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Have you been hurt by Church? Me too. Is it a reason to pull away from God? It could be, but it shouldn’t be. You know what Church is? Church is a gathering of totally imperfect people who claim to know they need Jesus. They’re not always going to get it right. They’re not always going to teach it right. And maybe they didn’t treat you right.

I grew up not knowing Jesus because as a little girl, the country church where my family went didn’t quite do things right. My parents were hurt, so they stopped going. When they stopped going, my access to the Bible was cut off. From the time I was 5 to the time I was 15, I heard nothing of God.

Church isn’t always going to be right. One denomination says it has to be this way, while another denomination says it has to be their way. We create division and differences and make our own rules on the path to Jesus. People are hurt in the process. Families walk away. Little girls grow up not knowing about God.

So, what if instead of getting our doctrine from a gathering of imperfect people who need Jesus, or a person who has been hurt by people who need Jesus, or the Google, or any other source of any kind … what if instead we look directly at God’s word for truth today.

What does it take to be saved? What is required to gain salvation? What can we do to gain access to eternity in Heaven with God? What are the steps? What is the right way? How can we be sure? And have you screwed up so much for so long, you’re now out?

We find our answer at the cross. And it’s so simple, so pure, so powerful. For some reason, we’ve spent lifetimes twisting and contorting simple truths into rituals, rules and guidelines which Jesus came to eliminate.

Before Jesus, the way to God was complicated. There were rituals. There were rules. There were people who could talk to God and people who could not. There were certain clothes that had to be worn, sacrifices that had to be made, words that had to be spoken. Within the temple, there was thick curtain that kept ordinary people out of the holy space where God’s Spirit dwelt. Only the high priest could access this space of God’s spirit, and only once per year. A blood sacrifice was required for that yearly entry. So many ceremonial rules and regulations. Then, following God was scary. If you did it wrong, you would be struck dead.

So of course we’re confused on how we could ever be made worthy of access to God. Of course we’re uncertain of our right to approach God with our brokenness. Of course we question if we could ever be good enough to be guaranteed God’s spirit to guide us and God’s forgiveness to cover us for eternity.

But Jesus made everything so simple. We don’t have to complicate this. When Jesus was hanging on the cross, in his final breath, something happened. We often read the story and miss the life altering change that happened in that moment. But today, we’re not going to miss it. We’re going to see it. We’re going to understand it. And we’re going to receive it.

Luke 23, Jesus is hanging on the cross between two criminals. Verses 44-46, “By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.”

Tucked in between the miracle of the sky going completely dark at 3:00 in the afternoon, and Jesus breathing his last breath, is the sentence that changes everything. “Suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle.” This was the curtain that separated us from God. The curtain that only the high priest was allowed to go behind once a year to gain access to God. This curtain is what kept us out. The curtain was rules and rituals. The curtain was separation and division. And that curtain was torn right down the middle while Jesus was giving his life on the cross.

The fact that this curtain was torn was a miracle in itself. Scripture is very specific that this was a massive curtain that could not be torn. It was 60 feet long, 30 feet wide and it was the thickness of the palm of a hand. The palm of a hand is about 4 inches. Have you ever seen a curtain 4 inches thick? This curtain was so heavy, it took 300 priests to move it. And miraculously, when the sky went dark and Jesus breathed his final breath, that curtain was torn right down the middle! The curtain in the temple. The curtain that separated us from God.

What happened? ACCESS WAS GRANTED. Access for you and I. Rituals and rules were torn down and the way was made for you and I, as messed up and unholy as we are, to approach God.

Everything changed when the curtain was torn. The rules were all broken, demolished, lifted and removed. The rituals were gone. Jesus changed it all. On the other side of the cross where we are now, what do you have to do to receive God’s forgiveness and salvation and be guaranteed an eternity in Heaven with him? Jesus showed us on that cross. He showed us while he hung there suffering and had a conversation with the two criminals who were being crucified with him.

Luke 23: 39-43, “One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

This criminal hadn’t gone to any classes. He hadn’t joined a church. He hadn’t gone back and corrected any of his wrongs. He hadn’t cleaned himself up and fixed his life. He hadn’t memorized any scriptures. He hadn’t prayed on his knees for 30 consecutive days. He hadn’t stopped drinking or cussing. It doesn’t say he was sorry for the crimes that had brought him to his death. He had done absolutely nothing, other than BELIEVE IN JESUS. It was his belief, and his belief alone, that qualified him to be in paradise with Jesus that very day after he died.

The enemy wants to confuse us and divide us. He wants to keep us feeling like what we can do will never be good enough to qualify us for forgiveness and salvation. And he’s right … nothing we could ever do would be good enough, outside of our faith. What the enemy of your soul doesn’t want you to know is the curtain has been torn. You are not separated from God by any rule or ritual. You have full access because of Jesus. And just like the criminal who had a lifetime of wrongdoing was guaranteed eternity in paradise with Jesus because of his faith, so are you and I.

That’s it, Sis. Your faith. Not your perfect faith. Not your complete understanding. Not the scriptures you can quote or the rules you follow. It’s simply believing in Jesus.

After that, well, Jesus has a way of working in our lives to change how we think and how we live. That happens naturally as a result of God’s spirit dwelling within us through that split curtain. But that’s not the most important thing. Your track record as a Christian isn’t anything God is counting on. He’s not counting up your failures and ready to cancel your admission to paradise. Your faith in Jesus covers you completely.

Being covered changes you. But that’s just icing on the cake, baby! That’s gravy. What matters most is the fact that, just like the criminal hanging on the cross, all we need is to believe in Jesus.

Do you believe? Have you told him you believe in him? You have full access and he accepts you exactly as you are!

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What do you do after a big disappointment? Your steps after a failure are of great importance. When you most don’t want to get out of bed to face the day, there’s something Jesus wants you to know.

We will learn this valuable lesson through the story of Peter. Remember, Peter is the gutsy friend of Jesus who always jumped to go first. He was all-in, then he fell all-out.

Anyone else feel that way? You’re all-in, then you stumble and you’re all-out. You struggle to find that steady middle ground where you just stay faithful. You’re up, then you’re down. You’re hot, then you’re cold. You’re in, then you’re out. It’s black, then it’s white. Ahhhh, Jesus likes you. He sees the potential in you! Just like he saw the potential in Peter, his hot and cold friend who sometimes made a mess of things.

