Devotionals for the Heart: Knowing and embracing your true identity

Our Identity is in Jesus Christ
A devotional by Hannah Benson

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. –2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

Dear friend, your worth is not determined by what you do. Does that come as a surprise to you?

As someone whose personality is rooted in uniqueness and identity, I can tell you that I struggle with this frequently. It can go two ways: I am either proud of “who” I am based on what I do (as an actress, writer, daughter) or sickened by it (I’m a sinner who has made mistakes, which can lead me to believe that I am a mistake).

Do you see the problems with that way of thinking? For example: If my identity is tied to my job, then if someone critiques my performance at work or my choice of a career, then I might begin to think they are critiquing me. I may think if they don’t approve of my career choice then that means they don’t approve of me.

At least for now, I believe that God has put me on an unconventional career path. It doesn’t make sense to a lot of people, and sometimes, I can question it myself. But even when I wonder if this really is God’s will for my life, He provides in the most unexpected ways, reminding me that He cares for me.

The other day, God impressed on my heart this message of our identity being separate from what we do. While I am sharing it with you now, this was a message that I needed to hear first.

I thank God for this message because I often need the reminder that my identity is separate from my career, my ministry, my hobbies or even the wrong things I’ve done.

Dear friend, the same goes for you. What do you take pride in? Awards? Accomplishments? Titles? God has given them to you as a gift! But they don’t define you.

What happens if you lose your job, if the title is given to someone else or when your children have left the nest? Who would you be if all that was stripped away?

If you are a child of God, then that is your identity. Doesn’t that make you feel so much better and lighter knowing you don’t have to carry the burden of “who” you are anymore? Take a moment and let this truth sink in: You aren’t responsible for your true identity and it isn’t tied to your performance or the titles you may or may not have.

Rest in the knowledge that He who made you calls you the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8), His beloved (1 John 3:1), His chosen one (Ephesians 1:4).

No other sense of identity will truly satisfy. One day, titles will be stripped away, awards will tarnish, accolades will fade. But you can rest in knowing that God’s love for you will never be stripped away, it won’t tarnish, and it certainly won’t fade.

Let’s Pray:
Dear Father God, thank You that I don’t have to be enough on my own. Because of You, I am enough. You love me, despite all my failures, and You love me whether or not I have a title. Please help me to rest in that knowledge and to surrender to You my “identity”. Please help me to know in my heart that what I do does not define who I am. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Who I Am” by Ben Fuller. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Hannah Benson is a Jesus-follower who’s passionate about sharing the love of Christ with others. 

From the time she could hold a pen, she was writing. But it wasn’t until she was sixteen that she began to seriously follow God’s calling to write a novel. Hannah is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has at least four novels in the works. For the past five years, she has been involved with her local Biblical theater company. She wants to show others the love of Jesus through the creative arts.

When she’s not acting or working on her upcoming novel, you can find Hannah laughing with her siblings, cuddling her little fluffy dog, or reading books (usually historical fiction or fantasy stories). You can read more of Hannah’s writings on her blog or on her Instagram where she strives to write content that leaves others feeling encouraged.

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Connect with Hannah:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahlbensonwrites/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Hannah-Lynn-Writer/100073790792576/
Blog: www.loveunconditional.blog

Devotionals for the Heart: Worthiness

A Worthy Heart
A devotional by Tessa Huckstep

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” –Ephesians 1:7 (KJV)

We all have struggled with self-worth at some point in our lives.

Some of us work strenuously to obtain it, others quietly shove the desire down, feeling it is sinful and selfish. But in each human heart is the desperate longing to be worthy.

This elusive idea of worth is a deep and God-given desire of our human hearts. We long to be worthy. We long to possess value.

If we are all striving toward self-worth, why do so few of us reach this level of worthiness and even fewer can maintain it?

