What Difference Does the Reality of the Kingdom Make in My Life? | I Become Who I Am

by Bob Hamp

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Genesis 1:27

We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
Colossians 1:28–29

My friend was raised by his mother and never met his father. He was a jazz-guitar player with an intuitively brilliant mind in the area of technology and media. When God’s call came, Yuri made his way from the beaches and nightclubs of Hawaii to the mainland and got involved in the business of Christian media. Eventually, he found out that his real father wanted to meet him. In their brief visit, he began to learn who this man was and what his life had been about. He learned that his father was a jazz-guitar player with an intuitively brilliant mind in the area of technology and media. Although my friend grew up not knowing his father, there were key aspects of his father’s personality that were reflected in him. 

You were created in the image of God; the eternal and infinite God. Deposited in you is the seed of God’s image. Carried down through the generations of your family, God has deposited in you the unique and specific aspect of His nature that you were designed to carry. It is His plan to bring to life the seed He planted in you when He placed you in your mother’s womb. What this means is that when you return to God, you return to the source of who you are.

Out of the blue, Zaccheus, a greedy and self-centered man, stood up and declared the change in his life. He was going to give away his money to people he had stolen from. Suddenly he was selfless and generous. What happened? Jesus explained it, “The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost.” What was lost? The man that Zaccheus was created to be had been lost. Jesus found that man and restored him to who he was created to be.

God didn't come to earth to tell you to stop being yourself. He came to show you who you really are and then help you become that person. Life and history, what you think and how you feel, all these things may try to tell you who you are. Jesus knows exactly who you are. When you surrender to Jesus and allow Him to heal you, you become who you are. When the kingdom of God comes near, you become who you are … and God likes it.

1.  What do you wish were true about yourself?

2.  What do you wish were not true about yourself?

3.  Have you ever thought that God wished you were somebody else?

What Difference Does the Reality of the Kingdom Make in My Life? | God is with Me at All Times

by Angie Wyatt

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified … for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6

After my parents divorced, I spent the majority of my childhood alone. To fill the loneliness in my heart, I created all types of magical, fictional friends. These friends would be with me when I walked to and from school, when I made myself dinner and when I went to bed at night. I always had these imaginary friends to keep me company. 

As an adult, I still spend a good amount of time alone. The difference is that those imaginary friendships have been replaced by my one true friend, Jesus. I understand that I can feel lonely whether or not I’m surrounded by people. When I feel alone, I’m reminded that God is calling out for my heart. He wants me to focus on Him. 

When Adam and Eve sinned, they lost the intimacy of their relationship with God. They felt exposed and alone because they were separated from Him. Through Jesus, our relationship with God is reconciled. We’re no longer separated from our Father by sin, but we’re reunited with Him through Jesus Christ. He promises to be with us at all times and to never abandon us. 

We can have confidence in life because of God’s presence. 1 John 4:18 says, “Perfect love drives out all fear.” The perfect love of God removes any fear of the past, present or future. We don’t have fill loneliness with the things this world has to offer. We can let God’s love fill our loneliness with the nearness of Him.  He is with us always.

1.  When have you felt like God was far away?

2.  When have you felt like God was near?

3.  What is the Holy Spirit saying to you?