Peter’s final interaction with Jesus before the cross was a harsh realization that he had denied knowing Jesus. Peter had been warned it would happen, which means Jesus always knew of Peter’s pending failure, yet he chose him as his friend any way. Jesus says in Matthew 26:34, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” And sure enough, that’s exactly what happens. Peter denies knowing Jesus once, twice, three times, then the rooster crows and Peter begins to weep bitterly.

The next thing that happens is Jesus hanging on a cross. Imagine the guilt and shame Peter must have felt. This was failure. This was disappointment. This must have been a “I want to crawl in a hole and never come out” moment. But, Jesus came back to pull Peter out of that hole and launch him into a greater purpose.

After Jesus’ crucifixion and burial, Peter is out on a boat fishing. Yes, he had returned to doing the only thing he knew to do … fishing. And Jesus shows up on the shore. Peter and the other disciples had been fishing all night, and caught absolutely nothing. Jesus yells from the shore and says, “try throwing your net on the other side of the boat” and the nets became so full of fish, they nearly broke. That’s when they knew it was Jesus. It was THEIR Jesus. They had watched him die on the cross, they had seen him buried in the tomb, but here he was helping them haul in a load of fish!

So of course Peter is the first to jump out of the boat and swim to Jesus. Why? Because that’s what Peter does. He’s the all-in guy with a history of also falling all-out. When Peter gets to him on the shore, Jesus asks him a question. This is the same question he is asking you and I today, so listen closely.

John 21: 15-17, “Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

Something very important is happening here. How many times did Peter deny knowing Jesus? Three. How many times did Jesus repeat his purpose for Peter? Three. Yes, once for each failure. Once for each denial. Once for each doubt Peter must have been carrying within him, questioning how he could have ever denied his Jesus and failed him to to point of leading to his death. And Jesus is saying, “Peter, if you love me, then you’re going to have to give up your disappointment, your guilt, and your shame over your failure. And once you give it up, I have something so much greater for you … your purpose!”

As I read this scripture this morning, I was reminded of the story of Jenny and the Pearl Necklace. I typically hear this story at Christmas, but it’s perfect for our study together today.

“Jenny is a little girl who had saved up all her money to buy a dime store pearl necklace that cost $2. Jenny loved her pearls, and she never took them off, even when they made her neck turn green. Every night when her Daddy came in to kiss her goodnight, he would say, “Jenny, do you love me?” “Yes, Daddy”, she would say. “then give me your pearls.” Each night she would hold tight to the pearls around her neck, and offer him something else instead. “Daddy, you know I love you. Here, take my teddy bear. Here, you can have my baby doll.” Jenny’s Daddy would say, “That’s okay honey, I love you, good night.” Every time her Daddy would ask if she loved him, she would say yes. But each time he asked for her cheap little pearl necklace, she would refuse and offer something else. One night, Jenny’s Daddy came in to tell her goodnight, and he found her little chin quivering, and a tear rolling down her cheek. She stretched out her hand and offered her prized pearl necklace, and said, “Here Daddy, you can have my pearls.” With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny’s kind Daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocked and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.”

Notice in this story, for each denial, the Daddy would lovingly return and ask again. Do you love me? Yes, then give this to me. Each time he asked, it was an invitation to receive something better. This is exactly what Jesus was doing with Peter. Three times he asks him to feed his sheep, once for each shameful denial he had given before, and each time Jesus was asking for something Peter was clinging to.

What was Peter clinging to? His failure. His shame. His guilt. His disappointment in how all of this turned out. And what would Jesus give him if he would give all of that to him? A purpose greater than he could imagine. A calling on his life that would lead to his destiny. A mission that would take him out of the pits of his failure and propel him into so much more.

Imagine Jesus, just like Jenny’s Daddy, asking Peter, “Peter, do you love me? Can I have your disappointment? Peter, do you love me? Can I have your failure? Peter, do you love me? Can I have your guilt and shame?” And imagine Peter doing exactly what we do … we reason. We justify. We dismiss. We disqualify. And we play little. How could God ever use us? How could God ever redeem this? How could God ever make this right? So, we hold onto what is holding us back, and we offer something else instead. Here, Jesus, these are my excuses. I can’t because I’m not good enough. I can’t because I don’t have time. I can’t because I’ve failed so many times I can’t get my heart to try again.

But Jesus just keeps coming back and asking again. My girl, do you love me? Yes, then give this to me!

What will happen if you do? He will give you something so much better!

All Jesus is asking is for you to love him enough to let go of whatever you’re dragging around with you and receive something so much greater. Something of true value. Genuine treasure.

Calling and equipping. Supernatural guidance and holy confidence. Divine purposes and destined missions. An overflowing life! That’s what Jesus has for you! You want it? Then let go of the belief that you could never be good enough. Let go of the story you tell yourself that says you could never do anything great. Let go of your timeline that says it’s too late. Let go of your disappointment that it hasn’t worked out the way you had imagined.

And when you do … your hands are open to receive what Jesus has had for you all along.

Peter had to get over his own failure. He had to overcome his own disappointment. He had to let go of his guilt and shame for being the one who denied Jesus. All of that had to be given to Jesus, so he could receive the fullness of what Jesus was offering him. Calling, purpose, mission, destiny, fulfillment. And because Peter was willing to let go of everything he held and accept what Jesus had for him all along, he became the rock on which God would build his Church. He forever changed our lives, even today.

So, Sis, let’s talk about whatever you’ve been holding on to that has been holding you back. Jesus wants to know if you love him. Do you love Jesus? Do you love him enough to let go of this? Because if you do, he has something so much greater for you!

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There is a hill outside the city of Jerusalem called Golgotha or also called Calvary, both words meaning skull. The hill was given it’s name because of it’s shape of a skull. Do you think that was an accident?

It was here on top of this skull shaped hill that Jesus was crucified on the cross. Have you ever thought about the meaning behind this? Why there? Nothing was by accident. God was in every detail as he sacrificed his one and only son so that whoever would believe in him would have eternal life. I believe this place was strategic.