It all began with the Fall of humankind, as detailed in The Holy Bible. Read Genesis 3 for the full story featuring Adam, Eve and the serpent (Satan in disguise) who deceived them and led them to sin. After Adam and Eve had sinned, worthiness for humanity became unattainable. Many of us who follow Jesus Christ work tirelessly in church ministries, hoping others will see us as “good Christians”. But when you see people like us, do you see a captivating and worthy heart, or do you see a tired heart pleading for others to tell them their worth?

Striving is not the answer to our quest of discovering self-worth. Striving is our own human way of attempting to attain worthiness on our own. I know it’s counter-intuitive, but in your journey of seeking self-worth, you will never achieve anything through your own effort. Worth is not based upon your appearance or performance.

Picture an auction in your mind’s eye. People crowd the aisles of items for auction and the auctioneer continues to shout the bids. You watch as the next item is brought forward, a large blank painting. The blood drains from your face as the scenes of your life flicker across the painting—every failure, every mistake, every heartache—the very essence of who you are.

You duck your head in shame as the auctioneer asks for a bid. No one would want this ugly, useless, unvaluable painting.

“I’ll take that one.” A Man shouts from the back. The astonished crowd parts and the Man who had spoken is gazing knowingly into your eyes.

“How much, sir?” The auctioneer asks.

The Man did not hesitate. “My Son.”

What determines an object’s price is not how pretty or accomplished it is. What determines price is how much the buyer is willing to pay. And you, dear reader, are worth the precious and infinite blood of Jesus Christ.

When God’s Son (Jesus Christ) died on the cross, He knew that with each fallen drop of his life-giving blood, your sins—your every failure and mistake—were being placed upon Himself. That is what redemption is all about. Our filthiness and unworthiness were placed upon Christ and His own worthiness and righteousness was placed upon us. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, God (our Heavenly Father) now sees His Son’s worthiness in us.

All throughout Ephesians, the apostle Paul uses the phrase “in Christ”. You will not find worth in striving to be better. You will find your worth in Christ. Everything else is just a cheap imitation.

How then do we get this knowledge of redemption from our head to our hearts? Are you already striving to make this supernatural occurrence take place within you, planning to read your Bible more and pray more? Take a moment and stop. God says you have a worthy heart. You may not feel that you have a worthy heart, but belief is not an emotion. Belief is a choice—emotions will come later. Dear reader, are you going to choose to believe what God says about you? Are you going to start this journey of recognizing your self-worth by renewing your mind?

If your answer is “yes”, then I encourage you to open The Bible and read through Ephesians Chapter 1. As you read, underline everything God says of the Ephesian believers and make it your own. Take this passage and meditate over it. Renewing your mind will take time, but I promise the results are worth it.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for taking our unworthiness upon Yourself and offering us Your rightful worthiness. Please help us to release our tendencies to strive toward worthiness and find our worth in You alone. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

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Author Bio:

Tessa Huckstep grew up in rural Illinois to Christian parents and has known Jesus personally since the age of five. 

She is currently attending community college and majoring in elementary education. In the future, she plans to teach in the public school, hoping to bring the love of God with her.

God’s dream of Tessa becoming a writer was revealed to her at the age of sixteen and she hasn’t been able to stop since. Though she has not yet been published, Tessa enjoys writing historical romance novels and speculative fiction.

Tessa believes God loves stories, and through her writing, she wants to reveal the happily ever after God dreams of for each of his daughters—one where Jesus is the knight in shining armor.

Tessa loves all things Georgian/Regency, needlework, and dainty teacups of every size. When she isn’t writing or studying for exams, Tessa can be found in the kitchen with more flour in her hair and on the floor than in the mixing bowl, though the mess is always half the fun!

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Connect with Tessa:
Blog: https://beautifulbeloved937002841.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beloved.bookworm/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/101227159

Fall into Love: Melissa Storm's story

Second Time's the Charm: Finding My Very Own Happily Ever After

A Fall into Love story by Melissa Storm

In 2012, I thought my life was falling apart. I had never expected to get divorced, but there I was, bitter, angry, hating myself, and completely spoiled on the idea of love. My eight-year relationship had taken a turn for the worse about a year and a half before then. I had opened a successful business, followed my dreams to write my first novel, and become a stronger, truer version of myself.

