. I was the one to pick up the bottle, to pop the pills, to smoke, to lie, to cheat, to steal. I was the one to allow the intimidation, fear, laziness and procrastination to hinder me. I was the one who didn’t give it greater effort. I was the one who didn’t try. I messed up, I made the mistake, I got it wrong, it was my fault. “…HE BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT WHAT HE HAD DONE. HE SAID TO HIMSELF…”

That’s not weak or depressing, it’s honest. And that honesty will lead you back to your Father who is waiting to help you. Jeremiah 33:3, “This is God’s Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: ‘Call to Me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.” (MSG) Your Father is waiting patiently by the phone of prayer, when are you going to call so He can answer?

As it is, there are some prayers that He loves you enough to answer, Even Before You Finish Praying! Isaiah 65:24, “I will answer their prayers before they finish praying.” (CEV) The Living Bible says it like this: “I will answer them before they even call to Me. While they are still talking to Me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” (TLB)

That’s how much your Father loves you! So, what are you waiting for? Not even the prodigal son with all of his mess could cause his father to love him any less. And likewise, there’s nothing you’ve done that could make your Father love you any less. His love does not work on a merit system. You don’t deserve it, nor do you work for it. He loves you regardless of anything. So let today be the day that you look in the mirror and began to work on the flaws you see in your own reflection.

Think about it: No one ever held up an incomplete puzzle and said yay, it’s done! Look at how beautiful it is! No, the puzzle needs to have all the pieces in their rightful places to complete the full picture. And you need to do the same for your life. You are your own missing piece. And much like that father and son in the doctor’s office, if you would simply get the ‘man’ right, the world would get right too. Maybe the only thing that’s really missing from your marriage is getting You right. Maybe the only thing missing from your dreams being fulfilled is getting You right. Maybe the promotion would come as soon as You get You right. Maybe when you become a better steward over the finances you already have, increase would come, as soon as You get You right!

So many are walking around as just a shell of a man. And all because they won’t put in the needed effort to fix and fill the inner man. Get the man right, and the world will be right. But you have to get the Man right first! And that will take work! Which means you have to put on your overalls, work-boots and strap on your tool belt! This will require some demolition and remodeling and rebuilding and no construction site has ever looked pretty! So, you’re not going to enjoy some of the ugly parts of you that you have to acknowledge in order to improve.

For instance, can you imagine repairing a house, but skipping over the area that’s termite infested? What will be the point of ignoring an ugly area, while beautifying the rest? Eventually that ugly will come to the surface and sink everything you constructed! Or dare we ignore the bird’s nest that they have so comfortably built in the attic?! Or should we just not go in the basement if we don’t want to see the rats in hiding? In a nutshell: It’s dangerous to only work on the areas of your life that you ‘like’. If you are to be a better you, then it will require you being very honest with and about the real you! Maybe your tempter, attitude, and belittling and condescending ways need a hammer and nail! Maybe your critical speech and pessimistic outlook could use a fresh coating of kindness. Maybe your bad choices need a light change. Maybe your lack of trust, your insecurity, your fears, your childhood issues left unresolved for years, is the actual cause, and not everybody else. “…HE BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT WHAT HE HAD DONE. HE SAID TO HIMSELF…”

This is where you need to find yourself today, in Room A giving yourself a Self-Examination!

Matthew 23:26, “You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [EXAMINE AND CHANGE YOUR INNER SELF TO CONFORM TO GOD’S PRECEPTS], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.” (AMP);

1 Corinthians 11:28, “But a person must [prayerfully] EXAMINE HIMSELF [and his relationship to Christ], and only when he has done so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” (AMP);

2 Corinthians 13:5, “TEST AND EVALUATE YOURSELVES to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as [committed] believers. EXAMINE YOURSELVES [not me]! OR DO YOU NOT RECOGNIZE THIS ABOUT YOURSELVES [by an ongoing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit?” (AMP)

YOU have to work on YOU if YOU want to see a better YOU!  Repeat That At the Start of Every Morning, While Looking in the Mirror and Grooming Yourself for the Day, Remind Yourself: YOU have to work on YOU if YOU want to see a better YOU! 

