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In Sunday School I held up a $20 bill. Like clockwork one of the students yelled out, “Can I have that?” I then crumbled it up and asked, “Do you still want it?” He looked at me as if I were crazy and said, “Yes!” I threw it on the floor, stomped on it and jumped on it. Do you think he still wanted it? Of course he did. I put it under my arm and held it there. He still wanted it. I asked, “What if I make tears in it?” He said, “I’d still take it because it’s still worth $20.” I then told the group how some of them had been through some tough times. They’ve been stomped on, crumpled up and put through some dark times. The temptation is to look in the mirror and talk bad about yourself as if your value has diminished. I reminded them that they’re made in the image of God, and so are other people. Nothing they do, or that’s been done to them, could change their value.

In John 8, Jesus was teaching in the Temple when a group of religious experts brought Him a woman. They said she had been caught in the act of adultery and that the law said she should be stoned to death. With rocks in their hands, they asked Jesus, “What do you say?” The Lord looked at His creation in love, seeing her value hadn’t changed. He then began drawing in the dirt as He did when He formed Adam and Eve. They insisted that He answer. They had already devalued her. Jesus simply said, “Let he who is without sin throw the first stone.” On that moment, I believe that saw that their sin and past hadn’t affected their value either. They dropped the stones and walked away. The woman stood there and Jesus asked her where were the ones who condemned her. He then told her He didn’t either and that she should go and sin no more.

In Genesis 1:27 it says, “So God created man and woman and shaped them with his image inside them. In his own beautiful image, he created his masterpiece. Yes, male and female he created them” (TPT). When you grasp that you are made in God’s image, it will be difficult to devalue yourself. When you hear the voices in your mind saying you’re not good enough, your past disqualifies you, you’re too far gone or that you’re worthless, I want you to read this verse and tell them to shut up. Remind yourself that your value isn’t based on what you’ve done or been through. Your value can’t be changed because you are made in God’s image. You are a priceless masterpiece that He created. It’s time to drop the rocks of phrases you allow on repeat in your mind. Keep reminding them you’re made in God’s image until they all disappear. You are covered in the righteousness of Jesus and He doesn’t condemn you for what’s been forgiven and forgotten.

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I was talking with a group of men from our church when someone shared a traumatic event in their life. We all listened in as he told us his thought processes as he went through it. When he finished, another man began to share his story. One by one we talked about the different events, but found there were some similarities in what we felt, how we thought and how God rescued us. One of the commonalities was that each one of us had at least one another man, who wasn’t in his life before, show up and offer help. These men who helped are still in our lives today because of what they did to rescue us. In all our stories, they took time to listen as we processes the pain and loss.

In the first chapter of Job, we read how Satan went to God accusing Job of being protected by God. He then launched an all out assault on his life taking his kids, his livestock and his livelihood. Chapter one finishes with Job worshipping God and declaring faith in His goodness. In chapter two, Satan went and a used him again. This time he struck Job with disease and boils. Job’s wife told him to curse God and die. It then says three men came to him to sympathize with him and to comfort him. He was so disfigured from the disease and grief that they could hardly recognize him. They cried with him and sat in silence for seven days and seven nights. They didn’t offer platitudes or ways to fix things. They simply listened and mourned with him.

James 1:19 says, “Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]” (AMP). If you see someone going through a difficult time, take this verse to heart. Be slow to speak. Sometimes nothing said is better than trite sayings. Let the Holy Spirit guide you if you do so that you can speak carefully chosen words that bring healing. Be quick to listen without offering advice or ideas. Listen with the intent to understand them and to allow them to process what they’re going through. Job’s friends started out doing the right thing. They kept him from feeling isolated and alone in the darkest time of his life. Let God use you to bring healing and strength to someone in a desperate situation by your presence and through your ability to listen. There is great power in listening.

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We typically associate peer pressure with school age kids, but honestly, it’s with you at every stage of life. There’s something in us that wants to please the group of people we associate with no matter how old we get. In Proverbs 1:10, Solomon told his son, “When peer pressure compels you to go with the crowd and sinners invite you to join in, you must simply say, ‘No!’” (TPT) He the. Gives as example of how people will try to get us to do something against our morals to be part of the group. In this case he uses the example of murder and then theft. It’s a crazy example, but it shows the power of needing the approval of others over God’s approval in our life. We become more afraid of what people think of us than what God does, so we fall to the pressure.

In Acts 5, the Early Church was starting to get traction and the group of religious leaders at the time didn’t like it. Peter and the others were laying hands on the sick and they recovered. They raised up people who had been lame since birth. The crowds were noticing and began to give their lives to Jesus. The leaders, sensing their loss of power over the group, decided to throw them in jail. An angel set them free in the night and they began preaching again. The leaders arrested them again and told them, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name…” Then Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men [we have no other choice]” (AMP). Peter demonstrated what Solomon was trying to teach us. We must give greater weight and authority to what God tells us to do than we do the pressures of men.

Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in and puts his confidence in the Lord will be exalted and safe.” Think about the areas of your life where you’re tempted to follow the pressures of others over what is right. These are the areas where Satan tries to get a foothold in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the courage, strength and boldness to obey God the way Peter did. Because he had given God full authority in his life, he wasn’t afraid of the group that would try to get Him to do something different than God had told him. Sometimes the group tries to get you to outright sin, and other times they keep you from stepping into your calling. Give God the authority in your life that He deserves so you can follow where He leads despite the pressure of the crowd.

