Ready to Compete

I have learned something important from my son, an avid athlete, that I want to share:

When it comes to being an athlete, you do your research, put together your strategy, and put in the hard work to prepare. Then you lock in, and you execute.

My son puts in hours of hard work every single day from lifting, cardio, and nutrition to watching film and planning plays. There is a reason for this: Because, on game day, he does not want a ribbon simply for showing up. He wants to win.

If he does not do well in a game, a race, a match, or a play, he does not want concessions. He does not want me to patronize him as his mother. He did not put in all of that work simply for physical gains. Instead, he put in all of the hard work to win as a result of his preparation. So, if he does not win, he learns.

In these moments, he takes the time to look at what part of his strategy or execution did not succeed and where it went wrong. Then he sharpens his body and mind for the next game, race, or match. And, by facing the truth of failure in order to sharpen himself to win, he is getting stronger and better daily.

With his goal of winning set before him, he submits every plan to that goal to rise up into it. He is a warrior – on the field, at the gym, and also in his faith. And each of us, whether athletically gifted or not, are warriors on the spiritual battle field when we are Christ followers. We are spiritual athletes, running a race.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, Paul writes, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

Earthly gains are no gain at all. We do not show up to the race to get a participation award – just short-lived recognition for this life. Just as my son does not put in all the hard work for a temporal physique but to win on the field, we as Christians should compete to win the crown that lasts – eternal victory.

In Philippians 3, Paul writes, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

The eternal win is to gain Christ, to be found in Him, and to put on His righteousness.

He continues on saying, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

And, lastly, he exhorts us in this, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Just as an athlete cannot dwell on their past victories or failures in the midst of the big game — they must have their head in the game — we too must be alert and ready!

Like physical athletes, we must…

  • Do our research.
    • Study the Word of God, know what is true, and what is a lie.
    • Become aware of the enemy’s tactics
  • Put together our strategy.
    • We must be on the offense, putting together our playbook, not just responding to or reacting to what comes our way.
    • We learn about our armor – the Armor of God, described in Ephesians 6:10-18 – to learn what weapons are available to us in God’s power and how to use them.
  • Put in the hard work to prepare.
    • We must guard our hearts, minds, and our time. We must put in what is healthy and remove what is toxic. This includes toxic influences from media to unhealthy relationships.
  • Lock in.
    • We must fix our eyes on Jesus – the author and perfecter of our faith.
    • We must fix our eyes on the goal – being called heavenward to Him, and walking in His righteousness in the here and now as He calls us to be like Him on this earth.
  • Execute!
    • We must fight the good fight of faith! We must accept even the difficult truth God gives us and the difficult steps He shows us to execute as He calls us to.
    • And, one of the most difficult but important lessons I have had to learn is this: Just as you do not help the opposing team win, we must not help the enemy win by simply dancing around, “responding,” or backing down. When the enemy uses people, don’t help them! Stand strong in the face of opposition. And use the Word of God – the truth – as your weapon!

Get ready! This is a big game, and you are more than a conqueror!

Struck Down but NOT Destroyed

God can handle our questions. He can handle our emotions – in a way that others cannot. He can handle our anger. But, let’s be clear, God is not our opponent. The devil is, and he is busy.

GOD is our greatest Advocate, our Protector.

Don’t waste your time fighting God on what He is revealing and directing you towards in your life. Though the realities can be uncomfortable, His clarity – shining truth in darkness – is His protection on our lives for now and for eternity.

God is your ally. Pay attention. Listen in. Lean in. He knows the way forward to victory.

The devil is our opponent here. Fight the enemy and the spiritual warfare he is trying to throw your way.

The enemy tries to crush us. He tries to throw us into utter despair. He is trying to destroy us. He is a thief, doing anything he can to rob us of our peace and confidence, to attempt to bully us out of our calling, out of hope itself.

But, here comes JESUS…

Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

Jesus is the LIFE-bringer. The enemy wants to take life out! (The good news is: JESUS WINS!)

The Bible acknowledges the reality of darkness in this world, where the enemy is wreaking havoc. The Bible describes the enemy as a lion, attempting to feast on our minds in a war for our souls. After all, he has already lost eternity because Jesus conquered death and made a way back to the Father for us!! So he is doing all he can to dim our light.

