But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

The value of something is determined by what someone is willing to pay for it. The world evaluates worth based on appearance, performance, and status. But God doesn’t make superficial evaluations. Whether you are doing great or not so great, He absolutely loves you. You are worthy because of the blood of Jesus that reconciled you to God!

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17

In order for us to operate fully and effectively in the ministry of reconciliation, we must know who we are in Christ. The devil wants to keep us from seeing ourselves in the mirror of the Word so that we stay dominated by our flesh, fears, and sensory impulses. But God’s Word identifies us clearly and transforms us completely: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

Forget conforming to the expectations of the world. If you want to live radically for Jesus, get your mind on what God has intended you to be: someone who walks in close fellowship with Him and who carries the message of reconciliation to a lost world.

You are loved by God!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength and . . . you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31

God has called us to be activated doers and out-of-the-box thinkers. It’s easy to become so bogged down and preoccupied with our own little set of problems that we don’t even see we carry a life-saving message. By obeying the Scriptures to “honor God and help people®,” we can strip away the distractions of life and get down to the bottom line:

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

Jesus redeems us and then invites us into the ministry of reconciliation, sending us out into the world to find people who have broken lives. The world can’t relate to pious self-righteousness, but it can relate to love and kindness that emanate out of our love for God.

We serve a big God, and He wants us to pursue big visions — to get out of the four walls of the church and be the wide-awake world-changers He’s called us to be (Mark 16:15). “Then they [the people Jesus redeems] will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations; and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations” (Isaiah 61:4).

Think Big!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.