What's Your Status?

Alfred Adler once said that everybody feels inferior. So some people hide behind a "status mask." Even in the church, a number put up a front to hide what we are really like. The book "Games Christians Play" observed that. I'm reminded of the early church. There was also concern about status that time. The well dressed man got better treatment than the shabbily dressed one. This "status mask" continues up to our present time. Status-seeking is unScriptural and spiritually unhealthy. The Apostle Paul exhorted that all Christians are equal (Colossians 3: 9-11; Galatians 3:28). Hiding behind a status mask (position, money, possessions etc.) is therefore a form of dishonesty. Our security is in Christ, not in worldly status.

Love is the greatest healing to human kind

A message for today's "commercial Valentine" is God's unlimited love supply. Everybody needs it. Romans 5: 5 states that the love of God is poured out into our hearts through His Holy Spirit. It's the greatest healing available to human kind.

Of course, it's good to have faithful boyfriend or girlfriend, spouse, children, friends, and people around who value and love you. We all cherish and enjoy that. It's part of God's blessing in our lives.

While we appreciate human love, let's not forget that all human experience is fleeting and impermanent. And because of sin-sickness, human love is often tainted with selfishness and malformation. Ones whom you've trusted and loved more than anyone in the world could betray or reject you. In millions of lives around the world, such is proven to be a constant source of severe wounding and heart-brokenness. Human love is never meant to be completely dependable.

Wholeness and healing is in God's perfect love. If we are to feel truly loved and valued regardless of our human circumstances, we need to plug in to the source of unlimited love -- God. You are worthwhile and valuable in God's eyes. He does not look down on you. He loves and accepts you completely. He has chosen you to be His special worker. And He'll strengthen you for the task, upholding you every step of the way.

"I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:9-10).

I encourage you to find your need for love and value in Christ first. And He will show you your worth in many ways, including through the godly love of other people who love Him.

It's only when you learn who you are in Christ, the total acceptance and unconditional love the Lord has of you and what you are worth for Him that you fully realize what a valued, loved person you are. You can't get that from anywhere else. You can't get that from your husband or wife, friends, parents, children, etc.

Read the Bible to learn how much God loves you and what His purpose is for your life.

One of My Writing Mentors Launched New Book

From the first day I became a Christian many years ago, Dr. Harold Sala has been one of my Christian writing mentors and models. His books and devotionals have always been a source of guidance and inspiration to me to live a life of dedication to Christ. So if you find me writing or speaking with some of his quotations, illustrations, and insights from his books, just smile. I read his books a lot of times. Dr. Sala loves the Philippines and maintains a ministry base here since the 1970s. During a church worship service today, he preached on the theme "One Life To Live" and introduced his latest 2009 book entitled "Finding Refuge and Strength." Incidentally, I also recommended this latest book of Dr. Sala in the "Bibliotherapy" section of my own book -"God's Inner Healing: A Guide in Life Recovery, Healing, and Mission." Catch his latest book!

How's Your Love Tank?

I came across an interesting statement from Frank Laubach. He said, "It is easier to love God than people." It's practically true. The Lord Jesus is the most lovable Being in the whole universe. No question that we can love Him. But people? They're often hard to love. They're in fact contemptible a lot of times! Irritating. Bad mannered. Bad tempered. This is one big reason why God has to school us to love people according to His ways. We need to love people because they need love and not because because they are attractive. The people who need Christ's love the most through us are those whom others do not love at all. It starts with our relationship with God. If we're plugged into His "love tank," we'd always be overflowing to fill the empty tanks of those who need unconditional love. People need unconditional love in a conditional world. "...hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out His love into our hearts through His Holy Spirit" (Romans 5:5). How's your love tank? Is it connected to God's love tank? Are you full or running empty?