Treat your self-examination like your annual physicals. It’s vital to make sure you go to the doctor and get yourself checked out Before anything happens. Likewise, you need to check yourself out daily [attitudes; motives; intentions; behavior; speech; heart] Before anything happens! Make all the necessary adjustments to make your life better.

And you may not like this, but also listen to what others say about you. And to be clear, listen to those who have your best interest at heart. Some of the people you think are just nagging you are really trying to help you. People who call you on the carpet about the way you act, talk, dress, behave, should be heard. If all you have in your inner-circle is people patting you on the back, but none kicking you in the butt, you’re in trouble. Allow people in your circle that don’t agree with everything you say and do; allow people who will tell you to your face that you’re wrong; allow people who will chastise, correct and rebuke you; allow people who will not allow you to live any kind of way (in public or in private); allow people who prick your heart when they know you’re living beneath a better version of yourself; allow people who disagree with you; allow people who don’t always see eye-to-eye with you; allow people who address your pride; arrogance; conceit; self-centeredness; selfishness; pettiness; jealousy; coveting and envy; allow people who attack your habits and addictions; allow people who will snatch that fried chicken out of your hand and tell you to get your behind to the gym; allow people who keep your character, integrity, dignity and reputation accountable; allow people who will pull you off to the side to discipline you, but also allow those who don’t care two cents about the crowd, but about your character and so they will rebuke you openly; allow people who make you change for the better, not those who help you conform to the good enough.

In all of this, it is up to You and only You to put the work in necessary for Your improvement.

Brothers, I know this was a hard one for you today, and sisters whatever brothers you share this with will not likely buy you flowers and say thank you…lol…but medicine that’s good for you rarely ever tastes good to you! And my job is not to only inspire, but to also educate and empower you to change for the better. And that can’t always be with wonderful words of poetry! Even God Himself chastises those whom He loves. 

Listen, no one who means you well will desire that you remain the same…not even you! So let today’s devotional be the kick in the butt you need to change direction. You’ve traveled as far down this dead-end street as you can go before crashing. Stop today, turn and change. Isn’t that what repentance is all about? And that’s exactly what you’re going to do. Repent…to yourself for blaming everybody else, except you. Address and acknowledge your wrongs and flaws, and determine to turn from them, change and head in a different and better direction.

When you get the man right, you’ll get the man’s world right! You are the only missing piece to your happiness. Get yourself in place so you can see the wonderful completed picture of what God has been trying to reveal to you. The life you’ve always wanted will all fall in place just as soon as you get the missing piece in place…which is YOU!

"Whenever God means to make a man great, He always breaks him in pieces first." (Charles Spurgeon)

"The good man is the man who, no matter how morally unworthy he has been, is moving to become better." (John Dewey)

"If you can feel like a good man in your 40's, you can feel like a better man in your 50's, a Superman in your 60's, and maybe a Spider-Man in your 70's." (Tom Hanks)

"Circumstances do not make a man, they reveal him." (Dr. Wayne Walter Dyer)

"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." (J.K. Rowling)

"The mirror of a man's heart is his actions." (Dr. Doug Weiss)

"There are no great men, only great challenges that ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet." (William F. Halsey)

"A man must be BIG enough to admit his mistakes, SMART enough to profit from them, and STRONG enough to correct them." (John C. Maxwell)

"No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has." (Henry Ward Beecher)

"The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively." (Bob Marley)

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell #FeelFree2SignUpAndFollow

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

"Your Damage is NOT Beyond Repair"

