What do you say to yourself? Are you speaking good? The words you speak to or about yourself are very strong and important.
Do you say negative things about yourself? Do you bring yourself down in front of others?
The use of negative words like ” I am just not good with counting”, “I don’t have good legs”, ” My face is too ugly”, is a sign of negative self-esteem.
The bible says we are wonderfully and fearfully made in God’s image. That means you are made in God’s image. Made in the image of the Creator of the whole earth.
Why would you think you are ugly? Who told you so? Magazines? Slay queens? Public opinion? The mirror? Who? You?
Rather than look at all these external forces telling you what you are not, look towards the One who created you and start to see how He sees you.
Start using excellent and beautiful words on yourself. Raise your esteem with the word of God and walk in the light of those words.
The Holy Spirit works in us. Thirteen-year-old Funmi asked her mother for some money but her request wasn’t granted. When her mother went to the kitchen, Funmi quickly took money out of her mother’s purse.
She felt good knowing that she had money to spend with her friends at school. Her friends always had lots of money to spend at school and she didn’t want to be any different.
But she kept having a feeling. As much as she was happy, the feelings of happiness were slowly dwindling. What could it be, she wondered. Soon, she began to feel bad about taking the money.
A voice kept telling her it was wrong of her to have taken the money. It kept telling her she had stolen the money. But I didn’t steal the money, Funmi said to herself. It’s my mother’s money and she has lots of it.
Funmi was hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. When you sin, the Holy Spirit convicts you of it. He speaks to your heart and tells you what you did wrong.
When the Holy Spirit speaks to you and can convict you to the point where you change your ways or confess your wrongdoings, you are stillborn in a safe zone. You still have a conscience.
Funmi didn’t spend the money at school that day or went with her friends to buy things. She felt bad about taking the money and knew what she had to do – tell her mother the truth, ask for her forgiveness, and never steal again in her life.
May the Holy Spirit give you a healthy conscience. Amen.
Prayer:
Sweet Spirit of God, thank you for the power to convict me of all sins. Please give me a heart that will listen and obey you in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Action point:
Has the Holy Spirit ever spoken to you about something wrong you did? How did you respond? Did you do what He said or not? Decide to always listen to and obey His instructions.
Declaration:
My conscience is not seared. I listen and obey the Holy Spirit.
This year, learn how to journey with God. A new year comprises numbers that run from one to three hundred and sixty-five. It’s just numbers that help you make the most of your life and time.
Every new year starts from number one and runs all through to the end. That is an indication that what you didn’t or couldn’t achieve in the past year, there is another set of days, weeks, and months to do so.
Another beautiful thing about a new year is that it’s a clean slate for you to fill with decisions and habits. It is an empty book for you to use as much as you want.
The fact that there are numbers in a year is clearly helpful in measuring your progress. As you count from one to two to three and so on, you are measuring what you are doing and noticing the changes you see.
You can also break the numbers into months; another way of structuring your progress.
A new year is a promise of possibilities. Adding God to the equation makes it juicer because He has seen all the days in the year.
Only He can help you navigate through this new year.
Add God into this new year. Don’t trudge alone on your journey. Let God load you on His back.
May this new year be a journey with God you will never forget. Amen.
Prayer: Lord, as this year starts, I hold your hand and start with you. Load me daily with your benefits. Be a part of my day throughout this year, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Action Plan: Consciously ask for God to walk with you this year. Do not go alone.
Have you started taking responsibility? I remember when I was little and my mother gave me some money to buy fish from the market. When I got to the woman selling the fish, I couldn’t find the money I was given. Guess what happened when I got home? My mother was angry and scolded me for losing the money.
Why do you think my mother was angry? Was she right to be angry? The answer is “yes”. It was my responsibility to keep the money well. It was in my possession and I should have kept it well. I was trusted to keep it safe and get what I was sent.
Responsibility means doing what is expected of you and accepting the consequences for either doing or not doing these things. This means that as a child, there are things you are meant to do, say or keep. Things you will be responsible for. And as you grow older these things increase in size and time.
“Each person should judge his own actions. Then he can be proud for what he himself has done. Each person must be responsible for himself.” – Gal. 6:5 ICB
The bible verse above says that you are to judge your own actions, check if you are proud of what you do and that you should be responsible for yourself. In other words, are you proud that you are responsible or not? Judge yourself.
May the Lord give you enlightenment about being responsible. Amen
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I open my heart as I learn about responsibility. Help me to keep my heart open. Amen.
Action point: Ask your parents what your responsibilities are if you don’t know them. if you do, as the bible verse said, are you proud of your actions?
Little one, you are special! What does it mean to be chosen? The word “chosen” signifies being set apart for a reason. And how are people chosen? People are chosen on account of certain attributes they have. Things like a good character, telling the truth, humility and discipline make people to be chosen.
Let’s look at the verse in Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” – Jeremiah 1:5 ICB
This was God speaking to the prophet Jeremiah. The Lord chose Jeremiah by o speak to the children of Israel. These people were very stubborn and disobeyed God many times. God sent Jeremiah to them with warnings to turn from their wayward ways.
Look at the first part of the verse–Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you… God created everyone and before we were even put in our mother’s womb. You were already alive before God put you in her womb.
God has seen everything about you and decided to call you for His own. That’s why He chose you for that.
If God chooses you to do something, it means you are very special to Him. That there is a particular work God has for you.
Look well at this verse and meditate on it. Declare it over and over, personalize the words and believe. There is something special about you and God wants to use the special gift He has given you for the good of His kingdom here on earth.
