We live in a world defined by numbers.
And I pray that the Number you most readily identify with will cease to rule and reign over your thou.
I pray that you will see yourself anew as loved, chosen, accepted, redeemed, gifted, and appreciated.
I pray you will allow God to work in your heart and life.
Whether you are a teenager looking to find your identity or a post-partum mom dealing with hormone havoc, you will be reminded that your core is found in Christ.
Throughout this book, I will share many raw experiences, and I hope these experiences will help you.
With each passing year, that Number gets larger and the loss greater.
My mom died in 2012, followed by my dad in 2014.
But recently, the Number that haunts me is the Number of days I am here without my mom and dad.
During this time, I taught aerobics, worked in cardiac rehabilitation, and found my place helping others through personal training.
I enjoyed this major and sought solace in helping others on their journey.
The drive to attain the perfect Number also drove me to find comfort in majoring in health and exercise science.
The Number I have often allowed to define me has been reflected on the scale.
In my life, the pursuit of numbers has been an ongoing battle.
Perhaps the most important question is if we are looking and trusting in the numbers that are important to God.
We are all trying to reach the next Number on our list.
A Number can help us meet a goal and be a healthy objective or leave us empty and depleted.
Often, we allow our worst day to become the definition of who we are: the day the divorce was finalized, the day cancer was diagnosed, the day the dreaded birthday arrived, or the day the scale\'s reflection didn\'t meet our expectations.
I grew up as a preacher\'s kid and often heard the church approach to numbers called the nickels-and-noses mentality.
Businesses report gains and losses, while churches count offerings and enrollment.
As we begin this Bible study, I want to ask, Are you allowing a Number to define you? People constantly try to portray success in numbers.
From the Number on a scale to the Number on a report card to the Number of points on a scoreboard to the Number of friends that liked a recent social media post to the Number of dollars in a bank account to the Number of direct reports to the Number of years on the planet to the Number of years single or married - the list is endless.
They are everywhere we go and define much of society.
We live in a world defined by numbers