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works…” (AMP) 
I’m always amazed by how we so quickly discard damaged things, and worse than that, damaged people. Reminds me of something I read recently that stated, “A reporter asked the couple, ‘how did you manage to stay together for 65 years?’ The woman replied, ‘we were born in a time when if something was broken we fix it, not throw it away.” Honestly, it is my prayer that we take on this same approach with all people. However, the sad truth is, we live in a time with such a hard-hearted people, that we are quick to discard marriages, children, family members, friends, even churches and believers, due to damage. We’re quick to divorce and find another spouse; or discard our children and give the religious lingo, ‘I’m just placing them in God’s hands’. We’re quick to stop speaking to family members and throw away 10, 20 and more years of friendship, over minutes of misunderstanding. And yet what bothers me most is that the we, the church, the believers, are given the ministry of reconciliation, yet we rather the ministry of ruins!
  Maybe we should read (or for some of us, re-read) what the Bible has to say on this?
2 Corinthians 5:16-20, “Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a FRESH START, is created NEW. The old life is gone; a NEW life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and Him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with Himself through the Messiah, giving the world a FRESH START by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what He is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ Himself now: Become friends with God; He’s already a friend with you.” (MSG)
  Just 2 things I want to point out here (although there is so much more): 
1) “…ANYONE UNITED WITH THE MESSIAH GETS A FRESH START…” In other words, you don’t get to pick who’s worthy or unworthy in your irrelevant, biased opinion; and 
2) “…THEN CALLED US TO SETTLE OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER…” Isn’t it amazing that church folk love to talk about what God called them to do, but fail to ever mention this aspect of their CALLING? CALLED to settle our relationships, not discard them with yesterday’s trash! Just thought I’d add a Selah moment on those 2 points.
You see, it’s our job and responsibility to help people take their old ways to God so that He may make them new. However, our job and responsibility is NOT to fix them, judge them, shame or guilt them. We are NOT to ostracize them. We are NOT to be exclusive and disrespectful. We are CALLED to help, aid, assist, and encourage. We are responsible for showing others how to receive a fresh start in God, NOT stop them from getting to Him by the way we treat their old nature, as if we don’t have one ourselves.
For example, I don’t condone homosexuality, because I believe in what my Bible says about it. BUT, does that mean I can’t witness to them? Can’t hold a conversation with them? After all, how do I share the Gospel with a people I can never come in contact with? The same goes for the alcoholic, the drug user, the pimp, the prostitute, the gang member, the unbeliever. How do I reach them, if I’m not allowed to reach them? We have to be very careful about our religiosity, it’s doing severe damage to an already damaged people. Many of whom, at one time or another, WE WERE JUST LIKE! Don’t get deep now, read your Bible: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in His kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A NUMBER OF YOU KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT, FOR NOT SO LONG AGO YOU WERE ON THAT LIST. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a FRESH START by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.” (MSG)
Makes you wonder how is it possible for us to point our accusatory fingers at others and go down the list of their sins and wrongs, when our grocery list of sin and wrong matches theirs, if not longer? And if not now, it did at one time. And dare we tell the whole truth, even now, we still have a list! Yes, all of us! Believe it or not with your deep, anointed, called, gifted, powerful self, you still have a list! But what did God do for us? “…since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a FRESH START…” That’s like telling someone they can’t have a bath even after you’ve already had a shower! Selah...Why do some get to be clean and not all? 
If you received your Renewal despite all your Issues, why do you keep attempting to Cancel theirs?
  Listen, we’ve all messed up in one way or another. None of us are perfect or sinless (regardless to what we may think or the show-stopping appearance we may put on)! We’ve had bad attitudes, not always the purest of thoughts, mouth or heart. We’ve been judgmental, critical, rude, conceited, envious, jealous, bitter, resentful and vengeful! And yes, I’m talking about Saved Church Folks! So who are we to act as if someone else’s damage is beyond repair when some of us were worse off (and still are) than they? While you ponder that thought, listen to this…
