Any dream, devoid of Jesus, becomes a nightmare. Any effort, apart from what God inspires, becomes self-defeating work. Any accomplishment, no matter how great it looks, done by performance leaves you fearful, desperately afraid you may fall flat in the future.

I was struck by these thoughts as I read singer Michael Buble’s words in this article:

‘I realised that for many years I couldn’t believe I was on the same stage as my heroes, that I was sharing a microphone with Tony Bennett or [Canadian pianist and singer] Diana Krall. I couldn’t believe I was looking across at someone like Paul McCartney, and I’d be saying things like, “It’s hard to get here, but my God it’s harder to stay here.” 

‘But then I woke up and thought, “After ten years of trying to get here and five years of being scared it would go away, I think I can enjoy it.”’

There were people in my business life saying, “If you hadn’t done this or that, or you’d written a better song, tickets might be selling quicker.”

‘I started to take all that on board.”

“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (Ps. 127:1)

In some ways, I think I’ve subscribed to wanting to be successful. To maintaining an image. To vanity.

I perform. I feel the need to do things better than last time. I sometimes incline to impressing people to be accepted. I try to make people happy so as not to let them down. I go back and count up the things I could have done better.

But, at what cost?

Who am I performing for?

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mt. 16:26)

There’s no real gain without God.

And so, this gives my heart space today. Space to reconcile with God. Space to hear Him. Space to let go. Space to ask for discernment as to the next steps. Space to just “be”. Space to know him more. Space to realize that once you hit one plateau you feel an obligation to get to the next one. Space to be honest about my motives. Space to uncover God’s heart in me. Space to not be afraid of what it is God is calling me to. Space to become free. Space to be me. Space to grow. Space to uncover. Space to breathe.

What is God calling you to? Where do you feel an obligation to perform, to put on a show or to prove to man you are worthy? Might you consider giving yourself some space to find God’s love between your fast-paced steps of fear?

He wants to talk with you; I’m sure of it.

Get all Purposeful Faith blog posts by email – click here.

The problem with forgiveness is when you let things go, only to have “that person” go and be offensive again. That’s why I don’t like forgiving. It makes me feel like I am giving someone a green pass to hurt me again. It seems if I let them off the hook they won’t have to watch themselves. It seems they’ll have removed the burden-of-improvement removed. They’ll have no feelings of guilt causing them to change.

This is the mental theology I’ve created around the “benefits of unforgiveness.”

Recently, a person I forgave did something really in-my-face. It felt a little arrogant. A little I’ll show you anyway. The second it happened, feelings of hurt resurfaced.

My mind returned back to the “benefits of unforgiveness” list. In this I decided: I can be a little short with this person. I can avoid them now. I can internally pick apart their wrongdoings.  

So, I began judging their actions. They’re wrong. They’re rude. They’re prideful. 

…Until I got convicted.  I am the one boiling with hatred. I am the one deciding exit-paths from love. I am the one judging.

If God gave me no magnifying glass into another person’s heart, how can I know what they are doing?

They’re “offense” could have been:

1. Unintentional
2. Derived from their own pain.
3. A prompting by God to follow through a certain way (in my case, it didn’t have direct sin tied to it).

I remembered how Paul used to tell so many churches at the beginning of his letters, “Grace and peace to you” (2 Cor. 1:2). I wonder if he did that not only for the general church folk, but if he also extended these words, with wisdom, to those who may rub him wrong?

I tried it with the person who faced me, I said, “God, grace and peace to that person.” As I did, I noticed that I not only felt unburdened by their issues, but I also felt willing to receive that same grace and peace for myself.

I think Paul was onto something…we all need grace and peace. Then, we can extend it to others.

Grace doesn’t make wrongs right. It extends to people the very thing, even we, don’t deserve. Just like Jesus did for us.

Are you Battle Ready? Learn more about the book,“Battle Ready: Train your Mind to Conquer Challenges, Defeat Doubt and Live Victoriously.”

Get all Purposeful Faith blog posts by email – click here.

Are you tired of your troubles? Worn by your worries? Do you want to give up?

Lately, I’ve been seeking God’s direction. Yet, I haven’t heard clearly from Him. I haven’t gotten the answers I need. The transition of everything happening around me feels turbulent. Where are you, God? Why haven’t you shown up yet? Did you forget about me?

Everything is off-kilter. But, does this mean that God is off-kilter or does it just point to the fact that I am?

Father God, please help me never to blame on you – what is a usually a waiting-issue happening in me. 

The vast majority of the time, I run from waiting – and run circles on a treadmill. Almost out of strength, working harder, going faster and trying more gets me nowhere. And, there God waits. As if He is calling me off that machine of life to sit down on the chair in the corner of the room right next to Him.

To say something like this:

“O (insert your name), how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.

He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” (Is. 40:31)

Prayer: Father God, may we all trust in you today. May we find new strength in the shadow of your wing. May we sit next to you and hear your love and care.  May you remind us of your truth in ways that change everything. We admit that you are the answer to our every need. Every problem is handled through you and by you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Are you Battle Ready? Learn more about the book,“Battle Ready: Train your Mind to Conquer Challenges, Defeat Doubt and Live Victoriously.”

Get all Purposeful Faith blog posts by email – click here.

 Loading InLinkz ...

I sat with a power-house minister. Well, kind of. He’s actually an ordinary, non-ministry degreed man. And he’s my husband. Anyway, a profound thing was happening. My husband was on fire!!! As he prayed for a person in need, everything he said was wise. Everything he spoke was powerful. Everything was changing the situation. My mouth dropped open. God was moving.

