You Do Not Need to Earn Your Value:

You Do Not Need to Earn Your Value:

You Do Not Need to Earn Your Value

One of the hardest beliefs to release is the idea that your value must be earned. 

You may begin to believe you need to achieve more. Perform more. Prove more. Become more. Only then will you finally feel enough. But earned worth has a problem.

The standard keeps moving. 

There is always another goal. Another comparison. Another reason to believe you are not there yet. Performance pressure often promises satisfaction but keeps moving the finish line. This creates exhaustion. Because no matter what you accomplish, there is always another expectation waiting.

Scripture points somewhere different. Your value is not created by achievement. Your worth does not begin when you become more impressive. Psalm 139 reminds us that God’s care and attention toward us existed before accomplishment.

This does not remove the importance of growth. It changes the foundation. Growth becomes something you pursue, not something you use to justify your value.

You can continue becoming. You can continue learning. You can continue improving.

Without treating yourself like a project that must constantly prove itself.

Reflection

What standards have you been using to decide whether you are enough?

Prayer

God, help me stop measuring my value through performance and comparison.

Teach me to see myself through Your perspective.

Help me grow from a place of security rather than pressure.

Amen.

Psalms 139:14 NIV

[14] I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

From an Unknown Contributor.

It may be the YouVersion app or someone else.

Many thanks,anyway enjoy.

( from Digital Anvil )

https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.139.14.NIV.

Blessings beyond your imagination

Monday 20th July 2026

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” Ephesians 3:20 NIV

God can create something out of nothing. He can seemingly come out of nowhere, and just when you need Him most, give you something you don’t even have a category for. 

God says: “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV).

You say, “If God has blessings that I don’t even have categories for, how can I ask for them?” That’s where the Holy Spirit, who dwells within you, comes to your aid: “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us…in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27 NIV). And because the Holy Spirit prays in accordance with the will of God, you are blessed with wisdom beyond your knowledge, power beyond your strength, and favour beyond your ability. 

Paul the Apostle put it this way: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV). 

Now you still must do your due diligence, for God cannot bless negligence. But when you know you’ve faithfully done your part and obeyed God, you can trust Him for blessings beyond your imagination.

SoulFood: 1 Tim 4–6 Matt 27:27–32 Ps 146 Pro 18:23–24

My heartfelt thanks to Vision.org.au (From Digital Anvil )

I Would Give My Life To Play Piano Like That!

A story is told of a businessman meeting with world-renowned classical pianist, Richard Clayderman. The businessman said to Clayderman, "I would give my life to play the piano like that." To which Clayderman is said to have replied, "I did."

We love to see success and talent like that of Richard Clayderman. It is a rare art. Yet perhaps it is rare because we are not willing to pay the price for gaining that talent. In an instant world, we are not used to waiting or giving ourselves tirelessly to something that might take years.

Jesus challenged His followers to take up their cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). In other words, to gain the eternal benefit of knowing Jesus, they would have to pay for it with their lives.

Just like Clayderman's skills on the keys, anything worthwhile comes at a cost.

Share this daily- reading.

Thanks,Karl Faase.

( from Digital Anvil )

Sanctity of Life:

In the course of  a conversation between Walther Rathenau and Albert Einstein, the following was said,

" There is no simpler way to express the awareness of the sacredness and connectedness of life as it lives in the Jewish people. "

This above quote reveals the strength of  belief of the sanctity of life in the Jewish people.

(by Digital Anvil.)

Final Comment:

(Even though there are detractors,enemies and Allies and supporters of the Jewish identity, the above quote remains true and soluble in the consciousness of the human race. In fact, there are religious and philosophical systems that concur with that concept.)

Films: Are They Getting Worse ? 

 

 

Almost everyone admits films and shows keep getting worse. Few understand why.

Nolan casts Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy. 

One Battle After Another turns left-wing violence into spectacle and the prestige class applauds. 

Star Wars, once a cultural tidal wave, run into the ground. 

Marvel spends a decade building to Endgame, then shoehorns a weightless "she's not alone" into the climax.

The decline you sense is real. 

The cause is simple: art has become propaganda.

Here is how to tell them apart. If the politics serves the story, it is art. Game of Thrones is an excellent example of this. 

If the story serves the politics, it is propaganda. See: The Boys.

They tell us these stories are made-up, so make them however you like. But a myth is the moral reflection of a people — where a culture stores what it learned across centuries about what builds a world and what wrecks it.