The cross was on top of the skull because Jesus wants to give you victory over your mind!

Did you know it’s not only your soul that has been saved, but your MIND has been saved as well. The victory was won over your mind by Jesus on the skull! How absolutely strategic.

The evil one fights to take back what Jesus has claimed and most often what he gets is our mind. How successful has he been in your life lately? Have your thoughts been victorious or have they been fear filled, anxious, negative, defeated thoughts?

Jesus paid a high price for your victory, why would you ever allow the defeated one to defeat you in your head?

Your greatest asset is your mind. Your mind paints a vivid picture and your body responds with every emotion and energy to create the picture. Every choice you make, good or bad, was first a thought in your mind. So, of course your mind is under attack. A relentless, violent, brutal attack, and it’s happening every minute of the day.

Whatever gets your mind, gets you. Your thoughts are the guide, so the important question is, who is the author of your thoughts? Scripture warns us of strongholds on our mind.

2 Corinthians 10: 4-5, “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

The word “stronghold” comes from the Greek word ochuroma. This is a Greek word used to describe a prison. The “strongholds” scripture refers to are lies that the devil has ingrained so deeply in your mind and in your belief system that they now hold power over certain areas of your life. These lies create a spiritual fortress of wrong thoughts which becomes your prison. As a prisoner to these thoughts, you begin to view life through the illusion of bondage Satan has put on your mind. Thoughts of worry. Thoughts of fear. Thoughts of anxiety. Thoughts of lack. And eventually, these tangled and twisted thoughts begin to take control of your life.

Now, you can’t seem to dismiss those thoughts. You can’t just shake it off. This stronghold on your mind has overwhelmed you. And if we allow this stronghold to continue, dismissing it as who we are and what we naturally struggle with, it becomes a trap where Satan mentally seduces you and imprisons you with your own thinking.

My sister, does this sound familiar? Have your thoughts become twisted and knotted with worry, fear, anxiety, or negativity? This is a strong hold and it is holding you back.

Holding you back, you say … from what? Holding you back from the freedom of being who you were created to be and living the life God created you to live. Holding you back from the joy of the Lord. Holding you back from your purpose and your destiny.

You have been equipped for this battle!

The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”

Ephesians 6:17 gives us a list of battle gear, and the first is the helmet of salvation.

Now how totally ironic is that … where was your salvation bought and secured? On a hill called Golgotha which means “skull”. And it is the helmet of salvation that protects your mind, your greatest asset.

Girl, you have supernatural protection wrapped around your head to safeguard your mind from every assault of the enemy. You are covered. Those thoughts of fear, overwhelm and anxiety bounce right off. Phew, phew, phew. Nope, they’re not getting in.

But, they do get in when we take off our helmet. What is the helmet again? It is the helmet of SALVATION. When we forget it’s not just our soul that has been saved, our thoughts are left vulnerable.

When we start buying into the lie that says this is just who I am and how I think, we forfeit the saving grace Jesus offers over our minds.

Here’s a simple step to remember when you know your mind is being assaulted: Tap your helmet. Yip, just give that sweet head of yours a little tap and say “you’ve been saved and you are protected.”

Exodus 14:14 says “The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still.”

This is exactly what we’re talking about. The battle over your mind is real and it is vicious, but the Lord will fight for you. Stand there in your helmet of salvation and know you are protected. Any stronghold the enemy tries to use against you has been demolished! His attacks will not be successful.

Your mind has been saved and it is protected.

If you’ve taken your helmet off and you’ve been dancing with worries, fears and regrets, new strongholds have been established. Demolish them now. You have been given that power through Christ Jesus. Declare your mind is precious territory claimed by Jesus. Satan has no right to come marching in here! He has been banished.

You’ve been saved, you don’t have to think the thoughts you once thought. You are protected, the attacks will no longer be successful on your mind.

Now, keep your helmet on! The evil one is on the prowl like a hungry lion for someone to devour. He goes right for the head. But yours has been saved!

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Good Friday, the day we remember the crucifixion of Jesus. The personal sacrifice of One for all. For me. For you.

On this day we remember Jesus carrying that cross for us. We remember him willfully stretching out his arms as they nailed him to that cross, signifying “this much.” This is how important you are. This is how loved you are. This much, with arms wide open. And we remember his excruciating death, the pain inflicted, the burdens carried, the weight of it all which took his final breath.

What an incredibly sad day. The day the world fell dark and our Jesus was crucified for being nothing other than holy, righteous, miraculous and pure.

And yet, we call it Good Friday.

The worst day in history when evil prevailed and the son of God was unjustly put to death between two thieves. It was bad. Painful. Dark. Terrifying. Unfair. And yet it was Good.

It was the ultimate good.

It was the good the world could not see which God had planned. The good which would not be revealed without the bad. The good which would allow the worst to first unfold. The good which would require some time. (Maybe there’s some good in the works in your life, but right now it looks bad. Take notice of how God works.)

Let’s read the story of this day:

Mark 15: 22-39 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

**Do you know why the offering of this wine mixed with myrrh is important? Why such a specific, seemingly unimportant detail to be included in the record when Jesus refused it? It’s important because this mix was a drug which dulled the senses. An offering to the one facing an agonizing death by crucifixion, making it more bearable. But Jesus refused. He refused ease from the suffering. He wanted a clear mind while he hung on the cross. Why? So he could think of me and you. So he could give wholly of himself, enduring it to the full for us.

24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.

They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

***Could he have come down at that moment? Could he have called down an Army of angels from heaven to avenge him and destroy his accusers? Absolutely. It was all within his power, but it wasn’t within his purpose. His purpose was to pay the ultimate price for us. And because of that purpose, he endured. Because of that purpose, he took the insults, he took the pain and he took the punishment, so that we wouldn’t have to.

33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

***I always found Jesus’ final words confusing and burdensome. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Every translation of the bible reads the same. There is no alternate meaning here or way to read it. Jesus is saying God has turned his back on him in these final moments. Why?

When Jesus hangs on the cross, despised, suffering, and dying, he has upon himself the entirety of all sin. My sin, your sin, and every sin all of creation had ever, and would ever, commit was all on him. God cannot look upon sin, so he turns his back and withdraws his favor.

