Day Twenty-Two

YOU ARE WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

—COLOSSIANS 3:12 NIV

My friend Jenna got a job at a bank in Nashville. She was so excited during her training when her trainer told her she would be learning how to identify counterfeit money. In her sassy business suit, Jenna went to work that day expecting to see and feel every different kind of counterfeit currency the FBI knew about. She loves that kind of stuff—like those shows on television dedicated to busting people breaking the law.

So when Jenna arrived that morning, she had a definite bounce in her step, ready to start on the next undercover show. Instead, the trainers handed her and her fellow new employees stacks of real money and asked each person to count a stack. Over and over. And then again. And over again. I don’t know if this is totally accurate, but Jenna swears she counted the fifty one-dollar bills more than one hundred times.

Frustrated, one of the other new workers asked their trainer, “Why are we doing this?”

When you spend time with God and immerse yourself in the truth of His Word, you will easily notice the lies and the things you hear in your head that aren’t really you.

The trainer responded, “Now you know how real money feels. You have practiced so much with the real thing that you will easily notice the fakes.”

When you spend time with God and immerse yourself in the truth of His Word, you will easily notice the lies and the things you hear in your head that aren’t really you. You will hear the truth of who God says you are much more clearly, like how you are dearly loved.

All over His Word, you will find that God says: You are accepted. You are a friend of God. His heir. You are completely forgiven!

You are secure. Romans 8 says that you are free from condemnation. You are significant! Ephesians 2 says that you are God’s workmanship, seated with Jesus in the heavenly realms.

All over His Word, God says that you are strong and important on this planet. You are who God says you are, and you can be brave.

BE BRAVE: Finish this sentence: I am significant because _____________, and here are three ways that impacts my life: _____________.