Tell a people its myths are arbitrary and you have already begun to unmake them.

Notice the rewriters never build anything. They author no new myths that earn their place. They take the stories we love and drive them into the dirt.

By 'Liam Out Loud.'Podcast

 

( A Good, Original Explainer) 

 

 

What Happens When ?

What happens when a Christian professor at a Christian college is disciplined for expressing a belief he says is rooted in historic Christian teaching?

That question is at the center of a growing legal battle in the United Kingdom, and it is sparking conversations far beyond one campus.

Dr. Aaron Edwards, a theology lecturer formerly employed by Cliff College in Derbyshire, England, says he was dismissed after posting a social media message defending traditional Christian views on sexuality and marriage.

The controversy began when Edwards published a tweet expressing concern that some churches were becoming hesitant to address biblical teachings on sin, sexuality, and repentance. The post generated intense reaction and eventually led to disciplinary action and his departure from the college.

Now, Edwards is pursuing legal action, saying his goal is not only to seek justice for his own situation but also to raise awareness about what he believes is a growing challenge facing Christians who publicly express traditional biblical convictions.

"This is a Gospel issue," Edwards argued, explaining that Christianity's message of salvation is tied to its understanding of sin and redemption.

Regardless of where people stand on the broader debate, the case raises questions many believers are wrestling with today.

How should Christians speak about controversial issues while showing compassion and grace?

Can historic biblical convictions be expressed openly without fear of professional consequences?

And what happens when disagreements over doctrine emerge within Christian institutions themselves?

For Edwards, one of the most painful aspects of the situation is not opposition from secular culture, but conflict within a faith-based environment. He has said it feels different when disagreements arise among people who share the same Christian identity and mission.

Supporters of Edwards argue that theological educators should be free to articulate orthodox Christian beliefs without fear of losing their positions. Others maintain that institutions have responsibilities regarding how staff communicate sensitive issues publicly.

As the legal process unfolds, many academics, pastors, and Christian leaders will be watching closely.

Edwards believes the outcome could influence how future cases are handled and whether other believers feel confident speaking openly about their convictions.

Whatever one's perspective, the story serves as a reminder that faithfulness has often required courage. Throughout church history, believers have wrestled with how to hold firmly to conviction while extending love, humility, and respect to those who disagree.

Perhaps that challenge remains as relevant today as ever.

In a culture marked by division and outrage, Christians are called to pursue both truth and grace. Neither should be sacrificed. Both matter.

As this conversation continues, it is worth praying for wisdom, humility, and courage for everyone involved. Because the way we navigate difficult conversations may say as much about our faith as the convictions we hold.

What are your thoughts on balancing biblical conviction and Christian compassion in today's culture?

Anomymous Contributor.

(From Digital Anvil)

A Good Man in Africa:

A Good Man in Africa:

William Boyd's debut novel A Good Man in Africa is one of the funniest books that I've read in quite some time. Set in a fictional West African nation on the brink of political upheaval, it combines razor-sharp wit, memorable characters, diplomatic intrigue, and moments of genuine tension into an immensely entertaining story. Boyd has an extraordinary ability to find comedy in human weakness without losing sight of the deeper truths about ambition, fear, and self-deception.

The greatest pleasure of reading this novel is its humour. The dialogue sparkles, the situations become increasingly absurd, and the protagonist's attempts to navigate both political chaos and his own personal failings create a constant stream of laugh-out-loud moments. 

Yet beneath the comedy lies a perceptive satire of bureaucracy, colonial legacies, and the often ridiculous nature of power.

From a male perspective, Morgan Leafy is refreshingly human. He is neither a flawless hero nor an irredeemable villain, but an imperfect man wrestling with temptation, responsibility, insecurity, and the expectations placed upon him. Boyd presents masculinity as complex and worthy of examination, showing both its weaknesses and its capacity for resilience. The novel's male characters are diverse, believable, and recognisably human rather than simplistic stereotypes.

Published in 1981, A Good Man in Africa remains remarkably fresh, thanks to Boyd's elegant prose and timeless observations about politics and human nature. It won the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Somerset Maugham Award. It's an intelligent, witty, and highly enjoyable novel that deserves its reputation as a modern comic classic. If you appreciate literary fiction with biting satire, unforgettable humour, and richly drawn characters, this is a book that's well worth reading.

Unknown Contributor.

( from Digital Anvil)