This past weekend I enjoyed a wonderful artsy-craftsy convention in Phoenix, AZ with a very artistic friend of mine. During our stay, we just had to visit a couple of Cracker Barrel Restaurants and Gift Shops because there are none in So Cal! Since this amazing comfort food has quite a draw, there was also a bit of a wait, so we decided to shop before we ate instead of after…when I just happened upon this little plaque! I loved it so much, I bought two – one for me, one for my friend.

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So much truth to be found in these few words… “Don’t ever let anyone dull your sparkle.” When Jesus comes into our hearts and lives, we have His life in us…ready, willing and able to shine the Light and Love of God to a world in need. As a couple of song writers put it, “God put a million, million doors in the world for his love to walk through, one of those doors is you.” *

Of course, if you’ve been waking with the Lord for any length of time, you know this comes with challenges because He and we have a very real enemy…an enemy that will use anyone and anything to take our minds, hearts and actions away from “Sparkling with the Love of Jesus!”

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: —1 Peter‬ ‭5:8‬ (KJV)

In my experience, he tends to use whatever means the most to us, whatever we are most passionate about…our spouse, our kids, our job, our boss, our closest co-worker, our health, our ministry, our past and/or present sins, you name it. The best I can figure is that because our souls are completely saved by God’s grace and out of the enemy’s reach (that battle lost), he will use anything to get us down, discouraged, disheartened and depressed to render us useless for the cause of Christ. Simply put, he can’t have our souls, so he goes for our minds. Our souls are secure, we are already seated (at rest) in Christ Jesus.

…and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. —Romans‬ ‭3:24‬ ‭(NIV‬‬)

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, —‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:6‬ ‭(NIV‬‬)

Yes, our souls are saved, seated and at rest, so all the enemy can do is upset the apple cart by waging war with our minds, this earthly house, and his tactics are grossly inferior tools in his wicked, deceptive hands! But oh, how he can run amok at times! Thankfully, he is NOT, by ANY stretch of the imagination, more powerful than HE who is in us, nor is he the final authority! Hallelujah, we have an Advocate Who IS the Final Authority over ALL these things!

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” —1 John‬ ‭2:1 (KJV)

May our weary, battle-ridden minds always remember to lay it all down at the foot of the cross and cry out for HELP to our Most Faithful God! He is the One Who saved us by His grace when we first trusted in the finished work of Jesus Christ! And He hears us and strengthens us to go forward in unruffled trust as Jesus did.

…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” —‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:1b-2‬ ‭(KJV‬‬)

If you have a Mama Bear or Papa Bear that rises up inside of you on behalf of those you love, you can know He does as well! His Papa Bear goes to battle in Heavenly Realms where the real war for our minds and sparkle wages! From His heart of love, mercy and grace…a LOVE that died for our very souls…He shines forth victorious because HIS LOVE truly does conquer all…over and over again!!

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. —‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:57‬ ‭(NIV‬‬)

So next time that wicked enemy endeavors to mess with your mind and dull your sparkle…regardless of what he uses…cry out to Jesus, the very LOVER OF YOUR SOUL! HE won’t ever let anyone or anything dull your SPARKLE! HE is the victory and will shine through you and me in and out of the every battle of this life.

So…before the battle, SPARKLE! In the battle, SPARKLE! After the battle, SPARKLE. And wherever you are, whatever you are doing right now, today…by all means, SPARKLE!!!

Please enjoy this music video “With Every Act of Love” (*quoted above), by Jason Gray…

New International Version (NIV) © 2011-2016 BIBLICA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE
King James Version (KJV) ©Crown Copyright in UK
All other ©Celebrate His Love, 2018