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When God blesses, He does it abundantly. When I looked up the meaning of abundantly, it said it was more than you need or an overflow. God’s blessings are more than we need so that we can bless others. I’ve met people who are overflowing with joy, peace, goodness and other things God blesses with. Our minds want to think of material things when we think of blessings, but mostly what God blesses us with is spiritual things because they are eternal. Our prayers are even centered around material blessings. Try changing your prayers to asking to bless you abundantly in spiritual matters. Ask Him to give you an overflow of grace and mercy to give to others. When we focus on spiritual abundance We will truly live an abundant life.

Here are some Bible verses on abundance:

1. The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

John 10:10 AMP

2. So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly.

Matthew 6:33 TPT

3. And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.

2 Corinthians 9:8 AMP

4. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

Ephesians 3:20 NKJV

5. I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me to make me his own.

Philippians 3:12 TPT

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One of the best things to do around a baby is to play peekaboo. You know the game where you get the baby’s attention and then cover your face. When you open your hands to reveal you’re there, the baby sighs relief and often laughs which is contagious and starts the cycle over. Science has shown that this is good for babies. You’re teaching them gross motor skills, social skills, visual tracking and most importantly permanence. When you cover your face, the baby thinks you’re gone, and when you uncover it you suddenly reappear. By playing peekaboo, you’re teaching the baby that even though they don’t see you, you’re still around and can show up at any time. In essence, you’re even laying the groundwork for faith teaching them to believe even when they can’t see.

All throughout Jesus’ ministry, He kept telling the disciples that He was going to be crucified and go away. He told them not to let their hearts be troubled when that happens. He even told them that He would send the Comforter that they wouldn’t be able to see, but He would still guide them into all truths. After His death, He started playing peekaboo with the disciples if you will. He would show up, then disappear over 40 days. Thomas missed out on the first time and famously said, “Unless I see the holes in His hands and put my finger in them, I won’t believe.” Then Jesus showed up again in John 20:29 and said, “Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing me!” (GNT)

There are times in our lives where it feels like Jesus is still playing peekaboo with us. At moments He feels so close that you can touch the hem of His garment. Then there are times when you feel like He’s gone and your prayers aren’t heard. The truth is He has never left you and He’s teaching you to believe even when you can’t see or feel Him. Hebrews 11:1 says, “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.” Jesus is working on building up your permanence of belief in Him so that even when you can’t see Him or feel Him, you can be certain that He’s there and be sure that He hears you. We still have the Comforter with us today who is guiding us and growing our faith in the unseen. Continue to have faith and it won’t be long until He shows His face again.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

I’m a firm believer that your attitude is a difference maker in life. It determines your actions and the words that come out of your mouth. The Bible has a lot to say about your attitude because it is so powerful. The psalmist said, “This is the day that the Lord has made. I WILL rejoice and be glad in it.” He made a determination to rejoice no matter what his day brought. We can’t allow negative thoughts to rule our hearts and minds. They will affect our words and our actions, both of which should be a reflection of Jesus in our lives. We must take dominion over our mind and our attitude because so much of what God offers is tied to them.

Here are some Bible verses on attitudes we need to have:

1. Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.

James 1:19-20 NLT

2. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.

Philippians 2:14-15 ESV

3. So above all, constantly seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.

Matthew 6:33-34 TPT

4. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Philippians 2:4-5 NLT

5. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence].

Ephesians 4:31 AMP

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I’m going to tell you something, but you have to promise not to laugh. Years ago, I lived near the local YMCA. I had a membership and would use it to exercise. They had their treadmills right up front facing the window towards the parking lot. I went in and started jogging on one working my way up to running looking outside. There was a TV in the room, but it was four machines over to the right and up in the corner. As I was running, something came on that made me look. I started watching TV while running. My right foot missed the treadmill and landed on the side, which is stationary. I went forward, hit the front of the machine, fell backwards on my rear onto the now sprinting speed treadmill. It shot me off backwards. I did a backflip when I hit the floor. I jumped up, like nothing happened, because people were in there jogging next to me. I got on the treadmill, ran for about 10 seconds, turned off the machine, walked out and never went back.

I’ve never been able to get on a treadmill without thinking about that moment since. Falling shook my confidence in those machines even though it was my fault. As a former runner, I should have known better than to look anywhere but straight ahead while running. Looking anywhere else distracts you from the goal and causes you to drift, losing precious time. In this case, I lost my pride too. The same feelings happen when we take our eyes off of Jesus and fall. Sometimes our fall is public and we feel like we can’t face those people again. Sometimes there’s a constant reminder of it that causes us to hang our head in shame even though we’ve been forgiven. And almost all the time, you have feelings of being a second rate Christian because of it. I’m here to tell you those feelings of shame and condemnation are not from God.

Proverbs 4:25 says, “Look straight ahead with honest confidence; don’t hang your head in shame” (GNT). It’s time to pick up your head and start running again. Your sin and your past is no longer remembered by God. It has been cast as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12). There is a robe of Christ’s righteousness around you and your relationship with God is based on that and not your past failures. It’s time to get back on track and to start moving ahead with confidence. You’ve stayed in the swamp of despondency long enough. God still has a plan and a purpose. Nothing you do could ever remove that from you. It is irrevocable according to Romans 11:29. So fix your eyes straight ahead on Jesus and start running once again.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.