But never forget this:

“When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19)!

GOD IS STRONGER! He WINS!

We are given the very Spirit of God to dwell within us when we invite Jesus to be the Lord of our life, and this gives us POWER! Never forget this!

Yet, as we operate in this life, we must have COURAGE to stand up in the face of opposition and SPEAK TRUTH – the truth of the Word of God – even if it starts in the voice of a quiver. Speaking the name of Jesus is the power itself!

In 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, it says,

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

You might be pressed.
You may be perplexed.
You might be persecuted.
You may even be struck down.

But, you are NOT crushed.
You are not in despair.
You are abandoned.
And you certainly are NOT destroyed!

Father God is POWERFUL, and He is with you, in you, and for you! He has created you in HIS powerful image! So you ARE strong!

The situations and circumstances that the enemy has been throwing your way will be redeemed by God. I am believing and speaking that. Speak it too!

“It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.

“All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart!” (2 Corinthians 4:13-16).

Have COURAGE, speak the WORD, and do not lose heart!

The enemy has worked on overtime lately trying to distract and bully me to shut me up. I have been learning that I need to put a better guard on my heart and what I allow in my head, but I will not muzzle my mouth from sharing the message God has given me to share — the Word of God.

NOPE! Not giving in. This is a spiritual battle, and I am not losing, because I have JESUS and the the TRUTH of God’s Word!

We must remember, in battle, you don’t dance or “respond.” You charge ahead!

We, as Christians, put on the armor of God with a spirit of true righteousness that comes from total submission to the Kingship of Jesus! [Learn about the Armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18.]

Submit your situation to Jesus! God will redeem your situation and use it for your advancement and growth. I receive that too!

He is the good in our life. He, in fact, is synonymous with Good. He is unable to act outside His character, and His very nature is GOODness. He is synonymous with Love.

So, get mad at the devil. Do not let him win. Do not roll over. Do not shut up. Speak Jesus. And receive His power. Clothe yourself in the courage we have in Him, and KEEP GOING!

Are You Stewarding Your Gifts Well?


God has given each of us different gifts. When you hear that, what do you think?

  • “For sure! I am good at this but not at that… Please don’t ask me to do that!”
  • “Wow! It is so cool how God wires us differently and brings us together to be effective!”
  • “That is just a backdoor way of letting me down, saying I’m not capable in a certain area.”

More times than I can count, I have been thrown into situations, relationships, and positions that are just not me. From one angle, I can see why they may have thought that. Yet, when push comes to shove, I am not that person, I am not comfortable in that situation, and not only will I be unhappy, I will be stressed to the max.

Perhaps they thought I would be a good endorser or representative for their cause or brand, but I did not align. Perhaps they thought I would excel in that particular professional position, but aspects of that position would choke me. Perhaps it was a relationship in which they thought I was capable of fulfilling something I was not.

Has this ever happened to you? I am sure it has, where you have been pushed to be something you are not or pulled on to provide something you cannot. You felt the tension in that gap – stress from that expectation. And, how did you handle it?

When you love people and strive to be open to the thoughts of others, this internal tension can be incredibly confusing: “Why does that image or expectation of me not feel good? Why does it not align with who I feel I am? Why do I feel anxious, even angry?”

When I was younger, I would attempt to step into expectations created for me – socially and professionally – to see if the pressures being applied were something I should rise into. I would wonder, Is that something I should push myself to do, or is this inner turmoil something to heed?

More often than not, I would lean into – instead of away from – that pressure with a “fake it ‘til you make it” mentality to not let them down. Yet, in doing so, I ended up faking it into hot water, in over my head, or fulfilling their need while depleting myself into depression. I have since learned to say, “no.” I have also had to train myself to lay boundaries when the pressure is notched up.

The older I get and the more I have come to know myself – to know the way God has wired me – I have come to appreciate what I am good at and what I am not. And, those things I am good at – gifts God has given me – I have learned to take more seriously. I have recognized that these are gifts God has entrusted me to steward, and I must protect them. Likewise, I have learned that, when I give into external pressures, doing things that are not me, not only do I become unsettled, I become a poor steward of my gifts because I have starved my gifts by feeding distractions.