The words Jesus spoke were a direct reference to Psalm 22. He was quoting the writings of David word for word “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The people hearing these words would have known the rest of the story, the rest of the writing. Jesus was referring to this because it begins with the hardship of reality, it turns to praise of the Almighty, and then the guarantee of God’s victory.

Jesus was remembering the truth of God’s word. He was choosing to endure this reality because of the promise of what will come. Yes, despair in death, but hope for deliverance. Jesus was placing his full trust in the Father.

36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,[c] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

***The full picture of what has been done here is in that one verse “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Understand in the temple there was a curtain separating the place where the presence of God dwelt and where others could enter. The curtain kept people out of this sacred place. Now, with the sacrifice of Jesus, the curtain was torn, meaning WE CAN ENTER.

We can come face to face with God. We have been deemed as worthy to stand in his presence. I don’t have to wait for anyone to speak to God on my behalf, Jesus has already spoken for me and I can boldly approach the throne. I’m no longer seen with the stain of my sin, I’m completely covered in the blood of Jesus. God doesn’t have to turn from me, because he turned from his son Jesus on that cross and it was done once and for all. For me, and for you, so that we can have this relationship with our creator.

So, the worst day ever wasn’t the worst day ever after all. It was all part of a bigger plan no one else could see. A plan better than any could have imagined. A plan for all eternity to be ours. But first, it had to be bad. And then we had to wait. Wait for days as Jesus was in the tomb. Wait for something miraculous. But first, it was bad.

Here we are today, each of us in our own hardship and uncertainty. Some with loved ones lost or in the hospital. Some with jobs lost and income gone. Some with more chaos than they can bare. And some with heavy burdens to carry that will only get heavier for a while longer.

And in this perfect season of Easter, we are reminded, some things are hard for a greater purpose. Some things are bad, real bad now, but they’re for a greater good than we can imagine.

The story is still unfolding.

Your story is unfolding.

We do not know what God is doing because we have not seen his master plan. So here’s what we can do … we too can reference Psalm 22, just as Jesus did in the middle of the pain.

We can acknowledge the hardship, we can remember God’s faithfulness and we can count on his victory.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;

11 Do not be far from me,

19 But you, Lord …

22 I will declare your name to my people;

27 All the ends of the earth

future generations will be told about the Lord.

This is what Jesus knew on the cross. He knew the victory coming. He knew God had a view of the bigger picture and a plan of goodness. And hasn’t God done it?

And isn’t he doing it again here? Isn’t he at work in this wait? Isn’t he working in the darkness and unseen? Won’t he bring victory here?

There’s a bigger picture than we can see. There’s a greater plan at work. God knows exactly what he is doing in the hardest of times and he has proven it will all be redeemed.

What happened 3 days later? Jesus rose from that tomb with victory in his hands and death was forever defeated … for me and for you.

And then it was GOOD!

Today, Jesus, we say THANK YOU!

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If you had only 1 year left to live, what would you do? You would take that vacation, right? You would spend all the time with the people you love. You would make the memories and capture the moments.

What if you only had 1 month to live? You would leave for that vacation tomorrow, right? You would waste no time. You would make amends. You would say everything you need to say.

But what if you only had 1 day. One day left to live. If you knew this were your final day of life ever on this earth, what would you do? I’ll tell you this much for darn sure, I wouldn’t be worried about emails or texts. I wouldn’t spend a second watching someone else live their life on social media. And for heaven’s sake, I wouldn’t be trying to sleep away the day!

What would you do if you knew, this is it? One last shot at living. Who would you most want to be with and what would you want to do? What things would no longer be of any importance at all, and what would become the single most important thing to you?

Jesus knew he had one more day. He knew the next day he would go to the cross to suffer and die. And what did he do on his final night of life? He washed feet.

Woah … doesn’t that hit you hard? Knowing this was his last night of his human existence, he chose to wash feet. Jesus says in Matthew 11: 29, “Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”

This is the ultimate unforced rhythm of grace. This is knowing time is short and choosing to slow down and do what is most important. Watch how Jesus does this. And remember, Jesus is washing the feet of 2 people who were about to do really stupid things. One would deny him, and one would betray him.

Judas and Peter were both at that table with Jesus and had their feet washed. But Judas and Peter were not the same. Do you know the difference? Both sinned. Both failed, but Jesus says something very different about the two of them.

On that final night of Jesus’ life, the disciples are gathered with Jesus in the Upper Room for the Last Supper together. For those of you not from the South, supper is dinner. Where I grew up, you ate 3 meals: Breakfast, Dinner and Supper. This was Supper, the evening meal. This meal was eaten together reclining at a low table. Sitting on the ground at a low table meant their feet were very close to their food. Because the shoes of those days were sandals, you know Jesus sandals like Berkenstocks, their feet would be very dirty from the dusty roads. It was customary for the lowest servant present to wash the feet of everyone at the table. And Jesus is here on his final night of his earthly life and sees dirty feet from dusty journeys.

While Jesus is humbly washing their feet, he explains the difference between Peter who denies Jesus, and Judas who betrays Jesus.

Now listen closely because this is important for you today. Get ready to have guilt and shame and burden lifted right off your shoulders!

John 13: 1-11, “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
“No,” said Peter, “You shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“Then, Lord,” Peter replied, “Not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

Although Peter was about to deny Jesus 3 times, and Jesus absolutely knew it was coming, he still told Peter he was clean. Clean meant forgiven, covered, redeemed. Yes, before he sinned, Jesus had already forgiven him. But, for Judas, he said he was not clean.

What’s the difference? Why was Judas not clean? Why was his pending betrayal different than Peter’s upcoming denial? Didn’t they both sin, fall short and fail? Didn’t they both do terrible things to Jesus which took him to the cross? Yes, but here’s the difference:

Peter’s denial of Jesus was a mistake. Judas’ betray of Jesus was a heart issue.

Peter’s denial was a stupid choice in the moment that he would immediately regret. But Judas had set his heart to go against God. The difference is heart posture, not the failure. Peter failed, but he wasn’t intentionally going against God. Judas’ failure was not an accident. His heart was set against God, and this is what made him unclean.

