WEBVTT 00:00:11.470 --> 00:00:14.189 Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:00:14.289 --> 00:00:17.269 Any chance you feel kind of down today, kind 00:00:17.269 --> 00:00:19.510 of low, kind of depressed? Look in the mirror 00:00:19.510 --> 00:00:22.109 and you say, I don't like what I see. In fact, 00:00:22.109 --> 00:00:23.789 you may believe that you're not worth much, that 00:00:23.789 --> 00:00:26.170 life really doesn't matter. I'm here to tell 00:00:26.170 --> 00:00:29.550 you, it's not true. In fact, the God of the universe 00:00:29.550 --> 00:00:32.609 cared so much that he sent you a letter to tell 00:00:32.609 --> 00:00:35.609 you how important you are. Would you like to 00:00:35.609 --> 00:00:37.950 know what that letter says? Well, if so, stick 00:00:37.950 --> 00:00:42.619 around. Ever feel like everyone else has it together 00:00:42.619 --> 00:00:45.119 except you? Like you're the only one struggling 00:00:45.119 --> 00:00:47.840 with self -doubt? Well, today on Living on the 00:00:47.840 --> 00:00:50.320 Edge, Chip Ingram tackles one of life's most 00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:53.659 crippling barriers, inferiority and low self 00:00:53.659 --> 00:00:56.460 -image. Here's the truth most people won't tell 00:00:56.460 --> 00:00:58.859 you. Even the most confident -looking people 00:00:58.859 --> 00:01:02.140 battle feelings of inadequacy. Today, Chip reveals 00:01:02.140 --> 00:01:04.659 three essential keys to developing a healthy 00:01:04.659 --> 00:01:07.599 identity. It starts with seeing yourself the 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:10.510 way God sees you. Here's Chip Ingram with his 00:01:10.510 --> 00:01:13.430 message, how to overcome inferiority and low 00:01:13.430 --> 00:01:16.590 self -image. There's three keys to getting what 00:01:16.590 --> 00:01:19.930 I call a healthy biblical identity or a healthy 00:01:19.930 --> 00:01:23.870 self -concept. The first one has to do with knowledge. 00:01:25.170 --> 00:01:29.150 You must get God's view of you. You've got to 00:01:29.150 --> 00:01:32.129 see yourself from God's perspective. The second 00:01:32.129 --> 00:01:38.659 key is you must believe God's view is true. And 00:01:38.659 --> 00:01:43.120 then third, you must discover the you that's 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:45.420 true. You've got to experience. You've got to 00:01:45.420 --> 00:01:48.319 get involved in some risky, out of your comfort 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:51.280 zone relationships where you actually experience 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:54.900 through people being deeply loved and deeply 00:01:54.900 --> 00:01:57.540 affirmed. Do you believe that you're loved, that 00:01:57.540 --> 00:01:59.859 you're secure, that you're valuable, that you're 00:01:59.859 --> 00:02:02.500 unique? Let me give you one more. According to 00:02:02.500 --> 00:02:04.579 God, when he looks at you, not the person next 00:02:04.579 --> 00:02:07.310 to you, we're talking about you. you are indispensable, 00:02:07.950 --> 00:02:11.830 indispensable. Ephesians chapter four, the apostle 00:02:11.830 --> 00:02:13.750 Paul is talking about the church and how God 00:02:13.750 --> 00:02:15.710 put it together. And the church isn't a building. 00:02:15.770 --> 00:02:18.870 It's just a place where anytime believers are 00:02:18.870 --> 00:02:22.009 gathered, that's the church. I encourage you 00:02:22.009 --> 00:02:23.949 to take those passages and do a little Bible 00:02:23.949 --> 00:02:27.099 study and let it sink. down through your mind 00:02:27.099 --> 00:02:28.879 into your heart. First, you need to understand 00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:31.539 faith is built on God's word. Hebrews 10, 17, 00:02:31.699 --> 00:02:33.939 faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of 00:02:33.939 --> 00:02:37.099 God. I do not understand this. I don't understand 00:02:37.099 --> 00:02:39.259 it, but I'm telling you that when you expose 00:02:39.259 --> 00:02:41.639 yourself to the scripture, when you hear the 00:02:41.639 --> 00:02:44.500 word of God, when you read the word of God, when 00:02:44.500 --> 00:02:47.419 you put Christian music on that has content and 00:02:47.419 --> 00:02:52.479 lyrics and truth, faith grows. Secondly, though, 00:02:52.599 --> 00:02:54.639 it's not enough just to be exposed to the scriptures. 00:02:54.759 --> 00:02:58.400 It grows when you renew your mind. Romans 12, 00:02:58.460 --> 00:03:01.840 2 tells us that don't be conformed any longer. 00:03:02.360 --> 00:03:04.439 to distorted mirrors. Don't be conformed any 00:03:04.439 --> 00:03:07.020 longer to this world, but be transformed how? 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:11.219 Metamorphosized from within, changed by the renewing 00:03:11.219 --> 00:03:14.360 of your mind, that your life or your lifestyle 00:03:14.360 --> 00:03:17.099 could demonstrate what the will of God is, that 00:03:17.099 --> 00:03:19.240 it's good, that it's acceptable, that it's perfect. 