So, there it is – I feel safety, clarity, and fulfillment knowing the Lord has given me certain gifts and not others, so I can say “no” when asked to do those other things. It makes things clear for me. [And I usually recommend someone else who is good at those things with my “no.”]

But then, because our resources are limited – especially the resource of time – there is more yet to consider like, where do I share these gifts – my talents and time? And where do I not?

Life runs pretty fast. Requests and expectations are thrown at us with applied pressure every, single day. This is where personal mission comes in. We must seek the Lord in prayer and time in the Word to ask why He has given us these gifts and where we can best honor Him by using them.

With limited resources of time, energy, and finances, we want to be sure we know (or remember):

  • What are my gifts? (And what are perceived gifts that I am not called to steward.)
  • Where am I called to share these gifts? (And where am I not called to share these gifts?)

Then get really clear on how you will respond when pressure is applied in order to guard and guide your gifts and resources to make sure you are used by God, living out your calling, and stewarding your gifts well.

One thing I have noticed over time is that, when we are running fast for a long time with a lot of requests and external pressures, it is important to get a tune up – a reminder of what our gifts truly are so we can lean into them, sharpen them, and wisely direct them.

Likewise, when we are reminded of who we are, we are reminded of who we are not. And this makes it so much easier for us to stop and say a firm “Yes” or a firm “No,” that we can feel good about.

If you resonate with this, I encourage you to do a couple of things that I have done (and am continuing to do):

1.    Take a test like the CliftonStrengths 34, which shows you your top 5 – 10 strengths (and also shows what is at the bottom of your strengths). [I do this every few years.]

2.    Take time to review those results in order to recognize (or remember) and then lean into your gifts, and to give yourself permission to quit exerting your energy to trying to shore up your weaknesses.

3.    Decide how this changes your daily life – what do you need to begin saying “no” to in order to say “yes” to using the gifts God has given you? And who are you called to apply these gifts towards?

4.    Practice saying, “No.” This may mean coming up with one or two lines that honor the requester but lay a firm boundary. [Consider other resources to recommend of people/groups who are experts in the area they are asking you to fill.]

5.    Then, focus! Don’t continue saying “no” to the same thing. Once you graciously said it, it’s time for you to move on to your yeses and allow others to manage their own emotions.

At the end of the day, the Lord will call us to account for the gifts He has given us to steward. And, in order to live out the calling God has placed on our lives, we must be responsible to stay awake and alert to reserve our “yes”es for Him and be ready to say, “no,” to distractions.

Guard Your Flame


If you have read my writing for a while, you know I have spent years learning about and sharing on the importance of boundaries. Today, I want to share one of the reasons boundaries are so important, especially as it relates to living out your God-given calling.

Most of us grew up singing (or have heard) the song, “This little light of mine,” written in the 1920s. It originated from Matthew 5:14-16 and has now been taught and sung by children for over a century. The chorus goes like this:

“This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine; Oh, this little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.” Many recall the second verse, which says, “Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m going to let it shine.” I want to focus on the third verse, which says, “Don’t let Satan blow it out! I’m gonna let it shine.”

Since being tiny kids, we were taught these important lessons:
1. We are called by God to be light.
2. We need to guard that light.

The foe wants to put our light out any way he can. As life goes on, we very really see how the enemy sends gusting winds to try to blow out our light. We see how he sends in oppressive darkness to try and overwhelm it.

Thankfully, we as Christians know that “a light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Yet, if we begin to care more about what other people think than what God tells us to do, we will unplug from our light source and can easily be snuffed out.

This is where boundaries come into the picture: One of the ways the enemy works to put our light out is by smothering it.

In Ephesians 6:12, the Bible tells us that the war we sense all around us is a spiritual battle. It says that we war not against flesh and blood but against rulers and principalities. Yet, the enemy can use people as a tool in an attempt to smother us to try to take our light. 