So, you failed, right? You screwed up. And maybe you even screwed up for a long time. Whew girl, you wandered hard and far. You were lost. You know what Jesus does for the lost? He leaves the 99 to find the 1 who is lost. He came looking for you, didn’t he! That’s why you’re listening to this today … Jesus came looking for you. He never gave up on you. You just need a little foot washin’, Sis.

You don’t have to hide from Jesus because of what you did. He has already forgiven you. You made a mistake. Okay. Jesus is already over it and he really wants you to get over it too. Your failure has not made you unclean in the sight of Jesus.

Peter’s denial of Jesus may seem just as terrible as Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, but Jesus says it’s totally different solely because of the heart. Peter was clean, he just needed his feet washed from his journey. Judas was unclean because his heart was never given to Jesus in the first place. He was set against God.

So here’s where you can breathe … you just have dirty feet, not an unclean soul. If you have surrendered your heart, Jesus has already saved you. You’ve already been made clean. And you’ve already been forgiven of every failure, every wrong choice, every bad decision, every mis-step, and every single day you wandered further and further away. Let Jesus just wash your feet from that journey so you don’t keep dragging it around with you. Honey, your soul is already clean.

This doesn’t have to separate you from God. No matter what you’ve done, no matter where you’ve been, no matter how long you’ve been there, Jesus wants to wash you clean.

Let’s say you were once wrong, real wrong. You were on a mission to prove Jesus is wrong and God isn’t real. You were in full on Judas betrayal mode. Well, that’s not your heart anymore is it? You’re listening, that means you’re searching. Even if you don’t understand and fully believe yet, you’re searching and that means the posture of your heart has turned. Let Jesus cleanse you fully! Let him wash all that guilt and all that shame off you.

Earlier this year I had the honor of baptizing a beautiful young podcast listener named Emily. Just months before this, she was an adamant atheist, speaking out against all foolish Christians for being so naive. But then, her heart shifted and she surrendered. Her baptism represented the cleansing forgiveness of every wrong and her soul being radically saved. Now, that girl is so passionate about her Jesus, you can see it from a mile away!

If you haven’t been baptized, this is what it’s all about. Just be washed clean! If you’re wanting to be baptized, get yourself connected to a Church. Get yourself to one of our BIG Life Retreats. I will baptize anyone who has a heart turned toward Jesus, and I would be absolutely honored.

If you’ve already received forgiveness from Jesus, just come back to have your feet washed. Let him cleanse your journey and direct your steps. Your missteps and failure to do this perfectly have not dismissed you from the love of Jesus. He knows the posture of your heart, and that’s what matters to him.

Jesus’ forgiveness is permanent and it is complete. Even when you stumble. Even when you fail. Even when you wander. Jesus can just wash that journey from your feet now. You don’t have to walk in regret, guilt or shame.

You and I are on a lifelong journey of continual sanctification. We need our sins to be washed from us daily, and that’s what Jesus does as a humble and willing servant to those he loves. He washes feet. Let him wash yours.

Whatever your journey has been, Jesus is just glad you’re here at his table today with a heart turned toward him.

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When Jesus walked this Earth, he was God in human form. He was still all-knowing and all-powerful. He had the power of Heaven and an army of angels at his fingertips. He was lacking nothing, yet he chose not to walk his path alone. He gathered friends and shared the journey with them.

Have you ever thought about that? If Jesus needed friends on his journey, don’t you think you’re going to need some on yours? We were designed to need one another. Designed to walk together. Your life works best when shared with others.

Jesus chose 12 people and those people became his disciples. They went everywhere together. He wasn’t a one man show trying to do everything on his own. He understood his impact was greater, and his journey was better, when shared closely with others.

Who are you sharing your life with? Who have you let inside the walls and shown your true self? Or are you still keeping people at a distance and pretending you don’t need anyone?

Is it possible that perhaps your load is too heavy to bare because you’re trying to carry it on your own? You’re exhausted trying to pretend like everything is okay when the truth is you’re barely hanging on. How about you let someone else help you carry that for a bit?

Jesus, on his way to Golgotha to give his life, could no longer carry his own cross. A bystander named Simon then carried the cross, literally, for Jesus. We don’t see Jesus fighting him on it. So, why are you refusing help with your cross, your burden, your heavy load to carry?

Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

I’m not to go through hardships alone, and neither are you. We’re here to carry the weight of each other’s burdens. Who’s burden are you helping carry right now? Really, let God check your heart on this. Is there anyone you’re helping with their hardship or struggle? Or has your world become small and self-focused, making you oblivious to the call to carry other’s burdens?

Christ has called us to make things easier for each other instead of harder. But dang if we aren’t in a time where we just make it harder for each other. We come in with our opinions and views and we post crap our fingers have no business typing. We have become cynical and self-righteous, adding onto the weight of someone else’s burden instead of helping them carry it.

Every time you add to the burden instead of help carry it, you are failing to fulfill the law of Christ. You are breaking his law. What is that law? Back up to chapter 5 of Galatians and it’s clear.

Galatians 5:14 “The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”

Love each other. Love each other the way Jesus taught us to love.

Jesus shared his life fully. He washed the feet of others. He cared for a crowd of people who would be missing dinner. He was concerned for those who had a concern. Jesus MADE time. He stopped, he looked, he connected, he shared. He had friends, a close circle. Then he tells us to do the same.

Now maybe this hasn’t worked out so good for you in the past. Maybe you’ve tried to have a close circle of friends and it ended in bickering, then you decided you were better off doing this thing on your own. I’ve been there too. I’ve shut it all down after being hurt and pushed others out. THAT IS THE WORK OF THE ENEMY. Don’t let him win this. Don’t let him convince you that everyone is bad and eventually you will just be hurt again. His goal is to isolate you for his attack. Get back in a circle sister!

Jesus knew Judas would betray him before he ever invited him into his circle. He knew Judas would fail, but he chose him anyway. Jesus knew all about Matthew 26: 14-16, “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the 12 disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, ‘How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?’ And they gave him 30 pieces of silver. From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.”

Why in the world would Jesus choose him as a friend? Why would he let him in? I believe he was teaching us a lesson we all need today. Yes people will fail you. Yes they will hurt you. But share your life anyway.

