It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Ephesians 1:11 (MSG) If you want to live out a great life, you need to develop healthy, Biblical self-esteem. Good self-esteem doesn’t develop automatically when you give your life to Christ. It’s something you need to build by realizing your true identity—the nature you now have in Christ. This new identity is going to be the topic of our devotions for the next few days, but before we go any further, it’s important to understand how people develop a poor sense of identity. If you suffer from low self-esteem, it may have been caused by several factors. First, your parents had a great impact on you, especially in your …

And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved. Romans 11:6 (NLT) Do you ever wonder why you haven’t received an answer to prayer?  Let me tell you a story. I was praying for people in a church one day when two women with health issues stood side-by-side. The first woman was brand new to Christianity and it was clear that she hadn’t been living a “Christian lifestyle.” When I prayed for her, she was instantly healed. You could see the shock on her face as she began to cry. The woman beside her had been going to church for years. When I prayed …

Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins. Romans 3:23–24 (TLB) Believing that you’re righteous empowers you to change. You are right with God because of Jesus and you have a new identity in Him. As you begin to believe that “righteous” is who you are, you realize that He has given you the power to overcome anything. On the other hand, if you identify yourself as a loser, an angry person or an addict, these misguided identities can prevent you from overcoming. The Bible puts it this way: “An evil man out of the evil treasure …