It’s just a humble little house in the country, but it’s been a dream of Sandra’s for years. Actually, it was her grandparents’ house most of her life. She lived just down the road from them as a child and she spent many hours and made many memories in that little place. After Grandma and Granddad died, her dad owned the house. But by then he lived four hours away, so he just rented it out for years. It never was a great house but it really fell apart over the last few years; holes in the roof, fleas in the carpet, critters invading the house through its many holes, rotting wood and deterioration.
Sandra’s dream has been that someday she might be able to get her hands on that house she loved and make it into something. She got her chance. Her dad deeded the house to her and her sister and this past summer they teamed up to make it a neat little place in the country. She put on a full court press to get all those holes fixed, to replace things that were rotting or infested or worn out and she started to put her wonderful creative and beautifying touches to work to make it a special little spot.
Another friend who used to go by once in a while when it was still rented confided to her how he felt about the house, “This place was a dump. I thought it should be bulldozed.” Needless to say, he doesn’t think that way anymore. He was very impressed with what that dump had become.
All those years Sandra had been seeing that house deteriorate and she just kept waiting for a day when it might be hers and she could take what had become a mess and make it into something beautiful. What she did for a house, Jesus does for people’s lives. He certainly did it for mine, maybe now is the time you allow Him to do it for yours. Believe it or not, but I know what some of you will say right about now, “you don’t know how bad my damage is. You don’t know how big my mistakes and how far off track I’ve become. You don’t know the mess I’ve made of my life. You don’t know what I’ve drank, smoked, snorted, or shot in my arm…you don’t know the many wrong beds I’ve been in. You don’t know the financial disasters my bad decisions have made.” And you’re right, I don’t know, and don’t need to know. But what I do know, is what the Word of God declares. Jeremiah 18:1-4, “Jeremiah received the Lord’s word:  Go down to the potter’s house, and I’ll give you instructions about what to do there.  So I went down to the potter’s house; he was working on the potter’s wheel.  But the piece he was making was flawed while still in his hands, so the potter started on another, as seemed best to him.” (CEB) 
See, unlike us, the potter doesn’t throw away the clay because it becomes flawed, he simply reforms it. And so does God. Another version reads, “But the pot he was making of clay did not come out like he wanted it. So the pot-maker used the clay to make another pot that pleased him.” (vs. 4 NLV) 
Truth is, we’ve all had a moment in our lives when it “…did not come out like he wanted it…” Or like we’ve wanted it either. But the good news, is that our bad news, is nothing new to God! Did you pay attention to the Scripture? The clay became flawed…WHILE STILL IN HIS HANDS. I believe that’s a vital point that we miss when dealing with the lives of others. We forget while we’re pointing fingers, they are still in God’s hands! And with Jesus as the Carpenter, is their Temple really beyond repair? Absolutely not! John 10:25-30, “Jesus answered, “I told you, but you don’t believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don’t believe because you’re not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind.” (MSG). 
There is always recovery for anything or anyone placed in the Masters Hands!
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].” (AMP) As bad as you think they are, or as bad as you think you are, you and they are still of Good Use to Our Good God! There’s always opportunity for change!
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if ANYONE is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].” (AMP) In other words, NO ONE can judge ANYONE because ANYONE can be changed, renewed, reborn, restored, revived, and repaired!
And I’ve seen that same miracle take place so dramatically in human lives, when a life that was getting more and more damaged was finally turned over to Jesus Christ. And He has lovingly gone to work to repair what looked “unrepairable” and to fix what looked unfixable to forgive what seemed unforgivable and to make a person into a new creation.
It could be that you’re in the market now for a re-creation miracle of your own. Things have been under your management for a long time. And maybe from the outside things look pretty good because we’ve learned and mastered how to mask, cover, hide, and disguise. But inside, there’s a lot you’re tired of. You’re tired of ending up lonely, you’re tired of your dark side winning, maybe the anger has done enough damage, the selfishness, the habit you have never been able to shake.