Here’s why: When we shine the light of Christ, the enemy is threatened. He will do anything to make your light fade — anything to minimize, even eliminate, your effectiveness. One tactic I have seen him use is sending people into our life to smother us. And when we get smothered, we get overwhelmed. It is a physiological response.

And when we get overwhelmed, we get distracted from our calling, applying our full focus there, striving to find clarity in confusion, just to find breath again. This is why it is so important to be on to the enemy’s schemes and to both know and firmly maintain clear boundaries — to protect our peace and protect our calling.

Through years of experience and taking steps to gain strength through the Word of God, guidance from the Holy Spirit, healing in counseling, and knowledge from authors like Dr. Henry Cloud, here is what I have learned:

When people become comfortable blowing past your boundaries, you need to create distance. That is not to say we are not gracious as we set boundaries with people, as there is some understanding that must first be set. Yet, when I see a trend of someone overstepping my boundaries time and again, I become aware of the enemy’s schemes as well as their comfort with it.

If you have been in this situation – this smothering – you are aware of the darkness that attempts to set in and rob you of your time, your peace, and your own free will. That is not the Spirit of God. Jesus Himself gives us a choice to receive Him, because of His true love for us, and He is God! 

When people blow past your boundaries, pay attention to that. When they attempt to force themself and their motivations onto you in a way that wastes your time, robs you of your peace, and distracts you from your calling, pay attention to that! If you bring it to their attention, they receive your boundaries and adapt, that is awesome! That happens in relationships. If you bring it to their attention and they do not, there is your answer. Waste no more time or emotion. Ask the Lord to take care of them, and continue forward with your God-given calling.

After all, you are called by God to steward the resources He has gifted you of time and focus. How you choose to use that is between you and God. We are accountable to God. Someone who attempts to slide into the place of God in your life is a counterfeit that does not belong.

It is imperative we are aware of the enemy’s schemes here and that we work to stay away from that darkness — that we protect our light. Because the Bible tells us to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather to expose it (Ephesians 5:11). And there is no playing around here. There is no dipping your toe in to stay “good” with people, whose actions are attempting to snuff out your light, without you being affected by the dark. We must guard ourselves in order to walk in and remain in the light of Christ. That means moving on from some relationships. 

Go into this ready that the enemy will try to then heap guilt on you in the form of sentimentality and loyalty. The foe will attempt to warp your sense of reality around that relationship as you look back to make you feel guilty, get sucked back in, and get distracted, and trapped, to get off of your calling. Don’t. Stand firm, rooted in the Lord.

I say this, because I have also learned about our own weakness in this process: In many cases, it is our own pride that keeps us in toxic relationships. We do not want to be unliked. We do not want to skew their perception of us. We do not want our reputation tarnished by not living up to others expectations of us. Yet, that pride and fear can throw us completely off course from the life God has called us to. 

Do what is needed to stay in the light. Say the hard thing. Create your distance. Hold firm to your boundaries. And do not take responsibility for the emotions of others that do not belong to you. Pray for them, and release it. Their problems are not your problems, and they are above your “pay grade.” Bring them to the Lord, leave them there, and then continue on your path.

We must look to God only – Father, Son & Holy Spirit. When we do, He will remove us from unhealthy relationships and place us in healthy, fruit-producing relationships. He will give us the steps to love people well — not overly, not under — love without compulsion. 

Learn to listen for and obey the Lord when He tells you to keep on walking. It may not make sense to you at the time, and it may even make you “look bad” to those who don’t understand. But this is where we choose to trust and obey God, who will always keep us on course inside His will when we look to Him. 

On my journey towards laying and maintaining my boundaries, I have also learned this: It is hugely important to have the right people around you in order to live out the plans and purposes God has for your life. The kind of people I am describing are those who respect the boundaries you lay, because they genuinely care about and respect you and want to see you succeed.

Guard your heart, even your circle. Find the people who submit to God and respect the boundaries you lay. Do the same for others. And keep on shining!

Receiving Jesus as your Savior


“Thomas said to [Jesus], ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him” (John 14:5-7).

We all want to know where we are going when, one day, our earthly bodies fail us. We know we are finite. And none of us can deny we have failed — sinned. We know our own failings greater than anyone. We all, at some point, feel lost.