00:03:19.300 --> 00:03:22.699 The key is the renewal of your mind. See, one 00:03:22.699 --> 00:03:24.740 of the things, you know, I've got some real problems 00:03:24.740 --> 00:03:27.800 with the whole positive thinking movement. I 00:03:27.800 --> 00:03:29.539 mean, they promise pie in the sky, you think 00:03:29.539 --> 00:03:31.379 it, think and grow rich, think and do this, think 00:03:31.379 --> 00:03:34.560 and do that. A lot of that is thinking by their 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:36.939 books and they get rich is how it works. But 00:03:36.939 --> 00:03:39.699 there's a tremendous kernel of truth in the positive 00:03:39.699 --> 00:03:42.080 thinking movement. You know what it is? You are 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:45.319 what you think. You are what you eat and you 00:03:45.319 --> 00:03:47.520 are what you think. Whatever you think, eventually, 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:51.060 because that's scriptural. Proverbs 23, 7, as 00:03:51.060 --> 00:03:53.300 a man or a woman thinks in her heart, his heart, 00:03:53.400 --> 00:03:59.199 so he or she becomes. Now ask yourself, you watch 00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:02.939 20 to 25 hours of TV, you read three or four 00:04:02.939 --> 00:04:05.199 cheap novels, make sure you get in the sports 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:07.900 page, the business section every day, or four 00:04:07.900 --> 00:04:10.520 out of five days, and you put all that information 00:04:10.520 --> 00:04:13.479 combined with all the commercials, all the billboards, 00:04:13.539 --> 00:04:16.639 and all the people you meet, and their agenda 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:19.680 is to say, your value depends on your appearance, 00:04:19.899 --> 00:04:22.540 your value depends on your status, your value 00:04:22.540 --> 00:04:24.439 depends on your performance. What do you think 00:04:24.439 --> 00:04:29.910 you're going to believe? But if instead you took 00:04:29.910 --> 00:04:34.790 some of that time and you begin to take seriously 00:04:34.790 --> 00:04:38.550 mastering the English Bible, in fact, memorizing 00:04:38.550 --> 00:04:41.990 key passages and studying it and getting God's 00:04:41.990 --> 00:04:44.870 view of you, you know what will happen? You'll 00:04:44.870 --> 00:04:47.750 be transformed. You'll be transformed because 00:04:47.750 --> 00:04:51.670 you're going to be what you think. You only have 00:04:51.670 --> 00:04:55.069 168 hours every week. And if you think that 45 00:04:55.069 --> 00:04:58.670 minutes or an hour or so here together is going 00:04:58.670 --> 00:05:01.189 to offset the content of what's going into your 00:05:01.189 --> 00:05:06.050 head, the other 167, you're dreaming. For some 00:05:06.050 --> 00:05:09.769 of you, memorizing some scripture in the next 00:05:09.769 --> 00:05:12.029 four to six months, if you got real serious about 00:05:12.029 --> 00:05:15.829 it, could change and transform how you think 00:05:15.829 --> 00:05:18.569 about life into how you feel. And that would 00:05:18.569 --> 00:05:22.569 change all your relationships. But it's hard 00:05:22.569 --> 00:05:24.899 work. In fact, more than renewing your mind, 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:26.699 I think you have to come up with a plan. Notice 00:05:26.699 --> 00:05:29.040 three, develop a plan to remove the distorted 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:32.399 mirrors of the world with the mirror of God's 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:38.399 word. I stole this material from my wife. I watched 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:42.220 my wife for over five years read this every morning. 00:05:42.589 --> 00:05:44.910 and read it every night. These are affirmation 00:05:44.910 --> 00:05:48.149 statements from Scripture about appearance, belonging, 00:05:48.550 --> 00:05:51.110 worthiness, security, and competence. I mean, 00:05:51.110 --> 00:05:52.990 she didn't try. It wasn't legalistic. She didn't, 00:05:53.050 --> 00:05:55.269 oh, I've got to read this this morning. She wanted 00:05:55.269 --> 00:05:58.610 to see herself how God sees her. And so she would 00:05:58.610 --> 00:06:00.730 read in the morning, appearance. My physical 00:06:00.730 --> 00:06:03.290 appearance and my unchangeable aspects is beautiful 00:06:03.290 --> 00:06:06.209 or handsome in God's sight. He is my designer 00:06:06.209 --> 00:06:08.329 and maker. And then she kept reading it over 00:06:08.329 --> 00:06:11.629 and she memorized the passage underneath. Belongingness, 00:06:11.649 --> 00:06:14.589 I am wanted, appreciated, and loved by God, the 00:06:14.589 --> 00:06:17.550 most important person in my life. She affirmed 00:06:17.550 --> 00:06:19.810 that. She'd pray and just let it wash over her. 00:06:20.730 --> 00:06:23.290 Worthiness, I am now a righteous person in God's 00:06:23.290 --> 00:06:25.769 sight since I've trusted Christ. I am covered 00:06:25.769 --> 00:06:27.810 by the robe of his purity and goodness. Also, 00:06:28.110 --> 00:06:30.610 since I have a new nature, I am a good person 00:06:30.610 --> 00:06:33.730 in my general practice of life as I continue 00:06:33.730 --> 00:06:36.759 to grow in Christ. And she would read this over 00:06:36.759 --> 00:06:38.560 and read it over. And you know what happened? 