It could be that over the years you’ve accumulated more stress and more pain than you can handle anymore. Or more guilt than you can deal with anymore. Whatever the damage that’s accumulated during the years when you’ve been running things, there is Someone who has loved you all along who’s been saying all these years, “If only you would let Me have your life. I could do with it what you’ve never been able to do.” Think about it. The Son of God promises to make you a new creation, the old you behind you, a new beginning before you. Who doesn’t want that?
Romans 6:1-5, “What shall we say [to all this]? Should we continue in sin and practice sin as a habit so that [God’s gift of] grace may increase and overflow?  Certainly not! How can we, the very ones who died to sin, continue to live in it any longer? Or are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We have therefore been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory and power of the Father, we too might WALK HABITUALLY IN NEWNESS OF LIFE [ABANDONING OUR OLD WAYS]. For if we have become one with Him [permanently united] in the likeness of His death, we will also certainly be [one with Him and share fully] in the likeness of His resurrection.” (AMP)
Today is the day you walk in the newness of life! Today is your day to begin again! Your old ways can’t block the new you! No matter how much damage you’ve caused to your life, God can make it look as though it never even happened!
1 John 1:8-10, “If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.” (MSG). Did you read that? “…He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of ALL wrongdoing…” He holds nothing against us! He forgives and purges us of ALL! He’s not like us, he doesn’t look for little and big sins to weigh them out and see what He can let go of and forgive. No, He takes it ALL! In other words, YOUR DAMAGE IS NOT BEYOND REPAIR!
Psalm 103:6-18, “God makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet. He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel. God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. HE DOESN’T TREAT US AS OUR SINS DESERVE, NOR PAY US BACK IN FULL FOR OUR WRONGS. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins.” (MSG). Once again, I reiterate, did you read that? “…HE DOESN’T TREAT US AS OUR SINS DESERVE, NOR PAY US BACK IN FULL FOR OUR WRONGS…” Again, unlike us, God doesn’t hold grudges! He forgives and frees! He restores and releases! If only we His children could exhibit the Father’s characteristics!
People of God, today is a good day to help someone out. Or in the words of Dr. Steve Maraboli, “How would your life be different if…you walked away from gossip and verbal defamation? Let today be the day…you speak only the good you know of other people and encourage others to do the same.”
No judging, no finger pointing, no gossip, rumors and the like. Just help.
I know their lives may be like the house in the above story, falling apart, messy, a complete eye-sore to look at. But you haven’t always looked like a million dollar mansion yourself. So take time today to reflect on what your temple ‘used’ to look like, and all the work God put in to rebuild and restore you to usefulness. And then show that same patience, kindness and love with others.
Lastly, in the story of the prodigal son the older brother focused all his attention on what the younger brother did while away from home. However, the father could only see that in-spite of what he did away from home, he still found his way back home. In other words, stop trying to find out what they did in sin, or what they did while they were away from church. Love them out of sin and love them back to church. Think about it, if God forgives their sin and removes it as far as the East is from the West, surely you should be able to mind your business between their house and yours. Selah…
  We’re losing too many souls because of nosiness, pettiness, bad attitudes, unforgiveness, and the like. Instead today let us respond as the father of the prodigal son did. Embrace them, love on them, help them find their restoration and newness of life. Help them begin again. Show them where the restart button is, you know the button YOU push daily? 
Today let someone know that THEIR DAMAGE IS NOT BEYOND REPAIR! Let them know that you know just the right HANDYMAN that can make their old like new!
Isaiah 43:18-19, “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something BRAND-NEW. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is!…” (MSG)

“I have become convinced that God thoroughly enjoys fixing and saving things that are broken. That means that no matter how hurt and defeated you feel, no matter how badly you have been damaged, God can repair you. God can give anyone a second chance.” (Melody Carlson)

“Sometimes God lets you be in a situation that only He can fix so that you can see that He is the One who fixes it. Rest. He’s got it.” (Tony Evans)

“When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something’s suffered damage and has a history, it becomes more beautiful.” (Billie Mobayed)

 

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine, #EnjoyTheRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2LiveWell #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeInspired
  "It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)
"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)