The GOOD NEWS is that we are not groping around in the dark for the answer — for the path.

JESUS. He is THE way. Jesus is the answer. There is simply no other way back to the Father, to eternal life — to the life God designed us to have. There is no other way but Jesus.

Thankfully, Jesus loved us so much so that He freely gave His innocent life – in the most gruesome death – to pave the way for us back to the Father, back to Himself (as God) to spend eternity with Him.

Do you know Him? He is not some far off entity. He is near. He is one sentence away. Call out to Him. Say His name, “Jesus.” He desires a relationship with you.

The Bible says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10).

It doesn’t matter where you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done. You are never too far gone to receive Jesus as your Savior. And, when you do, you can have full assurance of where you are headed at the end of this earthly life.

And, oh, how freeing and peace-giving it is to have the assurance of eternity with Him!

If you have never asked Jesus to come into your life, but you are ready to ask Him to be your Savior, I invite you to pray this prayer today:

Dear Jesus,

I need you. I need your help and your healing in my life. I invite you into my life to be my Lord and Savior.

I repent for my sin — for the things I have done that have separated me from you. I repent for trying to make myself, others, and things gods in my life. I confess that you, Jesus, are the only way, the truth, and the life.

I receive your free gift of salvation today. Please remove my sin from me and make me a new person. Please forgive me. Please heal me and show me the way to walk.

In your name I pray, Jesus, Amen.

If you just prayed this prayer, congratulations! You just made the biggest and best choice of your life — one that will impact you for eternity!

I want to encourage you to download the YouVersion Bible App to your phone to hop into the Word of God, God’s love letter to us, where He speaks directly to us on every area of life! Start in the New Testament, in the book of John, and read through the Gospels. You will be encouraged and nourished through the words of Jesus Himself!

And, if you are a woman who would like to walk alongside other women through Bible Study, I encourage you to invite me at The Rooted Sisters online or in-person, where we meet for Bible Study the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at 7:30 am central and for Prayer every Friday morning online at 7:30 am.

Sending you the love of Jesus! – Sarah Guldalian

Jesus: Light of the World

This world is dark, yet you do not need to fear the dark. Instead, put your trust in God.

“Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God” (Isaiah 50:10).

His light and His power are far greater than the darkness. Jesus has already defeated the devil.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

Jesus is the light. He was not and will not be overcome.

“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). – Jesus

And, He invites us, those who believe and trust in Him as their Lord and Savior, to shine brightly in this dark world for Him.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

The Bible also gives us a warning:

“But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment” (Isaiah 50:11).

We are not the source of light. On our own, we are still groping around in darkness. If we attempt to lead others in our light without Jesus as the source — the Authority in our lives, we lead them into darkness, as well meaning as we may be. It is a dangerous venture.

But, when we invite Jesus in – Light Himself – He shines into our depravity, exposes what is hidden, floods us with healing, and fills us with His light. We become the light of the world as He shines through us.

And, as we go out into a dark world each day, His light radiates through us. We become vessels – conduits – of Christ, shining for Him everywhere we go. And this can lead others to Him, leading to eternal life for them!

Though some places might alarm us, by how very dark they are, we can feel confident remembering that light shines into the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

Therefore, we need not fear the dark. Instead, we become bringers of the Light when Christ dwells within us. And, in doing so, others will experience His powerful light and be brought out of their darkness into the glorious light of Christ.

So, wherever you go today, shine. Shine everywhere you go. Shine always, knowing He will always be with you, lighting the way, when you make Jesus your Lord and Savior, and follow Him.

The Tangible Presence of God

Before God descended to earth and revealed Himself as a human in flesh as Jesus of Nazareth, He revealed Himself to the people living in Old Testament times in numerous tangible ways all throughout.

He was tangibly experienced as a pillar of smoke, a pillar of cloud, unconsumed blazing fire, and wind. He is seen and experienced over and over by His people in a tangible way.

He is very practically seen by Moses and the Israelites as He travels with them on their journey as the cloud by day and fire by night: “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night” (Exodus 13:21).

