Michelangelo was an Italian sculptor, architect, and poet, whose artistic accomplishment exerted a tremendous amount of influence on his contemporaries and on subsequent European art. However, the sad part about his life was he left many of his works unfinished.

Whether all his creatures realize it, God, the divine sculptor and architect of the universe, finished his works (Genesis 2:1-2). Having finished creating the world, he evaluated it and said it was good (Genesis 1:3-4). Then he rested. He rested, not because he was weary, but because creation was finished. Not only did God finish his creation, Jesus finished the work of redemption. As he was finishing his earthly work, Jesus explained that his nourishment came from doing the will of God and finishing his work (John 4:34). And he finished the work God gave him. While on the cross, Jesus cried out, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) Access to an authentic relationship with God was now available through the sacrificial death of Jesus. After Jesus finished the work of redemption, he sat down at the place of honor at God’s right hand (Hebrews 10:12).

As Jesus followers we are called to finish our God-ordained assignments (Colossians 4:17). Our lives are worth nothing, unless we give ourselves to doing and finishing the work assigned to us by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good News of God’s love and grace. Let’s finish the work assigned to us, so we can say like the Apostle Paul: “I have fought a good fight. I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Timothy 4:7). Don’t rest your life until you invest your life in the kingdom of God.

What are some projects you have started and finished? What would you like to finish your life being/doing?

Popularity: 13% [?]

When Jesus came to his home town of Nazareth, people were skeptical and used derogatory and scarcity language to attempt to define him (Mark 6:3): “Isn’t this Mary’s son?” With this statement, they were subtly calling him a “momma’s baby – papa’s maybe” child. They assumed Mary had been creepin’ on Joseph and they really didn’t know who the father was. Subtly they were calling Jesus a “bastard child,” an illegitimate son. “He’s just a carpenter.”  They were using scarcity language to define, undervalue and minimize the Son of God.

Like people attempted to define who Jesus was with derogatory and scarcity language, they will attempt to define you and undervalue you with that same kind of language:

You are “just” a _______________________________ (fill in the blank)

He is greater than your past.

He greater than what has happened to you.

He is greater than labels and incomplete definitions.

He is greater than the foreclosure, greater than the addiction, greater than the abortion, greater than the divorce, greater than the abusive home, greater than your absent parents, greater than the layoff, greater than a rejection letter, greater than your failure, greater than the ridicule for being smart or not being so smart. God is greater than what has happened to you.

God is greater than your skin color, greater than your hair texture, greater than your facial features and your body composition. He is greater than your education or lack of education. Greater than your family and greater than the fact you didn’t have a family. He is greater than the labels that others put on you.

Let this next sentence wash over your heart. You are more than “just.” If you are a believer in and follower of Jesus, then you are:

forgiven

chosen

adopted

treasured

loved

special

included

on His mind all the time

People will always try and define you with scarcity language, and if we are not careful, we will begin to believe what they say. However, remember that you are more than “just.” You are who God says you are. You are a treasured child of the King.

in what ways have people attempted to define you, using scarcity language? How did you respond? How will knowing you are more than “just” help you respond differently?

Popularity: 24% [?]