When I first saw this sign I laughed. It reminded me of the enemy! Not only does he have “poo” for us – he wants to charge us for it too!

How often does the enemy entice people through various addictions – drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, and often, many other things that a lot of people don’t recognize like shopping, overeating, T.V., games, etc? Too much of most things can become an addiction.

All addictions are costly. Many cost an ever-increasing amount of money while others cost time – a valuable resource we can never get back.

Addictions usually start with an emptiness within. We try to fill or satisfy that emptiness. Only God can give us true fulfillment.

Next time you try to satisfy that emptiness within, ask God to speak to you. Ask Him to show you what’s missing in your life. He desires to fill you full to overflowing.

Following leaders and mentors can help us grow in all areas of our lives but we are not called to blindly follow anyone. First and foremost we are accountable to God. God will place leaders/mentors in our lives but they are secondary to Him.

God is perfect and ALL people are imperfect. Like any problem in society, we have pendulum swings. In the case of following a person, we can blindly follow to the extent and detriment of our very lives like in the Jim Jones disaster in 1978. Of course the pendulum swing in the opposite direction would be to distrust everyone and miss out on the benefits of mentorship.

Where is the balance? Follow God first! Don’t blindly follow any person without checking in to the Throne Room. Every well-meaning person can get off track without even realizing it. Deception is a tricky matter. We don’t know when we are deceived! Having said that – if we keep checking in with God, He can get us back on track.

We can have mentors in every area of our lives – people who speak into our lives as parents, spouses, as singles, regarding finances, work ethics, careers, self-improvement, spiritual growth, character development, in the area of health and fitness, and of course in the area of balancing all these areas.

Opinions are a dime a dozen and it doesn’t take much to back any opinion up with data or evidence that sounds logical. But what is God speaking?

In that day when we will ALL give account to God, we will not be allowed to blame others. We are all accountable for the choices we made throughout our lives. If we follow God first, we have the greatest opportunity to make the very best choices.

Have you ever been around someone who talks a good talk but you know it’s all talk? Some people are afraid to be real. They’re afraid to admit they’re not perfect. It really isn’t hard to admit that no one is perfect!

Insecurities and fear of rejection are at the root of this bondage. And yes, it’s a bondage! Think about it. If you portray yourself in a way that is deceptive, you may cause people to like you more but they really aren’t liking or accepting the real you.

Stop comparing yourself to others. Don’t try to be like somebody else. Be yourself! God made you unique and He made you breathtakingly wonderful. Be true to who you are. Accept yourself. Enjoy who God made you to be.

The truth is plain and clear: not everyone will like you. Don’t let that change who you are. The more you accept the real you – who God made you to be – the more secure you will become. People like secure people. They like hanging around people who know who they are and feel good about who they are.

Just for the record – people who think they are better than others aren’t secure people. Insecurities lead people into a pendulum swing of either pride or timidity. Both are unhealthy.

You will never become secure by trying to be someone you’re not. Embrace who you are and enjoy the life you were meant to live!