WE NEED ONE ANOTHER. United we stand. Divided we fall.

Together we can carry the burden. Alone we are crushed.

I’ve found the older we get, the more we need our circle of friends. This is where real life starts happening. As we age, we start losing people. Life changes and it’s painful. Our bodies age and begin to fail. Kids grow up and become jackwagon young adults who make a real mess of things, and we need someone to share that with.

My mama always told me the women with close girlfriends were those with bad marriages. My mama was wrong. She understood that once Daddy died and she started borrowing my girlfriends to carry the burden. Now she has a circle of friends for her journey and she helps carry their burdens too.

We are better together. We are designed to love and care and carry. Open your life up and allow other flawed, broken people access to those secret areas of your life which you’ve tried so hard to pretend are okay. Don’t do this alone. Get connected. Share your world. Share your story. Share your burden. Share your strength. Share your prayers.

We’re in this thing called life together … it will be a whole lot easier if we just help each other. Start right where you are with what you have and do what you can for the next person. If you’re on social media, you have the power to make a difference in someone’s life with your typed word. It costs you absolutely nothing. Why wouldn’t you start there?

I’m pretty sure if Jesus were on this Earth today, he wouldn’t be counting followers. He wouldn’t be making nonsense posts encrypted to hurt some and embolden others. He would be using it for good. He would show up in the middle of personal needs and get involved. He would reach out. He would care.

And he would do it for even those who he knew would later betray him.

This is the kind of love we’re called to.

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Have you ever gone through something so unimaginably hard, yet somehow you had ability to walk through it? Did you look back and see what you needed was indeed provided and it came just when you needed it?

That was God. That is God doing what only God can do in your life. Don’t miss that. And don’t forget he will do it again and again for you. For what is happening today, and what is coming tomorrow that you have not yet seen, he will provide exactly what you need.

1 Peter 1: 3 “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

Easter is this weekend. It’s probably my favorite holiday. It’s when we remember the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection which changed everything. As this scripture tells us, this resurrection of Jesus gives us LIVING HOPE.

You have LIVING hope. Not stagnant hope. Not limited hope. Not measured hope. Not a ‘has been’ hope. Living hope.

The Greek term for hope in this passage means “an eager, confident expectation.” And “living” means it is alive, it is active and growing. This is the hope Jesus has given you through his resurrection. This is the hope dwelling within you now. Hope that is alive.

Not hope that is like a wish, but hope that grows to fill the space it is invited into. LIVING HOPE. Hope that seeps through the tiniest cracks of disappointment, and hope that fills gaping holes of loss.

This living hope is not measured or limited in any way. It is here for you today and it will not run out tomorrow. And when you encounter a tomorrow that is more than you can handle, then it will grow to meet the need and carry you through in ways you cannot imagine.

This living hope originates from a living, resurrected Savior. Now his Spirit lives within us and we have hope. That hope is ALIVE. It is moving. It is growing. It is here today in the exact shape and form required to fill your spaces of need. This is why I’m here today filled with the exact hope for what I’m going through, while you’re here today filled with the exact hope you need for what you’re going through, and those are two totally different things, yet your need does not threaten my supply, nor does my need take from you. That hope is ALIVE.

We don’t get this from a jar. We don’t get this from a book. We don’t get this from a class or seminar. This hope that is alive and growing, moving and filling is Jesus dwelling within us, strengthening us to live today with confident expectation.

Peter wrote these words in a letter to Christians who were suffering persecution. His words were to encourage them in their troubles. Imagine reading these words as you’re afraid for your life. Imagine reading these words as chaos surrounds you and everything you once had has been taken away. “In his great mercy he has given you new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

This living hope allowed them to continue living without despair. And these words are here to do the same for you today. Whatever you’re facing, whatever you’re going through, whatever your reality is today, you can live today without despair. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you have a living hope inside of you. That hope will grow to fill this exact space and meet your exact need. And whatever comes tomorrow, that living hope will be there once again in perfect proportion.

Life is a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Some days my needs are overwhelming, and other days my needs are minimal. On all days, the hope that is alive and living within me expands to fill the big empty spaces, and contracts to seep into the tiniest cracks. I am always covered. I am always filled.

And so are you. What Jesus did for you provides you the gift of LIVING HOPE. Hope that is alive, growing, moving and filling you. Hope that is here in perfect proportion to your need today.

Hebrews 6:19 speaks of this living hope and says “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

An anchor serves to keep a boat secure and not allow drift. It steadies the boat in position. The living hope Jesus offers us keeps us from drifting off into deep, dark, overwhelming waters. It keeps us from crashing onto desolate shores of deserted islands where we are never meant to dwell. This hope anchors us in truth. It keeps us afloat when the storms rage. It holds us steady when life has become so uncertain.

This is how we get through things we have no idea how we’re going to get through. This is how you have peace when the job has been lost, when the doctor delivers bad news, when the prognosis is bleak, when the relationship is broken, when the door is slammed, when the answer is no, when the forecast is only getting worse … you have peace only through a LIVING HOPE. A hope that is alive, moving, growing and responding to what is happening.

Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Yes, this is the peace that doesn’t make sense to have peace. It is the result of a living hope that never runs out in the life of a believer of Jesus. Oh it may feel like it’s going to run out. It may feel hopeless and look pretty darn dark at times, but that living hope is growing within, strengthening within, filling within, bringing peace that doesn’t make sense in the middle of this storm. Protecting your mind and guarding your heart so you can still get up and do what you can with what you have, right where you are, when it seems impossible to keep going. This is what that living hope within you does.

My prayer for you today is that your eyes would be opened to the hope that is already yours. The immeasurable, ever growing hope available for you today. The hope which is perfectly shaped for your need today. The hope that is alive, never running out, never coming up short, and never out of reach.

May you see what is available to you today, may you accept it, and may you always remember the living hope of Jesus will be here for your every tomorrow and you never have to fear.

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Think about the way you wake up. Besides feeling sleepy maybe, what are your other thoughts? Are you dreading the day? Are you anxious about the day? Or do you feel grateful for the gift, ready to step into all God has for you today?

Why do you feel the way you do? What can you do with it?