00:06:38.660 --> 00:06:42.540 I watched my wife like a flower bloom. Years 00:06:42.540 --> 00:06:45.720 it took to where she began to look in the mirror 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:48.620 and say, I'm unique. I don't have it all together. 00:06:48.819 --> 00:06:52.540 I've got a lot of room to grow. But I'm not a 00:06:52.540 --> 00:06:55.860 bad person. And what other people think of me 00:06:55.860 --> 00:06:58.439 is their own personal business. I will not give 00:06:58.439 --> 00:07:00.360 it the power to determine whether I'm an okay 00:07:00.360 --> 00:07:03.300 person or not. I put that in there because some 00:07:03.300 --> 00:07:05.420 of you, some of you, what we're talking about, 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:08.079 if we were one on one and we knew each other 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:10.120 better, tears would be coming down your cheek 00:07:10.120 --> 00:07:14.399 right now. Because you don't like you. You don't 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:16.980 like you at all. And you're hurting down deep 00:07:16.980 --> 00:07:18.939 inside. And you know what's amazing? Some of 00:07:18.939 --> 00:07:21.480 you that feel the most this way are some of the 00:07:21.480 --> 00:07:24.839 prettiest, most talented, gifted people in the 00:07:24.839 --> 00:07:27.939 room. There is no correlation. No correlation 00:07:27.939 --> 00:07:30.899 whatsoever between how you really look, act, 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:35.019 feel, competence, and what goes on inside. I've 00:07:35.019 --> 00:07:38.199 learned that over the years. But God can change 00:07:38.199 --> 00:07:42.060 you. How does it start? You get God's view of 00:07:42.060 --> 00:07:45.279 you, number one. Number two, believe God's view 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:48.660 is true. Now, three, here's the kicker. And my 00:07:48.660 --> 00:07:50.439 wife told me to warn you all, especially those 00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:51.699 of you, this is hard, all right? So I'm going 00:07:51.699 --> 00:07:54.939 to warn you. She said, Chip, make sure when you 00:07:54.939 --> 00:07:57.579 get to number three, That you let people know 00:07:57.579 --> 00:07:59.500 they may not be able to do this one alone. They 00:07:59.500 --> 00:08:01.959 might need a coach. They might need a cheerleader. 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:04.879 Chip, we're different in personality and you've 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:07.560 got to make sure to tell people. For some people, 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:12.180 this is really a scary thing. And what I want 00:08:12.180 --> 00:08:14.120 you to know is that I'm going to ask you to do 00:08:14.120 --> 00:08:17.300 some things that will be real hard for some, 00:08:17.379 --> 00:08:22.279 but if you'll do them, God will show up. Because 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:24.579 see, you can know it. You can start to believe 00:08:24.579 --> 00:08:27.620 it, but some things can never, ever become a 00:08:27.620 --> 00:08:30.540 part of your psyche and your life until you experience 00:08:30.540 --> 00:08:34.240 them. So you have to discover the you that's 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:36.559 true. Jesus taught this way. Remember when Peter 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:38.200 was in the boat and Jesus was walking on the 00:08:38.200 --> 00:08:41.299 water? He believed. Is that you, Lord? He said, 00:08:41.340 --> 00:08:44.200 yeah. Peter said, well, if it's really you, I 00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:48.259 believe, then have me walk out to you. What did 00:08:48.259 --> 00:08:50.539 he learn when he was walking on the water? It's 00:08:50.539 --> 00:08:53.809 true. It's true. And then he did what we do. 00:08:53.929 --> 00:08:57.090 Then he looked around and said, uh -oh. But that's 00:08:57.090 --> 00:08:59.730 how faith grows. It's true, it's true, uh -oh. 00:08:59.809 --> 00:09:02.789 It's true, it's true, uh -oh. That's life. The 00:09:02.789 --> 00:09:04.710 spiritual life isn't this. The spiritual life 00:09:04.710 --> 00:09:09.090 is this. But notice the direction. Lots of ups 00:09:09.090 --> 00:09:12.700 and downs. Remember when they were fishing? Jesus 00:09:12.700 --> 00:09:14.080 let them experience it. They've been fishing 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:15.659 all night. They heard a sermon. He wanted them 00:09:15.659 --> 00:09:17.840 to have some faith in who he really was. You 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:19.759 have to discover it. You have to experience it. 00:09:19.779 --> 00:09:21.379 So Jesus says, hey, why don't you take your nets 00:09:21.379 --> 00:09:22.820 and throw them out on the boat on the left side? 00:09:23.620 --> 00:09:26.100 They're professional fishermen. Their basic answer 00:09:26.100 --> 00:09:27.740 is, look, we've done this a little bit ourselves. 