I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to Remember I Am an Image Bearer

Molinda Hern March 7, 2026

This reflection comes from Episode 48 of the I Choose Today Podcast, where we continue our Identity series by returning to one of the most foundational truths about who we are. Genesis tells us that humanity was created in the image of God. And after creating humanity, God looked at what He had made and called it very good. Think about that for a moment. Before you ever had a résumé. Before you ever had a reputation. Before anyone ever criticized you. Before anyone ever praised you. God had already spoken something over humanity: very good. Not because of accomplishment. Not because of perfection. But because we bore His image. In the beginning, Eden was a place where heaven and earth overlapped. God walked with His image bearers. Humanity was created to reflect Him, to reflect His goodness, His character, and His presence into the world. But then doubt entered the story. The serpent didn’t say humanity wasn’t made in God’s image. Instead, he planted doubt about God’s goodness and trustworthiness. And when doubt enters, something subtle shifts. Instead of naturally reflecting God outward, we begin guarding ourselves inward. The mirror that was meant to reflect Him outward becomes turned

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I Choose Today to Stand in the Armor I’ve Been Given

Molinda Hern March 3, 2026

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”  Ephesians 6:11 There’s something important about that phrase: put on the full armor of God. It doesn’t say create it. It doesn’t say earn it. It doesn’t say assemble it from your own strength. It says put on what God has already given you. The armor is His. That means we were never meant to manufacture our own protection. We were never meant to fight spiritual battles with emotional reactions, clever arguments, or human resilience alone. God has already provided what we need to stand. And notice the purpose: So that you can stand. Not scramble. Not strive. Not achieve victory. Just stand. Victory has already been secured through Jesus’ death and resurrection. We are not fighting for victory. We are standing from victory. That changes everything. Lately, I’ve felt attacked from multiple directions, some expected, many not. The kind of hits that try to knock the wind out of you. The kind that whisper, “Maybe you should stop. Maybe you misunderstood your calling. Maybe God won’t come through.” The enemy doesn’t need to destroy you to derail you. He just needs

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I Choose Today to Live From Favor, Not Labor

Molinda Hern February 28, 2026

In this week’s episode of the I Choose Today podcast, we continued our Identity series by talking about something that quietly shapes the way many of us live, the difference between favor and labor. Last week we talked about being accepted instead of chasing approval. We talked about how identity in Christ is something we receive, not something we earn. But once that truth begins to settle into your heart, another question often rises: If I am accepted, how do I live from that acceptance instead of striving to maintain it? Many of us don’t struggle to believe that God loves us. We struggle to believe we don’t have to earn what flows from that love. We’ve been conditioned to think that blessing follows effort, that closeness with God must be maintained through performance, and that favor increases when we try harder. But Scripture paints a different picture. Luke 2 tells us that Jesus “grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” That verse is powerful because it doesn’t say Jesus earned favor. It says He grew in it. Favor was already present. At His baptism, before performing a single miracle, the Father declared, “This is

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I Choose Today to Live Accepted, Not Approved

Molinda Hern February 21, 2026

This week on the I Choose Today Podcast, we continued our Identity in Christ series by talking about something many of us don’t realize we’re still carrying, the need for approval. There was a season in my life when I believed I needed to prove my value. I accelerated my four-year degree into eighteen months. I earned difficult certifications. I pursued a master’s degree because I thought it would show I had what it took to excel in my field. From the outside, it looked focused and driven. But underneath it all was a quiet question that never seemed to go away: Am I enough yet? I remember asking God why I felt so unsettled despite the achievements. And gently, He showed me the truth. My motivation was off. I wasn’t pursuing excellence from confidence, I was chasing validation. I was not building worth. I was trying to prove it. What I didn’t yet understand was the difference between approval and acceptance. Approval is performance-based. It fluctuates. It increases when we succeed and decreases when we fail. Approval is earned. Acceptance, on the other hand, is positional. It is given. Scripture says we are “accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).

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I Choose Today to Walk in Humble Discernment

Molinda Hern February 17, 2026

I am a deep diver. When something captures my interest, I want to understand it fully. I want context, layers, background, motive, meaning. The more I learn, the more I want to learn. That is especially true when it comes to Scripture. The more I discover about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, the more I realize how much more there is to know. And yet Scripture reminds us: “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.” — 1 Corinthians 13:9–10 We know in part. Not in full. Not completely. Just… in part. Recently, I began thinking about how true that is of people as well. The other night my husband and I were talking about a public story involving someone who confessed to an affair during a live interview, which is how his wife found out. My immediate response was, “Your sin will find you out.” That phrase comes from Numbers 32:23, and Scripture certainly shows us that sin has a way of surfacing. David’s life is proof of that. We know the headlines: his affair with Bathsheba. The arranged death of Uriah. The attempt to conceal

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