People affirmed him. “Mr., your prayers are powerful. You don’t know how much they matter; they are personally impactful.” Mountains got moved.

Which was all fine and dandy, except for one thing. I prayed for that person too, you know, and they didn’t mention my prayers… What about me, God?

Do you ever size up your impact against another’s, like me?  Deciding that because they’re powerful, you’re weak?

This mindset couldn’t be further than the truth. And, in this situation, I should have known better… The enemy will always try to make us believe we’re only as good as our last bit of stellar work. He’ll always attempt to make us chase performance, and to call it “godliness.”

It’s how he forms and fashions – pride. We become imprisoned to one-upping each other in order to keep some sort of prized status. This is a form of the pit of hell, I’m sure of it.

Yet, in God’s economy, it is never about one-upping, it is always about one getting low. Low enough to lift the other up. Low enough to make room for others gifts. Low enough to see God really work the way He wants to. Low enough to believe in His work more than you have to self-exalt your plans.

So, today, I thank God that my husband is impactful, full of God and a mountain-mover. I praise God that he has a heart to bless others. I see the beauty of his impact. I celebrate who he is.

And, I confess, God has more than enough good ministry moments in store for me. I am not a product of what-I-do-for-him, but who-He-is-in-me and what-Jesus-has-already-done-for-me. In this, I can allow humility to make room for others. I can celebrate others’ successes. And, most of all, I can trust God and all that He is doing in and around me.

He always has a good plan.

Get all Purposeful Faith blog posts by email – click here.

 Loading InLinkz ...

I don’t like admitting things, do you? It’s as if – if I hide the truth, I’m excused of its guilt. If you don’t see it – it never happened. As if – what happened in Vegas stays in Vegas if no one ever knows.

Or, that’s the lie the enemy tells me. Don’t admit it and you’ll avoid it.

Lies. We always get a sense of our inner truth, don’t we? And if we don’t face it, the face of it still shows up, doesn’t it? As anxiety. Or as not-able-to-place-my-finger-on-it guilt.

Not-facing-things can wreak inner-havoc on one’s emotions if left unchecked.

Today, my husband pointed something out to me. I didn’t want to see it; so I told him his delivery was off. But, it wasn’t him (if I really admit the truth). I didn’t want to come face-to-face with the fact I imperfectly responded. Sometimes, it’s easier to blame than to accept guilt.

I was struck this morning in a similar fashion by my daughter Madison, as she sat and played with a Rubics cube. She wanted to move all the reds to the one side of the cube. But, the more she turned the thing, the more agitated she became.

“I can’t mommy.” She said.

I turned towards her and spoke the truth of the situation, “Madison, it is hard. That game is hard. It’s a hard thing to do that.”

Admitting truth for truth is freedom. After saying this to her, it was as if she received the freedom of knowing that there is patience for her growth. There is room for her learning. It is okay for things to be hard.

I say the same thing to myself. Kelly, change is hard. Growth is hard. Learning is hard. But, God is good. He will be faithful to change me, to grow me and to lead me. I don’t have to work it up on my own. The truth is – the truth will set me free. It points out what God wants to heal in me – and I don’t have to be ashamed of that.

“Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…” (Eph. 4:15)

Get all Purposeful Faith blog posts by email – click here.

As people, we’re prone to look for anchors in life. Little things to tie ourselves down to in order to feel safe. We may anchor to a certain neighborhood; it makes us feel known. We may anchor to a car; we feel good because we are worthy of this sort of vehicle. We may anchor ourselves to our clothes; we feel strong and beautiful when we have the right outfit on. We may anchor to the appearance of our kids; we appear like we have it all together when they do. We may anchor to our job; it shows we are smart. We may anchor to the future; we think it will save us from what we hate.

Anchors are little holds on our life. We hold on to “it” and “it” holds onto us.

Lately, God has been in the process of un-anchoring my life:

– We moved to a city with no furniture.  Due to issues there, we almost immediately needed to move again.

– We pretty much let go of alcohol and rarely drink now.

– We don’t feel beholden to a location or neighborhood.

– We’re fine without the constant pull of TV on our life.

– We don’t really know what the future holds and we’re okay with it.

It is not that I advocate “un-anchoring” the way I did for everyone. It is just the place where God has me. God may have something like this for you in your season, He may be calling you to it or He may be doing something different.

Either way, today I am saying: God, I don’t really feel attached to anything anymore.

“That’s the point, Kelly.”

In the past, I’ve looked at things taken away from me and felt robbed. Today, I look at the things taken away from me and feel blessed. It’s incredible. I don’t online shopping anymore, I skip my red wine and I don’t binge-watch make-yourself-feel-better shows – and I’ve never been more happy, more full and more alive.

Most definitely, it’s not by my work, that’s for sure. It has to be God.

To un-anchor is to let go and find rest.

For me, losing what seems like “everything” gains me greater intimacy with God. Plus, a deeper calling, increased vision and unusual joy and faith.

What might God want to “un-anchor” in your life?

A nightly TV ritual?
Your twirling and swirling worries?
A friend who is leading you down the wrong road?
A mindset that focuses on disappointment?

Let go of something that’s holding you captive to fill the gap with God.

The less you hold on to, the more of God you can grab onto.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Ps. 46:10)

Get all Purposeful Faith blog posts by email – click here.

 Loading InLinkz ...