THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

YOU CAN’T STOP PEOPLE FROM LABELING YOU, BUT YOU CAN TAKE IT RIGHT OFF

Some people will try to DEFINE you by your mistakes. They’ll stick LABELS on you, reminding you of the times you failed, the times you compromised, the times you didn’t measure up. When you go through one bad SEASON, don’t be surprised if people say, “God’s not going to bless you. You gave into temptation. You’re divorced. Your business failed.”

Don’t let PEOPLE LABEL you. They can’t STOP what God has ORDAINED for your life. The only person who can stop you is YOU. If you believe the LIES from the accuser of the brethren, that will keep you from your DESTINY. You may have failed, but you’re not a failure. That was a MOMENT in your life, that was one SEASON, and it doesn’t DETERMINE your future. You can’t stop others from putting a negative LABEL on you, but you CAN take it right OFF. “I’m NOT defined by my mistakes. I’m DEFINED by what GOD says about me. I am FORGIVEN. I am REDEEMED. My failures are in my YESTERDAY.”

Today’s Scripture:

Revelation 12:10, NLT

For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth–the one who accuses them before our God day and night.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

REFUSE TO SETTLE FOR LESS THAT WHAT GOD HAS PROMISED

All of us have dreams we’re BELIEVING for, but too often we get discouraged and quit believing for the FULLNESS of what’s in our heart. It’s easy to water down what God PROMISED us. “I don’t like this job, but it’s good enough.” “I was believing for a house, but this apartment is okay.” “I was hoping to get well, but I’ve learned to live with this sickness.”

If you’re going to become ALL you were created to be, you have to keep a FIRE in your spirit that says, “I REFUSE to settle for less than what God PROMISED.” You’re not going to be talked out of it, you’re not going to water it down, and you’re not going to let good enough be good ENOUGH. It may be more difficult and taking LONGER than you thought, but what God promised you is still on the WAY–not a watered-down version, not a make-do PROMOTION, not a partial HEALING, not a good-enough MARRIAGE. God doesn’t water down what HE’S spoken to us.

Today’s Scripture:

2 Peter 1:4, NLT

And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature…

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

 

STAY AWAY FROM TROUBLEMAKERS…..

We all have people who try to rile us up. They complain about the workplace, exaggerate problems, and spread gossip. They are TROUBLEMAKERS. If you allow them to draw you IN, before long YOU’LL be upset, focused on what’s wrong, bitter over what YOU’RE not getting. The Scripture says God HATES it when someone “sows discord”– someone who’s always stirring up trouble, trying to incite you to unrest. Don’t let them poison your SPIRIT. Don’t let that discord get IN you. It will keep you from becoming who you were created to BE.

The apostle Paul uses strong language when he IMPLORES us to be CAREFUL about whom we let INFLUENCE us. Are they HEALTHY and PRODUCTIVE? Do they have good JUDGEMENT and clear VISION? Or are they discontent, bitter, and living from a place of offense. If someone is constantly disgruntled, jealous, and divisive, RECOGNIZE that they are NOT for you. They are not HEALTHY enough to give you good advice. Be KIND, be RESPECTFUL, but do NOT hang AROUND them. DISCONNECT from discord.

Today’s Scripture:

Romans 16:17, NIV

I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

START CALLING IN WHAT YOU WANT, NOT WHAT YOU HAVE

It’s not enough to just BELIEVE a dream will come to pass or just THINK positively and HOPE something will happen. You have to take the NEXT step and call it IN. Words give LIFE to our faith. The Scripture says let the weak say I am STRONG. It doesn’t say let the weak say I am weak. Why? Because that’s calling in MORE weakness. You have to call in STRENGTH, call in VITALITY, call in ENERGY. When you’re sick, you need to call in HEALING. When you’re struggling in your finances, call in ABUNDANCE. As long as you can back it up with SCRIPTURE, you can call it IN.

The Scripture says, “You WILL eat the fruit of your words.” You can’t call in defeat and have VICTORY. You can’t call in lack and have ABUNDANCE. You can’t go around calling in negative things about YOURSELF and feel good about who you ARE. Start calling in what you WANT and not what you HAVE. Say what GOD says about you.

Today’s Scripture

Joel 3:10, NKJV

Let the weak say, “I am strong.”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

STIR UP YOUR PASSION AND MAKE THE DECISION

One of the saddest things would be to come to the end of life and wonder what we COULD have become. “What if I hadn’t neglected to use the GIFT that God gave me? What if I had broken away from the PEOPLE who were causing me to compromise? What if I had CONTROLLED my temper and treated my spouse with RESPECT? What if I had taken that step of FAITH in my career and NOT played it safe all the time?”

You don’t HAVE to wonder. You can start TODAY. You can STILL become who God created you to BE. The QUESTION is, do you want it BADLY enough? You have to go AFTER what God has for you. Being passive and indifferent will keep you from your DESTINY. Stir your PASSION up and make the DECISION, “I’m going to PURSUE God and ALL that He has put in my HEART. I’m going to take steps to GROW the gift He gave me. I’m going to come up HIGHER.”