00:09:28.740 --> 00:09:31.440 We've been out all night. They don't bite at 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:33.059 this time of day. You can almost hear them say, 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:37.000 and there's no fish here. And you can almost 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:38.779 hear, you know, as you paint the text in your 00:09:38.779 --> 00:09:41.350 mind. Jesus sort of looking at him like, humor 00:09:41.350 --> 00:09:44.409 me, guys. You know, just humor me. Just throw 00:09:44.409 --> 00:09:46.309 the net out. And they do, and you remember what 00:09:46.309 --> 00:09:49.289 happens. I mean, it's so filled with fish that 00:09:49.289 --> 00:09:51.850 the nets start to break. How did he teach him? 00:09:52.350 --> 00:09:55.309 It wasn't just lecture. It just wasn't intellectual, 00:09:55.509 --> 00:09:58.029 cognitive faith and belief. You have to discover 00:09:58.029 --> 00:10:00.929 it. Here's the axiom. Here's how a lot of things 00:10:00.929 --> 00:10:04.570 transpire in your life. The principle is Luke 00:10:04.570 --> 00:10:07.830 638. Give, and it will be given unto you. Good 00:10:07.830 --> 00:10:10.389 measure, pressed down, shaken together, running 00:10:10.389 --> 00:10:14.789 over. For by whatever measure, the idea is, you 00:10:14.789 --> 00:10:18.070 know, a scoop, or by whatever measure you give, 00:10:18.129 --> 00:10:21.549 in that same measure, it will be given back to 00:10:21.549 --> 00:10:24.389 you. Now, that passage is often quoted with reference 00:10:24.389 --> 00:10:27.230 to money. It's true. But that passage is not 00:10:27.230 --> 00:10:30.269 a money reference in Scripture. You go read Luke, 00:10:30.350 --> 00:10:32.820 and you'll just find... It is in a section of 00:10:32.820 --> 00:10:37.600 scripture that talks about how life works. When 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:41.399 you give away friendship, what happens? People 00:10:41.399 --> 00:10:43.200 want to be your friend. When you give away a 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:45.960 listening attentive ear, what happens? People 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:47.980 want to listen to you. When you give away compassion, 00:10:48.379 --> 00:10:51.100 what happens? People are compassionate to you. 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:56.159 When you give away short, quick, abrupt, rude 00:10:56.159 --> 00:10:58.379 actions toward others, what do you get back? 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:04.120 It's axiomatic. Some things can only be learned 00:11:04.120 --> 00:11:08.600 by experience. You're listening to Living on 00:11:08.600 --> 00:11:11.240 the Edge with Chip Ingram. We'll return to our 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:13.679 message in just a moment. But first, did you 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:16.399 know that you can access this entire series anytime 00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:19.679 you want? Head on over to livingontheedge .org 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:22.340 where you'll discover Chip's full teaching library, 00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:25.299 along with study guides and small group materials. 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:28.200 Whether you want to replay today's message or 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:30.820 explore other topics, everything you need to 00:11:30.820 --> 00:11:34.840 grow spiritually is available online at livingontheedge 00:11:34.840 --> 00:11:39.159 .org. Let's get back to Chip's message. I'm going 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:41.519 to give you five things. By the way, this is 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:44.460 a mouthful. Someone asked me, how long does it 00:11:44.460 --> 00:11:46.259 take to prepare messages? This one took about 00:11:46.259 --> 00:11:49.659 20, 25 years. I'm dead serious. These are things 00:11:49.659 --> 00:11:51.759 I've been learning for 25 years, and I'm just 00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:54.190 skipping over the mountain peaks. and encouraging 00:11:54.190 --> 00:11:56.230 you to go back and study. But here, because all 00:11:56.230 --> 00:11:59.090 I want you to get is the big main points. See 00:11:59.090 --> 00:12:01.850 yourself the way God does. Believe what God says 00:12:01.850 --> 00:12:04.970 about you is true. And then