My ex, he didn’t like that so much. I will spare you all the details, but just understand I found myself completely wrung out, broken, and frail.

I was at my worst, my weakest, when my true love finally found me.

Enter Mr. Storm.

He, too, was at his worst, his weakest. He was actually contemplating suicide. It was bad. But we found each other. I wanted to date and have some fun, so I joined Match, Zoosk, eHarmony, all that stuff. And there I found Falcon, a writer like me, cuddling a gorgeous husky dog in his profile pic.

And so I reached out . . . as friends. I wanted a writing partner, not a life one.

But then the strangest thing happened. We met, and even though I still had relegated him to the friend box, I knew instantly that I wanted him in my life forever. Feelings like that don’t just happen every day!

We became friends, good friends, best friends, and then less than a month later, one glorious Labor Day weekend, we shared our first kiss. And on December 1 that same year (yes, less than three months later!), we got married under the gazebo in a tiny park by our house. There were no bells, no whistles, no pomp or circumstance. Just love.

Four years later, here we are celebrating our anniversary. Still in love, still facing battles in our lives, but also fighting together. I don’t know where I would be today, don’t know who I would be, if not for Mr. Storm. He doesn’t just make me a better person. He makes me myself, the person I actually am inside.

Do you know how freeing that is? I hope and I pray that even if you haven’t found it yet, you will one day soon. Never settle for someone who suppresses your shine, who looks down on your accomplishments or mocks your interests. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are not good enough. Hold out for your Mr. Storm, your happily ever after. Because, honey, he is out there, and once you find him, everything gets brighter.

All my love,

Melissa S.

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Author bio:

Melissa Storm is a mother first, and everything else second. She used to write under a pseudonym, but finally had the confidence to come out as herself to the world. Her fiction is highly personal and often based on true stories. Writing is Melissa's way of showing her daughter just how beautiful life can be, when you pay attention to the everyday wonders that surround us.

Melissa loves books so much, she married fellow author Falcon Storm. Between the two of them, there are always plenty of imaginative, awe-inspiring stories to share. Melissa and Falcon also run a number of book-related businesses together, including LitRing, Novel Publicity, Your Author Engine, the Author Site, and the Alliterates. When she's not reading, writing, or child-rearing, Melissa spends time relaxing at home in the company of her five dogs, cockatiel, and a rescue cat named Schrödinger. She never misses an episode of The Bachelor, because, priorities.

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Blurb for Love's Promise (book): Kristina Rose Maher wants to know why fairytales never happen for fat girls. Certain that diner cook Jeff, handsome and fit, will never want her as more than a friend, she stuffs down her attraction to him. But when she finds herself facing a life-altering weight loss surgery, she discovers she's willing to do whatever it takes to embrace life—and love—to the fullest. 

Jeffrey Berkley can't bear the thought of losing the friend he’s only just beginning to realize matters so much to him… no matter what size she is. But he is also terrified that helping her reach for her dreams will also mean finally reaching for his own—and letting down his family’s legacy in the process.

Both Kristina Rose and Jeffrey must learn to love themselves before they can find a way to make a promise to each other. Will they finally be able to lay their heavy burdens at the Lord's feet, and trust him to bring the happily-ever-after they both crave?

Don't miss this sweet tale of faith, love, and gastric bypass–get your copy of Love's Promise today!

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Buy Melissa's book:

Amazon - http://amzn.to/2xRmTPN
Melissa's website - http://www.melstorm.com/Promise_Kindle
http://www.melstorm.com/Promise_Paperback

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Connect with Melissa:

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Pinterest - Instagram ~ YouTube 

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Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

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Summer Love: Why Gail Wrote the story, "Poppy Fields With You"

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Beauty, Brains and Poppy Fields
A personal essay by Gail Gaymer Martin

Poppies are the state flower of California, and the book was to be part of a series on state flowers. Even more than that, I love the Monterey area where the story is set and have written other novels set in Pacific Grove which it happens is known for its poppy fields. It is beautiful there and is a place I’ve visited numerous times since I have family living in the area.