God’s presence is so supernatural, and yet He comes to us through elements we can see and sense in this life, with the power and comfort of His presence, and the functional help of light and protection.

The Bible tells us that, in the case of the Israelites, He served tangibly as a cloud for covering and as fire to illuminate the dark: “who goes before you on your way, to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go” (Deuteronomy 1:33)

As time moved on, and we moved further and further away from God, God came down to us in the form of a human – as Jesus – to walk with, live with, to physically see and touch. And He left His divinely miraculous handprint on the earth through tangible healings. Most importantly, He used His divinity, His humanity, and His never-ending love for us to break us free from spiritual bondage.

Then, when He ascended and went back to heaven, He left His presence with us through the Holy Spirit — a tangibly seen and experienced mighty rush of wind at the day of Pentecost.

And He left with us a physical representation of Himself with us, through His divine power at work every day, in the form of food – something we can hold, taste, and smell – through communion, as a regular reminder of His available healing and forgiveness for us every single day as we move through life.

God is close to us, and He wants us to very tangibly experience His presence in every decade, era, century, and millenium. So, He comes to us as fire, wind, a cloud, in the flesh, and even as bread.

God is real, and He is speaking to us. He desires to have a relationship with us, because of His unconditional, unconsumed love for us as a present Father who provides for and protects His children. His love for us is powerful, mighty, undeniable and unending. He is so, so good.

Prayer Thank you, Father, for always being present, for always loving us, and for always providing for us – your children. 🤍 I love you, Lord! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Be Healed.

When you surrender to the Lord, invite Jesus to come into your heart and do a healing work in your life, just watch Him. He will do it.

And, when you walk through this process with the Lord, and the Holy Spirit brings you healing, be healed. Be healed.

Leave it. Leave it all in the past. And move forward in your purchased freedom — a heavy price fully paid by Jesus.

In John 5, Jesus healed the leper. Then, He told him, “Pick up your mat and walk.”

Though his identity had been tied to being under, though his identity had been tied to being sick, overlooked and forgotten, Jesus healed Him and told him to get up and walk out of that history — out of that identity. It was time to move forward.

In John 4, Jesus saved an adulterous woman from being stoned to death by an angry mob. When every condemner had gone, Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” He saved her life, and then He called her to walk into a new life — a life no longer plagued by her sin and her shame.

I feel convicted that, for some of us, including myself, we need to understand the moment we are in – the healing we have been given by God – and we need to make a deliberate choice to leave our hurt, heartbreak, feelings of rejection, feelings of victimization… we need to leave it in the past.

If you have invited the Lord in to do a healing work in your life, and He has healed you, be healed.

In Ecclesiastes 3, it says, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens… a time to weep and a time to laugh … a time to mourn and a time to dance … a time to tear and a time to mend.”

For some of us, the weeping has taken place – maybe even for decades – the mourning has happened, taking from us long enough, and the Lord has come in to heal us, bring us laughter, and bring us dancing. He has healed us. So, let’s be healed. Let us enjoy the freedom He bought for us.

If you gave Him your past and He has healed the past, quit telling the story. It is another person’s story — not your own. It no longer belongs to you, and you no longer bear the weight of sharing it.

I shared a story the other day of the past, and it felt so odd to me, so alarming. I felt like I had hijacked someone else’s story and was parading it as if it was my own. I was so confused by how unsettled I felt by telling it, when it is historical.

I asked the Lord why I was so bothered, and He revealed to me that it is because He has healed and restored me — that story no longer belongs to me. I surrendered it to Him, He released me of it, and it is now gone. I am a new creation, the old has passed, and I am made new. Therefore, it is not my story to tell.

Working with the Lord to be healed is a beautiful thing. When we go to Him and ask Him to reveal truth to us, He will. He showed me very specifically what part of my history is gone, because I am healed, and what I need not speak of any longer, because I am healed.

Perhaps, like me, you have surrendered hurt and heartache from your history. However, because it became your story, you adopted it as your identity. But, I believe that the Lord wants me to share with you what He has shared with me:

You are no longer sick.
You are no longer in shame.
You are no longer a victim.
That person no longer exists.
Those stories no longer belong to you.

