Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV).

Have you ever heard someone get angry and say in exasperation, "You are so....AGHHHH," and walk off, not finishing his or her sentence? I have. As a matterof fact, I have been on the other end of that "AGHHHH!" I just want to ask that person, "What did you mean by 'AGHHHH'?"

Let's turn the tables and tone of this statement. Will you give me permission to fill in the blank by telling you what you are? Here we go:

• You are so...Important. You are so expensive to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Jesus Christ died for you and gave you not just life, but abundant life (John 10:10). Your value is huge in the eyes of your Creator and Owner of the universe.
  
  
• You are so...Imperfect. Sorry. You didn't need me to tell you this. Let's remind ourselves of Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. If we were all to stand on the coast of California, jump into the water and try to swim to Hawaii, you and I would come up short. Spiritually speaking, we all come up short before God's standard of perfection. We need God.
  
  
• You are so...Influential. Do you ever feel ordinary? I do too. Do you ever feel average.Yup. As Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin, something special was happening. We read, When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13). The key to influential people is the phrase, these men had been with Jesus. It is not you who are special, but He who lives inside of you.
  
  
• You are so...Empowered. Now that you know you are so important, imperfect and influential, you need to know you are also empowered. Jesus lives inside of those who have given their lives to Him (Colossians 1:27). When you are fearful, worried, distracted, cautious and tired, you have One who is ready to go to bat for you. You have what the Bible calls an Advocate who is praying to the Father for you. His name is Jesus. You have been commissioned to go (Matthew 28:18). ...and surely He is with you always. Now it is time to move out!

Maybe you are losing heart today? Maybe you have someone saying, "You are so...AGHHH!" I have a secret. Come closer. Let me whisper it in your ear. You have a Creator and Redeemer who loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Replace the negative words with Jesus' words. Be renewed day after day. Be refreshed and cleansed. Your redeemer lives! YOUR REDEEMER LIVES!

-Jeff Baxter