I can't remember how many times in my life I have felt like the least important person in the whole entire world, or the one with the dirtiest secret or the heaviest burden, or the most inadequate person for the job I was picked for, and so on. I wrestle so often with inadequacy and insufficiency. I almost never believe that I am loved or good enough. And maybe you are like that too. Maybe today you are feeling worthless, or horrible, or dirty, or a combination of any of those.

The Lord reminded me this morning of Romans 8:37. It says,

"But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us."

It's nice to know that we conquer, but why do we overwhelmingly conquer? Because Jesus lives in us and he is THE Conqueror. He conquered life and death and everything in between. You are, by nature, a champion if you belong to Jesus. Believe it! When the most powerful force in the entire universe, the Creator of Everything, is on your side, there is nothing you can't "overwhelmingly conquer"...ever.

So my little encouragement to you today is this: It is a denial of your identity to think you can't overcome and conquer. Get back up, and fight again. You are a champion.

Adapted from my journal on September 13, 2012:

   I am thinking about the word Hosanna. So often when we sing it, I think we think it means "Praise God!" But it means the equivalent of "Lord, save me!" And if we knew what it meant, I wonder if we would sing it differently. I have definitely been singing it differently lately.

   I need God to save me. I mean, he already saved me at a justification level. But that's not what I mean. I need God to save me at a daily-save-me-from-myself-and-everything-pressuring-me level. I need him to save me from not being able to pay for school, my car, and food. I need him to save me from my own selfishness. I need him to save me from failure to complete my school work well. I need him to save me from my anger. I need him to save me from the agony of waiting... But most of all, I need him to save me from a failure to seek him, to feel his love, to love him back, to know him, and be close to him. I am in such danger of not being close to God.

I need God to save me.

   I need his salvation.

   Everyday.

   In everything.

   Hosanna!

It doesn't matter...

Think about the one thing you are investing the most into right now. What is it that you think matters the most right now? I mean, when you look at your life, what is it that really stands out as paramount? Unless it is something done for the Lord, it doesn't matter. That sounds harsh, but in ten years, fifty years, after you die, will you really be proud of your current passion? It doesn't matter.

Now, of course I understand that what you are super involved with might actually matter in the lung run, but I think most of us get so worked up about things that are just so insignificant. For most of us, we need to take a long, hard look at what we think is so important.

Wining a dusty trophy. Important?
Facebook. Important?
Youtube.  Important?
That really hot party. Important?
New clothes.  Important?
Free time. Important?
Work.  Important?
iPhone. Important?
Texting. Important?
Internet. Important?
Lots of food. Important?
The best grades. Important?
Tanning. Important?
Sports. Important?
Being popular. Important?
Being more attractive than "them." Important?

I mean, really... how important do you really think these things are in the light of eternity? We get so scared of failure, but what we should really be scared of is succeeding at things at things that don't matter. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:13 that "each man's work will become evident," and that the quality of each man's work will be tested in the final judgment.

So my question to you is this: do you really think that your main focus right now is something that matters, or will it be burned up?

Live for eternity.