discover the you 00:12:04.970 --> 00:12:07.690 that is true by experiencing it. Let me give 00:12:07.690 --> 00:12:11.350 you five key ways to begin to experience what's 00:12:11.350 --> 00:12:14.049 true of you. Number one, unwrap your spiritual 00:12:14.049 --> 00:12:21.549 gift. First Corinthians chapter 12. Verse 1 says 00:12:21.549 --> 00:12:24.049 now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I don't 00:12:24.049 --> 00:12:26.629 want you to be ignorant. God wants every person 00:12:26.629 --> 00:12:29.090 in this room to know that you have a supernatural 00:12:29.090 --> 00:12:31.649 ability. If you've trusted Christ, if you're 00:12:31.649 --> 00:12:34.250 a part of his family, he's saying every believer 00:12:34.250 --> 00:12:37.710 has a supernatural ability at least once. When 00:12:37.710 --> 00:12:39.710 you put that on on the playing floor of the body 00:12:39.710 --> 00:12:43.129 of Christ, boom, stuff happens. People get loved. 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:46.799 And you know what happens when you exercise your 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:49.419 spiritual gift and you see people moved and changed 00:12:49.419 --> 00:12:52.980 through you? Guess what happens to you? God used 00:12:52.980 --> 00:12:56.299 me. Maybe this is more real than I think. Second, 00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:59.840 unleash your spiritual passion. Psalm 37, 4. 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:02.279 Delight yourself in the Lord. He'll give you 00:13:02.279 --> 00:13:04.279 the desires of your heart. Some of you have these 00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:06.840 desires. But you've never shared them with anyone. 00:13:07.379 --> 00:13:10.440 You've got a desire to see disabled people reach 00:13:10.440 --> 00:13:12.019 for Christ. You've got a desire to see what could 00:13:12.019 --> 00:13:13.600 happen in third graders. You've got a desire 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:15.860 for an Hispanic ministry to grow. You have a 00:13:15.860 --> 00:13:17.679 desire for people to meet in homes all over the 00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:19.559 county and study the Bible and become close friends. 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:21.700 You have all these passions and desires. Nobody 00:13:21.700 --> 00:13:24.620 knows what they are. And you've not put them 00:13:24.620 --> 00:13:26.820 out on the playing field. Do you know why? Because 00:13:26.820 --> 00:13:28.360 no one would ever want to listen to someone like 00:13:28.360 --> 00:13:30.879 you. And if you tried it, of course it wouldn't 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:33.970 work, would it? Of course not. An inferior. A 00:13:33.970 --> 00:13:38.269 person like you, like me. Hey, unleash them. 00:13:39.269 --> 00:13:41.789 Unleash them. Get them out there in the playing 00:13:41.789 --> 00:13:43.649 field of the body of Christ and see what God 00:13:43.649 --> 00:13:46.269 will do. This is the part where those of you 00:13:46.269 --> 00:13:49.909 are thinking, this guy's nuts. Teresa was right. 00:13:50.049 --> 00:13:55.549 This is scary. You're right. Give and it'll be 00:13:55.549 --> 00:14:00.210 given unto you. Third, use your God -given talents. 00:14:02.330 --> 00:14:04.190 Speaking of the building of the temple, the Lord 00:14:04.190 --> 00:14:07.490 says in Exodus 31 .3, And I have filled him with 00:14:07.490 --> 00:14:10.549 the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge 00:14:10.549 --> 00:14:13.529 in all kinds of crafts. Some of you can work 00:14:13.529 --> 00:14:15.769 with wood. Some of you can crochet. Some can 00:14:15.769 --> 00:14:18.929 work with computers. You have all kind of talents. 00:14:21.230 --> 00:14:23.049 You know where a lot of the talents are in this 00:14:23.049 --> 00:14:27.970 room? Buried under the floor. We don't even know 00:14:27.970 --> 00:14:32.070 what you can do. Because you think, oh, well, 00:14:32.070 --> 00:14:33.549 I mean, that's, you know what? When you're really 00:14:33.549 --> 00:14:37.149 talented, here's my almost 99 % experience with 00:14:37.149 --> 00:14:40.529 talented people. Everyone here has talents. But 00:14:40.529 --> 00:14:42.570 the one that you're good at, because you're good 00:14:42.570 --> 00:14:44.490 at it, you say, oh, shucks, I mean, that's nothing. 00:14:44.769 --> 00:14:47.870 Yeah, for you. For the rest of us, it's like, 00:14:47.950 --> 00:14:50.169 whoa, where'd you learn how to do that? Oh, well, 00:14:50.330 --> 00:14:51.809 I mean, my dad played the guitar, and I just 00:14:51.809 --> 00:14:56.570 started picking a little bit, and you know, you're 00:14:56.570 --> 00:14:58.250 saying, oh, well, I don't know much about computer. 00:14:58.269 --> 00:15:03.700 I just taught myself. I don't build anything. 