A little scientific reasoning behind your feelings reveals it’s a chemical reaction. Melatonin is a hormone produced by your brain in response to darkness, making you naturally sleepy. As you near the end of your night’s sleep, your body starts producing the hormone Cortisol instead. You likely know about Cortisol, it is the stress hormone. Think of it as your body’s built in alarm-system. It’s there to wake you up and make you move.

Cortisol is naturally at it’s highest in the morning when you wake up. Yip, stress is naturally highest in the morning. This can make you a moody beast! It can make for a bad start. And you could claim it’s not your fault. Oh but girl, it’s your choice.

That boost of Cortisol in the morning is God’s great design to get your body going for the day. However, when you don’t respond to this rush of hormones correctly, instead you can feel immediately overwhelmed. Yes, that’s sometimes why you wake up overwhelmed. Wake up anxious. Wake up with dread. That’s just Cortisol being misused.

Misused Cortisol, like anything and everything else in life, becomes a burden.

Honey, are you burdened? Are you weighed down? Are you dragging a load that’s too much for you to carry? Are you frustrated with your slow progress and overwhelmed by the never-ending struggle?

Jesus said in Matthew 11: 28-30 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

The MSG translation says “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace” with Jesus.

Ahhhhhhh … isn’t that the opposite of what you feel? You feel a forced rhythm. You feel a daily grind of “have to”. I have to get up. I have to go to work. I have to do this and I have to do that. It’s all forced, and it’s become a burden.

But my sister, recognize it’s simply because you’re using a good thing in the wrong way.

Just like waking up, Cortisol is God’s gift to help you get up and going, but when used wrong, it is the source of anxiety and overwhelm from the moment your eyes open. Get out of this forced rhythm, and girl get into the flow Jesus is offering you. He is offering to carry your heavy burdens. He is offering you rest and peace. He is offering you a life lived freely and lightly.

You can’t live freely and lightly when you’re burdened. A burden is defined as a heavy load. What does a heavy load do to you? It makes it hard to move forward. It exhausts you. It makes you want to give up.

Your burden is a target for the enemy. He dwells in your exhaustion, because when you become weary, his whispers become loud. When you’re struggling to take the next step under the weight of it all, his lousy petitions of settling short of how far you could go, are a welcomed offer. And if you’re waking up burdened, my guess is he’s right in your ear when the alarm rings. Are you laying there and listening to him? Oh the burden grows heavier, doesn’t it?

But, what can Jesus do with your burden? He can make it lighter. He says “Take my yoke upon you. My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” What exactly does that mean? Sis, if you’re carrying around a heavy load, feeling burdened from the moment you wake up, you need to understand what Jesus is offering you here, because it sounds to me like you might need it!

Jesus is speaking in farming terms. A yoke is a wooden collar placed on an animal’s neck so the owner can control it. Like a bridle on a horse or a collar and leash on a dog, a yoke is a way for the animal to be directed to complete a task. Often the yoke is wide enough for two collars for two animals. A farmer would then say those two animals are “yoked” together. Where one goes, the other will go. One yoke, two connected going in the same direction for a purpose.

Two animals yoked together could do more work than working independently. It was also a means of training a new smaller animal when paired with a larger animal. The bigger of the two could carry the burden, while the smaller one was being trained.

Make sense? This is what Jesus is offering us. He’s offering to be yoked with us so that he can carry the burden, and we can learn to do life as he does.

You see, Jesus doesn’t just make the burden go away, but he carries it for you as you stay connected to him. Again, see the mental image of the wooden collar around 2 animals. One is carrying the burden, the other is connected and being trained.

You are being trained. You’re learning. You’re learning how to walk through hard times and not grow weary. You’re learning how to face the impossible and believe it is possible. You’re learning to stop trying to do this on your own.

God has given you everything you need to live your life well. Everything. He has left nothing out. Down to the details of the Melatonin to help you sleep, and the Cortisol to wake you up. To the benefit of a Savior who will never leave you or forsake you, and promises to carry your heavy burdens and teach you how to live this life lightly and freely.

You have it all, now just use it right.

You don’t have to wake up anxious and overwhelmed. You can use that for energy to get up and start your day right. You don’t have to break your neck trying to drag this heavy load behind you. You can let Jesus carry the weight, and you can learn his ways.

There’s a right way to live this life, and a wrong way. There’s a right way to wake up in the morning and a wrong way. Sometimes we best learn the wrong way by experiencing it ourselves. Then we know … oh, that’s not good. And honey, if it’s not good, why keep doing that? You know better, so now you can do better. You can take what God has given you and use it the way he intended.

Lord, I have a burden here, would you help me carry it? Jesus, would you teach me to live in the unforced rhythms of grace? And Jesus says “YES, here, take my yoke, let’s walk through this together. We will start with the way you wake up, then we’ll learn step by step the rest of your day.”

This is our prayer today … Jesus, where my burden is heavy, will you show me how to do it right?

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The enemy has counted you out. He’s sure you’re giving up this time. You won’t get up again. You won’t push through. The darkness will close in.

But girl, get yourself on up today and disappoint the devil! Oh he had crappy plans for this day, but you’re not buying them. He had intended harm coming your way, but you’ve gone and called on the power of God that takes all that harm and uses it for good.

BaBam! That’s what you just did!

Your feet hit the floor and you’re responding to God’s call instead of the devil’s attack. Today, GOD IS CALLING YOU TO BE GREATER. To be greater than the things happening to you. To be greater than your circumstances. To be a greater vessel for his power, and to be a greater disappointment to the enemy. God has been preparing you for a bigger purpose and next level of living, and my sister it’s time to step into it. You can’t stay where you are when God has called you to be greater.

What will you need to be greater? Everything you already have.
What will you need to do to be greater? Everything you can do.

How many times do we miss the answer to our prayers because the answers seem too ordinary? We’re looking for the magical and mysterious answer when God is saying, “here’s 5 rocks … throw them!”

What if it’s really that simple? Seriously, what if you don’t need to buy a single thing off the Amazon to make this work, it’s a matter of throwing the rocks you have. Using what’s here. Doing what you can do. Seeing the power in what God has already provided.