Today’s Scripture:

2 Timothy 1:6, NKJV

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

AN UNCLUTTERED MIND IS A POWERFUL FORCE

All through the day there’s CLUTTER coming your way–disappointments, drama, stress, worry, guilt, jealousy. That’s why the Scripture tells us to GUARD our mind. You have to be PROACTIVE if you’re going to keep your mind in PEACE. Quit dwelling on thoughts that tell you everything you’re NOT. Program your mind with what GOD says about you. You’ve been WONDERFULLY made by God and are EXACTLY how you are SUPPOSED to be. Now get in AGREEMENT with Him. With a quiet CONFIDENCE, you need to have THIS recording playing in your mind: “I’m a MASTERPIECE. I’m ONE of a kind. I’m TALAENTED, EQUIPPED, and EMPOWERED. I’m FAVORED and have EVERYTHING I NEED to fulfill my DESTINY.”

When you start dwelling on what GOD says about you, it will AUTOMATICALLY clear out the clutter. Fear can’t stay where FAITH is. Discouragement can’t stay where HOPE is. Stress can’t stay where PEACE is. Guilt can’t stay where FORGIVENESS is. Mediocrity can’t stay where GREATNESS is. An uncluttered MIND is a POWERFUL FORCE.

Today’s Scripture:

Philippians 4:7, NIV

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

FAR-AND-BEYOND OPPORTUNITIES ARE ABOUT TO COME LOOKING FOR YOU

You may have a thousand EXCUSES for why you can’t accomplish your dreams and for why you should settle where you ARE because you’ve reached your limit. But God is saying to you what He said to Moses, “Is the arm of the Lord too short to DELIVER?” (Num. 11:23). No, the arm of the Lord WILL deliver you, PROVIDE for you, VINDICATE you, and PROMOTE you. He’s about to take you where you couldn’t go on your OWN.

In today’s Scripture, as King David considered his life, he was saying, “I’m not the BIGGEST, the STRONGEST, or the most QUALIFIED. I was a shepherd and look where You’ve TAKEN me.” He didn’t have to go AFTER it; it came after HIM. God has some far-and-BEYOND opportunities that are about to come looking for YOU. It’s the arm of the Lord reaching down to PROMOTE, to ELEVATE, to INCREASE you. As with David, you’re going to look back and say, “God, LOOK what You’ve done. I never DREAMED You would take me to this LEVEL.”

Today’s Scripture:

2 Samuel 7:18, NKJV

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?”

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WE’VE BEEN DESIGNED FOR THE DIFFICULTY

The apostle Paul went through all KINDS of unfair situations. He was beaten with rods, falsely accused of crimes, lied about by others, put in prison for years, and shipwrecked. He could have been overwhelmed and crushed under the PRESSURE. Yet HE is the one who wrote, “THANKS be to God who ALWAYS causes us to TRIUMPH.” He UNDERSTOOD that God doesn’t let you face what you can’t handle. If you stay in FAITH as Paul did, you’ll discover you’ve been DESIGNED to withstand the pressure. You’ll find that the enemy can’t come up with a scheme to outwit the God who CREATED you. He can’t send a storm that’s so POWERFUL that your walls get blown down. You may be hard PRESSED, but you will NOT be CRUSHED. Paul was saying we’ve been DESIGNED for the difficulty. God has taken into account ALL the weight, all the TROUBLE, and all the bad BREAKS, and He’s given you the STRENGTH, the COURAGE, and the FORTITUDE to WITHSTAND.

Today’s Scripture:

2 Corinthians 4:8, NIV

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

GOD WILL WORK IT ALL OUT FOR YOUR GOOD

When you go through difficulties you don’t understand, remind yourself that God is your heavenly Father. If you have children, you know how much you love them and do your best to watch after and protect them. God is that way, but billions of times more. You are His prized possession. There’s nothing He cares more about than you. He has your best interest at heart.

You may have been knocked down, but be encouraged that our generous God is about to put you back on your feet. Sicknesses, betrayals, and disappointments don’t get the last word. God does. The difficulty is simply a setup for God to launch you to something greater than you’ve ever imagined. The process may be painful, but the purpose is well worth it. One day you’re going to look back and see how God worked it all for your good. Stay in faith. You’re going to come out promoted, vindicated, stronger, healthier, and to a new level of your destiny.

Today’s Scripture:

1 Peter 5:10, MSG

The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ–eternal and glorious plans they are!–will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE WHERE GOD IS TAKING YOU, JUST TRUST HIM……

Everything was going GREAT in Job’s life, but then the bottom fell out. In a very brief period of time, he lost his HEALTH, his BUSINESS, AND his FAMILY. He didn’t understand it. He was a man of great INTEGRITY and FAITH. He was doing the RIGHT thing and the wrong thing happened. His friends told him it was HIS fault. His wife said, “Job, just curse God and DIE.”

Job could have gotten bitter and given up on LIFE, but he UNDERSTOOD that there are times in life when it doesn’t seem FAIR and you can’t SEE what God is DOING. You’re PRAYING, but it’s not working OUT. Rather than make a negative judgment based on one season of opposition, he kept an attitude of FAITH that EVENTUALLY led to an ABUNDANT place. He let GOD be his vindicator and not only saw his health RESTORED, but he came out of that difficult season with TWICE what he had before. When YOU can’t see where God is taking YOU, just TRUST Him.

Today’s Scripture:

Job 23:8, NKJV

Look, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive Him.