00:15:03.879 --> 00:15:07.279 I just tinker out in the garage. That's 4 ,500 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:11.299 square feet. I did it in a week. Hey, get your 00:15:11.299 --> 00:15:14.379 talents out there. Let us know what they are. 00:15:14.539 --> 00:15:18.080 Put them into play. Serve people. Take your gifts 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:20.600 and say, I want to serve people. Get your passions 00:15:20.600 --> 00:15:22.820 out on the playing floor. Take your talents and 00:15:22.820 --> 00:15:24.860 say, hey, God, I'll help somebody with these. 00:15:24.980 --> 00:15:26.759 I don't think it's much, but I'll put them into 00:15:26.759 --> 00:15:30.029 play. Fourth. Embrace your God -given personality. 00:15:30.389 --> 00:15:33.110 1 Corinthians 2 .11, the Living Bible says it 00:15:33.110 --> 00:15:35.950 well. It says no one really knows what anyone 00:15:35.950 --> 00:15:38.970 else is thinking or what he is really like except 00:15:38.970 --> 00:15:42.850 that person himself. And no one can know God's 00:15:42.850 --> 00:15:45.470 thoughts except God's own spirit. You know what? 00:15:45.490 --> 00:15:47.509 There's different personalities. There's not 00:15:47.509 --> 00:15:49.870 a right one. Have you got that down yet? You 00:15:49.870 --> 00:15:52.370 don't have to be upfront, outgoing, visible, 00:15:52.529 --> 00:15:56.090 motivating people. And you don't have to be sly. 00:15:56.889 --> 00:16:04.350 and cool and reserved and stoic. You can be you. 00:16:05.169 --> 00:16:08.149 If you're funny, be funny. If you're laid back, 00:16:08.269 --> 00:16:10.789 be laid back. If you're driven, get driven in 00:16:10.789 --> 00:16:13.129 the right direction. Just, you know who the most 00:16:13.129 --> 00:16:14.929 attractive personality in the whole world is? 00:16:15.590 --> 00:16:19.769 You. There's only one of them. Why copy something 00:16:19.769 --> 00:16:25.129 else? Put it into play. Pull off the mask. Just 00:16:25.129 --> 00:16:27.509 be you, a sanctified you, Lord willing, a spirit 00:16:27.509 --> 00:16:30.250 controlled you, Lord willing, but just be you. 00:16:30.789 --> 00:16:33.309 The person that people will most be attracted 00:16:33.309 --> 00:16:36.809 to is not you trying to fulfill what you think 00:16:36.809 --> 00:16:39.789 they want. It's you being who you really are. 00:16:41.549 --> 00:16:46.669 Fifth, leverage your past experience. Romans 00:16:46.669 --> 00:16:50.230 8, 28, great promise. It says, and we know that 00:16:50.230 --> 00:16:53.289 in all things, God works for good of those who 00:16:53.289 --> 00:16:55.980 are loved. By him who have been called according 00:16:55.980 --> 00:16:59.519 to his purposes. Some of you have educational 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:02.100 experience. Some have vocational experience. 00:17:02.460 --> 00:17:05.019 Some of you have marriage experience. Some of 00:17:05.019 --> 00:17:07.579 you have parenting experience. Some of you have 00:17:07.579 --> 00:17:09.880 suffering experience. And you've been through 00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:15.079 the agony of just cancer. Or of a divorce. Or 00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:17.299 you've been through a childhood that was just 00:17:17.299 --> 00:17:22.250 unmentionable. God doesn't waste pain. Second 00:17:22.250 --> 00:17:24.970 Corinthians chapter one says that the comfort 00:17:24.970 --> 00:17:27.150 and the grace God gave to you through your pain, 00:17:27.289 --> 00:17:29.869 he wants to take that so you can comfort others 00:17:29.869 --> 00:17:34.529 in the same way. God doesn't use people's strengths 00:17:34.529 --> 00:17:37.849 normally. He usually uses your weaknesses. You 00:17:37.849 --> 00:17:39.230 know, when someone has it all together and we 00:17:39.230 --> 00:17:40.329 say, hey, do you want some help from me? I'm 00:17:40.329 --> 00:17:41.690 really good at this. Most of us say, no, not 00:17:41.690 --> 00:17:44.869 really. But when someone walks up to you and 00:17:44.869 --> 00:17:47.269 says, boy, I struggled with that too. And you 00:17:47.269 --> 00:17:49.890 know what? My dad left when I was five too. And 00:17:49.890 --> 00:17:52.490 I've surely had some struggles. And kind of here's 00:17:52.490 --> 00:17:54.269 what the Lord showed me as I've grown up without 00:17:54.269 --> 00:17:57.190 a dad. Leverage your experiences. Do you hear 00:17:57.190 --> 00:18:00.170 what I'm saying? Let's get out of the cubicle. 00:18:00.750 --> 00:18:02.789 Let's move out of the little TV room with the 00:18:02.789 --> 00:18:05.170 entertainment center. Let's get out of the fences 00:18:05.170 --> 00:18:07.230 that go all the way around to keep our life safe. 00:18:07.589 --> 00:18:10.410 Let's get out of making sure our 401ks and all 00:18:10.410 --> 00:18:11.710 those things that we think are going to keep 00:18:11.710 --> 00:18:15.980 us secure that won't. And let's serve other people. 