Who I Am Family Blog Series - Week 1
Ok, so here we go. We are doing a 10 week series based on my new kids record called WHO I AM! These blogs and practices are for both young and old. Jesus’ invitations were to both, so I reckon we should follow His lead.
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FOR ADULTS (additional family practice below):
Have you ever felt like you needed to earn someone's love? If you did or didn’t do the right thing, then approval and love were somehow attached to it? As a dad, I have been sadly aware of how often I tell my kids, with my words, how unconditionally loved they are, but when they do something wrong or they knock over a glass of milk (everyday since birth:), my actions/reactions say otherwise. #ParentingIsNoJoke.
This is NOT how Jesus works. Friends, we know this to be true in our minds and can sing it all day long, but there’s something in us that doesn’t fully live like it’s true. We can claim that Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so until we are blue in the face, but we don’t fully buy it. If you are one of those who totally gets it, then well done and skip to next week’s practice!
What is an area that you (consciously or unconsciously) try to earn favor from God? For me, I have to fight against my desire to earn His love and approval by the things that I do FOR Him. If I am powerful FOR Him then, He is really ready to bless me with more. Remember, there is some truth in every lie or else we wouldn’t have any reason to live out the lie. One of the truths that holds me in this lie, is when Jesus said, "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones…” luke 16. True Dat, but the lie is in my divided motivations and believing that I can earn and win His love by doing these things. TRUTH: GOD LOVES ME NO MATTER WHAT I do, say, think, or don’t do! Nothing can separate His love from us...NO-THING. Read the end of Romans 8:31-39 every morning and live like it’s true!
So, answer this for yourself. Where in your life do you try to earn God’s love? (ie. serving God or others, being “good”, helping the poor, performance, not cussing, not sinning, beating yourself up after you look at porn, shaming yourself after you gossiped again,... Confess this to a friend or someone close to you and invite them into this week’s practice with you.
This week’s 10000 MINUTES Practice:
Repeat all day long: Jesus, you love me no matter what! Thank YOU!
I am writing the “X” on my wrist as a reminder everyday, you can find your own way to help you live this out. Write it on a card that you put on your fridge, mirror, or car dashboard; wear a bracelet or a watch on the opposite hand…?
If breathing prayers are helpful, then:
Breathe In: I AM LOVED
Breathe Out: NO MATTER WHAT
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FOR FAMILIES: (read with your kids and practice Jesus all week long)
Have you ever tried to earn money for something that you really wanted? I remember when I was a kid, I wanted a guitar so badly. I worked really hard to earn enough money at my house and did odd jobs around the neighborhood. It was an exhausting few months, but I finally did it.
Parents do you have any stories of your own?
As awesome as that guitar was, it finally broke. Things break and wear out. Think about the toy you wanted sooooo badly last Christmas, do you still play with it as much as you once did? Most likely not.
Jesus gave all He had when He died on the cross for you and me. He paid for all of our sins and souls with His life. Then after 3 days, Jesus rose from the dead. Like Jesus was really, really dead and then the Spirit of God breathed life back into Him. Because of what Jesus did for us, now NOTHING, NO-THING can separate His love from us. WE ARE LOVED NO MATTER WHAT! There’s not a thing you can do, or say, or think, or not do that would make Him love you any less. HE LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT!
None of us can earn God’s love. It’s impossible! So we don’t need to try. There’s no amount of hard work, being good, trying not to sin, etc that can earn God’s love. HE LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT!!!!
This week’s 10000 MINUTES Practice:
Repeat all day long: Jesus, you love me no matter what! Thank YOU!
Or
If breathing prayers are helpful, then:
Breathe In: I AM LOVED
Breathe Out: NO MATTER WHAT
Practicing this truth all week long will change our week. I promise. I write an “X” on my wrist as a reminder everyday (so do my kids), you can find your own way to help you live this out. Write it on a card that you put on your fridge, mirror, or car dashboard; wear a bracelet or a watch on the opposite hand…
Let us know how you do it as a family!
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Who I Am is now available for pre-order both digitally and physically. Only because of generous donations are we able to keep expanding the vision for this 10000 MINUTES ministry together and create great content ! If you’d like to contribute to 10000 MINUTES, we’d love to offer you a free copy of the CD for any monthly donations of $5 or more.