Along with the theme, I needed a story and the idea for Poppy Fields With You came to mind. I wanted to do an unexpected romance, sort of a second chance story, but also one that covered an issue in many people’s lives and that is having a misguided concept of who they are and what they’re worth. I happen to be a counselor by trade and worked in the field for 23 years. People who feel they have nothing to offer or lack self-worth is not uncommon. I worked with many people who grew up with misconceptions of their value due to a variety of things, often based on comments they heard or learned as a child.

In the novel, Jill is told that she’s very much like her mother. This devastates her because her mother had a flaw that had hurt Jill deeply, and she assumed that this was the way she was like her mother. She overlooked the good qualities her mother had and geared her life around avoiding anyway she might fall into her mother’s trap. But this is something that can happen to anyone.

My sister and I are good examples of this phenomena. We had wonderful parents who always wanted to provide positive messages. My sister always envied that I was the oldest and had many opportunities that she didn’t have, and I looked at my cute sister and envied her looks. One day our mother, trying to soothe us said, “Jan, Gail is smart, but you’re very cute.” Immediately my sister and I took those comments and twisted them to our understanding. To me, my mother was saying that I was smart but ugly. My sister heard, she was cute but stupid. This is far from the truth, but for many years that silent stigma lingered in our heads.

I am grateful that with growth, education and common sense those misguided statements are gone. My sister still doesn’t think she’s as talented as I am since I’ve been a successful writer, but she has many talents that I don’t have and I admire them. I finally looked into a mirror and knew that I wasn’t ugly and yes, I wasn’t cute, but I had good physical attributes that I’ve heard from others through the years and I have some not so great, but that’s okay. I know who I am now, and I accept my looks as they are.

Sadly, many people have heard derogatory comments about them, especially from those who have been bullied by others as well as members, and have never recovered or learned to step back and seek reality. I find this sad and hope that as we all mature, we can look at the truth and really see it. I’m glad that Jill learned the truth and was able to change her life for the better.

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Author bio: 

Multi-award-winning novelist Gail Gaymer Martin is the author of Christian contemporary romance, romantic suspense, women's fiction and sweet romances. She has 77 published novels or novellas and over 4 million books sold. 

Her novels have received several national awards, including the ACFW Carol Award and RT Reviewers Choice Award. CBS local news listed Gail as one of the four best writers in the Detroit area. She is the author of Writer Digest’s Writing the Christian Romance and a co-founder of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). She is a member of Advanced Speakers and Writers (AWSA). 

Gail is a keynote speaker at churches, civic and business organizations. In her earlier career, Gail was a teacher of English, literature and public speaking at high school and university levels and still enjoys teaching workshop at conferences across the U.S. Though living most of her life in Michigan, Gail now lives in Arizona with her husband.

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Blurb for Poppy Fields with You: Jill Noodan’s life changes when her best friend, Jack Dodd, appears in her life after many years. 

They had been inseparable until Jack’s high school graduation when he moved on to education and a career in Los Angeles while Jill remained in Pacific Grove, not wanting to leave her father, abandoned by his wife. 

Being told how much she was like her mother, Jill has avoided relationships other than her deep friendship with Jack. His return now brings back memories of fun-filled days with someone she trusted and stirs feelings she’s never felt before. Jack realizes that Jill has been the model for the woman he could never find to love. 

But the past is strong, and will the fear of losing their perfect friendship stands in their way of falling in love?  

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Buy Gail's book on Amazon

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Connect with Gail:
Website - www.gailgaymermartin.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gail.g.martin.3
Twitter - https://twitter.com/gailgmartin/
GoodReads - http://bit.ly/1e8Gt6D
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/gailgaymermartin

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Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

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