00:18:16.140 --> 00:18:19.319 Let's get our focus out on others because here's 00:18:19.319 --> 00:18:24.859 the axiom. Ministry is how God makes what's true 00:18:24.859 --> 00:18:30.220 of us true in us. Think of that. Ministry, giving 00:18:30.220 --> 00:18:36.019 it away, is how God makes true in us what's already 00:18:36.019 --> 00:18:40.720 true of us. Sometimes it's only in the act of 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:45.099 loving others that we can fathom that we ourselves 00:18:45.099 --> 00:18:49.940 are loved. Sometimes you can only fathom how 00:18:49.940 --> 00:18:57.059 deeply loved you are when by giving love to another, 00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:03.099 God lets you see how very real it is. I struggle 00:19:03.099 --> 00:19:05.859 with grasping that God loves me unconditionally. 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:09.019 For even the Son of Man came, what? Not to be 00:19:09.019 --> 00:19:12.700 ministered unto, but to minister, to serve. Are 00:19:12.700 --> 00:19:16.599 you hearing it? Believe what's true, but discover 00:19:16.599 --> 00:19:19.839 it by giving away what he's given you. Risky? 00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:22.380 Yes. Need a cheerleader? Probably. Need a coach? 00:19:22.539 --> 00:19:26.380 Yes. Need help? Absolutely. But according to 00:19:26.380 --> 00:19:29.839 a Gallup poll, only 10 % of all laymen are involved 00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:32.240 in ministry in the Church of Jesus Christ. 50 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:34.440 % of them said they have no interest. I feel 00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:37.559 sorry for them. I feel really bad for them because 00:19:37.559 --> 00:19:39.640 they're ignorant. I don't mean bad ignorant. 00:19:40.299 --> 00:19:42.140 People that have no desire to be involved in 00:19:42.140 --> 00:19:44.359 ministry, they're going to miss out on the richest 00:19:44.359 --> 00:19:48.259 blessings of life. But 40 % of them said, no 00:19:48.259 --> 00:19:51.180 one's ever asked me or I just don't know how. 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:53.980 I'll tell you what, if you're involved in ministry 00:19:53.980 --> 00:19:56.400 here, I'd start asking people to join you. People 00:19:56.400 --> 00:20:00.099 just need to get hooked up, put their gifts into 00:20:00.099 --> 00:20:02.759 play, get their talents on the playing field. 00:20:04.359 --> 00:20:10.680 You must get God's view of you. You must believe 00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:15.299 God's view is true, and you must discover the 00:20:15.299 --> 00:20:21.700 you that is true. Let's go for it. You're listening 00:20:21.700 --> 00:20:25.039 to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. And what 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:27.460 an encouraging reminder that God's view of you 00:20:27.460 --> 00:20:30.079 is dramatically different from how you see yourself. 00:20:30.910 --> 00:20:33.549 Before Chip returns with a final word, let me 00:20:33.549 --> 00:20:35.589 point you to our website if you'd like to hear 00:20:35.589 --> 00:20:38.049 this message again or pass it along to a friend. 00:20:38.349 --> 00:20:42.990 Just visit livingontheedge .org. Now, as you 00:20:42.990 --> 00:20:45.650 process what it means to embrace your true identity 00:20:45.650 --> 00:20:48.349 in Christ, I want to recommend a powerful tool 00:20:48.349 --> 00:20:50.890 for deepening your relationship with God. It's 00:20:50.890 --> 00:20:53.549 a free 10 -day journey through the Psalms that 00:20:53.549 --> 00:20:56.670 Chip created called Psalms of Hope. Here's how 00:20:56.670 --> 00:20:59.150 it works. Each day, Chip provides 10 minutes 00:20:59.150 --> 00:21:03.069 of insight into Psalm 1, Psalm 15, or Psalm 23. 00:21:03.490 --> 00:21:06.069 After that, you spend 10 minutes in personal 00:21:06.069 --> 00:21:09.470 reflection and prayer. Access Psalms of Hope 00:21:09.470 --> 00:21:12.630 at no cost by visiting livingontheedge .org. 00:21:12.890 --> 00:21:16.849 Search for Psalms of Hope. Resources like this 00:21:16.849 --> 00:21:19.309 exist because listeners choose to financially 00:21:19.309 --> 00:21:22.130 support this ministry. When you partner with 00:21:22.130 --> 00:21:24.390 Living on the Edge, you're helping others encounter 00:21:24.390 --> 00:21:27.150 the same transformative biblical teaching that's 00:21:27.150 --> 00:21:29.789 impacting your life. Would you consider joining 00:21:29.789 --> 00:21:33.430 us today? You can contribute online at livingontheedge 00:21:33.430 --> 00:21:36.869 .org or mail your support to Living on the Edge, 00:21:36.950 --> 00:21:42.869 P .O. Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. You 00:21:42.869 --> 00:21:45.210 can also call us and give over the phone. Just 00:21:45.210 --> 00:21:51.400 dial 888 -333 -6003. Looking for Chip's complete 00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:54.440 sermons? The Chip Ingram Sermon Podcast is now 00:21:54.440 --> 00:21:57.019 available as a feature on the Living on the Edge 00:21:57.019 --> 00:22:00.579 podcast. Listen to full, unedited messages right 00:22:00.579 --> 00:22:03.220 alongside our regular episodes by subscribing 00:22:03.220 --> 00:22:06.519 to the Living on the Edge podcast on any podcast 00:22:06.519 --> 00:22:09.920 platform. Well, now here's Chip with some final 00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:12.460 thoughts. You know, it's rather ironic, isn't 00:22:12.460 --> 00:22:16.660 it? The paradoxes of life, the way that you really 00:22:16.660 --> 00:22:20.150 get is to give. The way that you really live 00:22:20.150 --> 00:22:23.710 is to die. The way that you discover who you 00:22:23.710 --> 00:22:26.029 really are is not getting, getting, getting, 00:22:26.230 --> 00:22:28.430 taking, taking, taking, having, and experiencing. 00:22:29.750 --> 00:22:33.170 It's serving. And yet we resist that. I mean, 00:22:33.190 --> 00:22:36.710 we all do. The Gallup poll that we cited in the 00:22:36.710 --> 00:22:40.009 message, only 10 % of all the believers in America 00:22:40.009 --> 00:22:43.980 are active in ministry. Now, don't get me wrong. 00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:45.859 I'm not talking, there's no guilt trip coming 00:22:45.859 --> 00:22:47.640 about. You know, if you haven't served in the 00:22:47.640 --> 00:22:49.380 nursery in a while, you better get with the program. 00:22:49.559 --> 00:22:52.480 No, no, no, no, no. What I'm talking about is 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:57.319 God's wonderful gift of giving you a shape. I 00:22:57.319 --> 00:23:01.099 mean, a miraculous, unique thumbprint, an imprint 00:23:01.099 --> 00:23:03.799 that only you have. And you might say, well, 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:06.759 what's all this shape stuff? It's an acronym 00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:09.900 we use around here for how God made us. The S. 00:23:10.410 --> 00:23:14.029 stands for your spiritual gift. We believe every 00:23:14.029 --> 00:23:16.349 believer needs to know your spiritual gift, the 00:23:16.349 --> 00:23:18.529 supernatural ability. I talked in the message, 00:23:18.609 --> 00:23:21.029 unwrap your spiritual gifts. You need to know 00:23:21.029 --> 00:23:24.099 what they are and get them into play. And boy, 00:23:24.220 --> 00:23:27.200 exciting things happen. And the H is for heart 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:30.099 or passion. You need to unleash your spiritual 00:23:30.099 --> 00:23:34.079 passion. The A stands for ability. You have certain 00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:35.859 abilities. They're not necessarily spiritual, 00:23:36.039 --> 00:23:37.259 but it's the way you think. It's the way you 00:23:37.259 --> 00:23:39.579 can talk. You're an artist. You can use music. 00:23:39.599 --> 00:23:42.079 You're an engineer. You have abilities. God wants 00:23:42.079 --> 00:23:43.720 to use those. Think about how do you put those 00:23:43.720 --> 00:23:46.079 into practice for the kingdom? The P is personality. 00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:48.799 God gave you a personality that combined with 00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:50.619 your passion, your gifts, and your abilities. 00:23:50.839 --> 00:23:53.160 I'm telling you, there's only one of you. And 00:23:53.160 --> 00:23:55.279 when you get involved in your local church, I 00:23:55.279 --> 00:23:57.380 don't mean just attend. I mean, get involved 00:23:57.380 --> 00:24:00.640 in ministry aligned with the shape. Exciting 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:02.339 things happen. You say, well, I don't know exactly 00:24:02.339 --> 00:24:05.480 where I would do that. Well, the E is for experience. 00:24:06.140 --> 00:24:08.680 God has been preparing you for a ministry. And 00:24:08.680 --> 00:24:11.200 so your spiritual gifts, your passions, your 00:24:11.200 --> 00:24:13.859 abilities, your personality, and those past experiences 00:24:13.859 --> 00:24:16.859 all blend together where a hand drops into a 00:24:16.859 --> 00:24:19.420 glove of ministry. The hand is you. The glove 00:24:19.420 --> 00:24:22.500 is the ministry. And I mean you begin to do that, 00:24:22.599 --> 00:24:26.039 and you will discover your unique design, joy 00:24:26.039 --> 00:24:28.819 like you've never known, and the kingdom will 00:24:28.819 --> 00:24:33.420 grow. I challenge you before God today. Get engaged 00:24:33.420 --> 00:24:37.559 in a specific ministry. Take a risk. Say to your 00:24:37.559 --> 00:24:41.160 pastor, I want in. Where do you need me? Ever 00:24:41.160 --> 00:24:43.400 feel like you're chasing success but finding 00:24:43.400 --> 00:24:46.599 emptiness? I'm Dave Drewy, inviting you to discover 00:24:46.599 --> 00:24:49.119 the difference between success and significance. 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:55.839 Tomorrow on Living on the Edge. Today's program 00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:58.619 is produced and sponsored by Living on the Edge.