You are free.
Walk free.
The Lord is writing a new chapter in your life and giving you new, beautiful stories to replace those with.

I love you all.

Repenting

Pride is a sin. Vanity is a sin.
Sin separates us from God.

Pride separates us from God.
Vanity separates us from God.

Pride makes it about me instead of God.
Vanity compares me to others and puts me above others, above God.

I repent for pride in my story. I repent for the times I took glory for things God had done for me and in my life.

I repent for vanity – for the times I put my reputation and others’ perception of me above my love for our relationship, above my love for the Lord.

As I look back on my life, on my career, I see where I had pride. I see where I had vanity. And it repulses me. I am repulsed by my own sin.

I don’t need consoling. I need to call it out for what it is so that it stays far, far away from me.

It is by the hand and graciousness of God that I have ever had any cool opportunity and the provision we have needed to pay our bills and supply for our family.

I will be honest… pride can reverse itself, as well, making me want to hide any neat thing I have ever done now, to share any stories or even my gifts sometimes, because I am afraid I will get some of the glory. But that too, I am realizing is pride, because I am keeping the praise under wraps instead of giving it outwardly to the Lord for what He has done in my life.

So, today, as I look ahead to a big, new year, where I will need to use the gifts, lessons, and experiences God has given me to lead as I am called, I surrender my pride. I surrender any false humility. I surrender sin and the shame of sin.

I cast off any stumbling block that has me at the center and relinquish it to God… thanking Him for the opportunities I have had, as well as for the discipline He has provided me to make me a worker who can be used in the field… because, as long as we have ourselves at the center, instead of Him and others, we can’t be used in the Kingdom of God. And I want to fulfill the call the Lord has for my life.

PRAYER

Thank you, Lord, for every blessing and opportunity you have bestowed upon me to be a blessing to others and to provide for my family. And, thank you, Father, for disciplining me over these past 8 years to make me usable in your Kingdom.

You are so gracious and so kind, Father. I surrender to you, Father. I give you both my pride as well as my shame, and I thank you that you have created beauty where my pride and vanity had produced ashes. I thank you that you discipline those you love, and that you love me so.

Help me be more like you so I can be a part of your Kingdom work to the effective measure you have intended, in Jesus’ name.

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son” (Hebrews 12:6).

Those Who Called Us Higher

I was sitting here thinking about all the people who have helped us along the way… Yet, some of them, we have formed a subtle indignance towards — a parent, teacher, pastor, doctor, trainer, boss, or friend — for doing so.

We have decided to be offended, instead of grateful, for their help… many of them just genuinely supporting us or calling us higher, because they love us, motivated by genuine care and concern.

I wonder how many genuine relationships we shunned because of our sensitivity towards correction.

As I age, I look back at some relationships over the decades – at some people – who I felt offended by or irrirated with because they took a genuine, healthy concern for my well-being.

Out of a desire to control my own life, yet feeling as if they were impeding upon my independence, I shook them off. Yet, later, looking back, I see that they cared more for me than those who agreed with or applauded me at the time in my childish ways.

As I age, it becomes clearer that I wasn’t always right. Like a toddler whose mother knows best yet their will and desire for independence reigns supreme, I shook off wisdom and correction that was for my own good.

Yet, as time marches on, I have come to realize that they were not trying to shut me down. They were genuinely trying to help me — to not waste my time, resources, or give away important things. I realize that there is a lot I didn’t know that they did, and they cared enough to share it.

And, as I age, instead of thinking I know everything, I gain the perspective that I simply don’t know everything and that I didn’t…

I realize that I need to open my hands to thank and hug those who helped, even when I took it as critical. I realize I need to open my heart to hear from Godly people even when its hard. I need to open my hands in generosity. I need to release my pride and receive instruction. I need to open my mind to learn more than I know. Most importantly, I need to open my hands in surrender to the Lord.

Thank you to my parents and to every teacher, pastor, doctor, trainer, boss, or friend who put yourself out there to help make me better from a heart of love and concern. In some cases, it has taken awhile for me to lower my wall and receive it, but I draw from those lessons daily — some bestowed even decades ago.