Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12 NLT)
Jesus faced constant demands, dangerous opposition and little privacy. Yet he never allowed others to define him.
What does that teach us?
Know who you are (John 8:12) — There was no doubt in Jesus’ mind as to who he was. He knew he came from God, and he knew he had a unique mission to fulfill. As believers, we can know we belong to God and that God defines who we are and what we are meant to do on this Earth. Trying to be someone God never intended you to be causes stress!
Know whom you want to please (John 5:30) — Jesus never let the fear of rejection manipulate him. No one can pressure you without your permission. You can’t please everyone; even God can’t!
Know what goals you need to reach (John 8:14) — Jesus said, “I know where I came from and where I am going.” Preparation prevents pressure, but procrastination produces it. You work by either priorities or pressures.
Know how to maintain your priorities (Luke 4:42–44) — Jesus knew how to handle interruptions without being distracted from his primary goal.
Saddleback Resources offers a small group Bible study related to these devotionals: The Invisible War-Winning the Battle of Temptation.
by Rick Warren
Posted By: Jen Fad
Wednesday, August 24th 2011 at 6:26PM
You can also
click
here to view all posts by this author...
