If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us.1 John 1:8-9 Few people will be so overt as to say 'I am without sin'. Self-deceit is rarely that obvious. It often comes masked in socially acceptable and socially rewarded forms of behavior. Perfectionism, for example, is a common expression of self … [Read more...] about Rooted in God’s Love
Rooted in God’s Love
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself prays for us with groans that words cannot express. Romans 8:26 When we are alone, when our private terrors have left us without the ability to speak, when even the simplest of prayers ["Help!"] is more that our weary hearts can muster - those are the times we need … [Read more...] about Rooted in God’s Love
Rooted in God’s Love
"I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son'. . . But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him."Luke 15:18-20 It is difficult to think and feel about ourselves in Godly ways. Many of us think that the prodigal son got it … [Read more...] about Rooted in God’s Love
Rooted in God’s Love
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them, I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.Isaiah 42:16 God leads blind people along unfamiliar paths. God promises to make rough places smooth for sightless and disoriented people. God will not forsake them. … [Read more...] about Rooted in God’s Love
Rooted in God’s Love
Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.Psalm 3:2-3 We receive messages about ourselves from the important people in our lives. We internalize these messages and carry them with us, repeating them to ourselves as if they were gospel truth. When the messages are shaming messages then the … [Read more...] about Rooted in God’s Love
Rooted in God’s Love
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.Isaiah 43:1 Abandoned. Neglected. Alone. Many of us share these painful struggles. Unfortunately, many of us have struggled with them from very early in life. People from dysfunctional families often feel that they were never acceptable to their parents. Many struggle with the feeling that they can never be good enough … [Read more...] about Rooted in God’s Love
Rooted in God’s Love
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.Psalm 139:14 We are God's creation. God made us. And what God makes is wonderful. This may sound pretty obvious, but we probably need to remind ourselves that it is not everything-and-everybody-except-me that is wonderfully made. It is everything-and-everybody-including-me that is fearfully … [Read more...] about Rooted in God’s Love
Rooted in God’s Love
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?Matthew 6:26 Many of us learn early in life that we need to earn our sense of value. For some, value was earned by entertaining people with our clowning acts. For others, value came from taking care of everyone else. And for others, value … [Read more...] about Rooted in God’s Love
Rooted in God’s Love
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.Ephesians 2:10 God is a very capable craftsman. God's workmanship is of the highest quality. We are God's workmanship. We are the art of a competent Creator. Notice in this text that our creation 'in Christ Jesus' means that we are competent as well. We are like our Creator in that … [Read more...] about Rooted in God’s Love
Rooted in God’s Love
"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. "Bring them here to me," he said. Matthew 14:17-18 Sometimes after reading the newspaper or watching the news on television we experience an intensely painful awareness of the enormity of the world's problems and the hopeless inadequacy of the resources available to solve these problems. During recovery we … [Read more...] about Rooted in God’s Love