Time and time again, we already have what we need to break through whatever is holding us back, but we miss it because we believe big problems require big solutions. Understand this, big problems require a big God. And look what you already have!

“Hey Johnny, tell her what’s behind that curtain.”

“Well Bob, there’s one great, big, all knowing, all powerful God here for her! But wait, there’s more. This great big powerful God is also on her side! He is for her, not against her! All she has to do is show up!”

JACKPOT BABY!!!!! You just received the answer to your problems.

Deuteronomy 20:4 says “For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

Let me tell you, if you didn’t wake up this morning preparing for battle, you darn well should have.

You are in a war. Every day of your life there’s a battle over your potential and your purpose. Every day obstacles are put in your way to detour you from the plan for your life. 1 Peter 5:8 “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Yes, he’s looking for a life to ruin, a purpose to crush, a heart to trouble, a mind to worry, a dream to spoil, a home to wreck, a family to destroy. He’s looking for a fight to pick, confidence to poke at, doubt to raise, and fear to stir. That is how the enemy attacks. This is how he stops you in your tracks. This is how he steals your God-given potential and causes you to settle for less than you were created for.

Look around, Sis. The roaring lion has been stalking you. He is on the prowl. He is your enemy. Your potential to rise above your problems and become a light bearer of hope and promise is his target. The last thing the devil wants is for you to get through this and come out stronger!

Go ahead and disappoint the devil today! Crush his hopes that you’re giving up here. Shock the crap out of him with your resolve to show up even when you don’t feel like it and start throwing some darn stones!

Yes, right where you’ve been told you’re not good enough … right where you know you are the total underdog and severely outmatched … right where all odds are stacked against you and no one would think it’s possible … Just like little shepherd boy David with his 5 stones, you step on up to the challenge and know God can do miraculous things through you when you refuse to back down!

The devil is totally counting on you to give up now. He’s for sure thinking you’re tapping out over this setback. Yeah, you know that setback you’re dealing with right now… The one that really rocked your world this week… The one that kept you up last night … The one that made you cry yesterday … The devil thought that would sideline you in defeat. He thought for sure this would overwhelm you and discourage you. He thought you wouldn’t even get up again today. Ohhhhh girl, you are about to disappoint him!

Today God is calling you to be greater and that means you can’t stay where you are and keep doing what you’ve been doing. You have to step up. You have to drop the excuses and show up today. God wants to give you victory, but the victory will always be out of reach when you aren’t even reaching for it!

Oh if you could only see what God has available for you if you’ll fight for it. If you could only believe today that God has equipped you with every single thing needed to have your breakthrough and stand in victory.

God is with you today and he is offering you victory. Victory over all that has been holding you back. Victory over those negative thoughts. Victory over those bad habits. Victory over every threat to your future. Won’t you show up for the fight? Won’t you step up and declare to your almighty God that you want it?

Today you become greater! A greater reflection of God’s grace. A greater witness of God’s good plans. A greater vessel for God’s power. And a greater disappointment to the devil, because that girl just won’t give up!

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Why does God allow you to struggle? Why the continual battle, when he could end every conflict with one word? Boom. It could all be over. It could literally disappear just like that. But it doesn’t because he doesn’t. Why is that?

Imagine for one moment the story of Joseph. Imagine it reads like this: Joseph had 11 brothers. Oh how they all loved each other, worked together so well, and never once had a bad day. Their father, Jacob, equally loved all of his sons and there was never conflict in their family. Every day was like a holiday with all of them together.

Borrrrr-innnnnggggg. Nobody would know that story. It would have never been written, it would have never been read, and it would have never had an impact on a single one of us.

Yet, isn’t that the story we want? We want the perfect marriage with our forever best friend, a cute little house that’s always tidy and somehow much bigger on the inside with all it’s big, bright, open rooms, and our 2.5 kids playing in a yard with a white picket fence and grass that’s always green and never needs to be mowed, oh and a lovely dog that never barks, sheds, or digs in the yard. And some tulips … put tulips in the yard. Wait, rocking chairs on the porch … and ferns. Hang ferns too.

Yip, that’s the story. That’s what life is supposed to be. When we get there, we know we have arrived.

Says who? Some 1950’s commercial trying to sell you a cake mix? Some Dick and Jane book you read in Elementary? Well, I read a different book where life seems to go a little different.

In the book I read, there’s a boy named Joseph with 11 brothers who absolutely hated him because his father favored him. There was continual conflict within this family, to the point the brothers took Joseph out one day to kill him, and ended up selling him for 20 pieces of silver. Then Joseph spent 13 years in prison.

That’s the story that made it into the book. So tell me again why you expected your story to be delightfully pleasant 100% of the time?

We have a real enemy in this life, and that enemy looks to stir up trouble, ruin good plans, and bring harm to every single one of us. He does a pretty darn good job with all of that, but even more, we’ve unknowingly partnered with him and stir up trouble ourselves. We step in and completely ruin good plans. We show up and we bring the harm. Every single one of us do it. We do it with our greed, our jealousy, our competitive nature, and our sinful desire to be on top. For us to be on top, others have to be on bottom, so we start knocking people down and justifying why we should be chosen, why we should be favored, why we should get more.

Oh you don’t do that?

Why did she get that new car when you’re still having to drive your hunk of junk? How come they get to live over there while you’re stuck living here? Why can’t your butt look like that in those leggings off the TikTok? You bought them too and it’s unfair you don’t look the same. Now what’s up with that? You’re on the same dang diet, he loses 20 pounds and you gain 3? You work at the same company doing the same job, and they make more money than you? Whatttttttt?

Maybe you’re not competitive, but does it make you shrink back a little? You look around at all they are and all they do with all they have, and it makes you feel less. It makes you feel a little less whole, a little less chosen, a little less called. You start telling yourself a story of being not good enough, always over-looked, weak, stuck and overwhelmed. Recognize that story? Have you been telling yourself that one?

And the enemy sits back and twiddles his thumbs because you just did his job for him. His objective was to sideline you from living the life you were created to live, and dang his intended harm wasn’t even necessary to take you out. You looked around so much you overlooked your own life and stopped living it.

We’re the modern day 12 sons of Jacob just taking our own selves out of the family. That one’s jealous. That one’s bitter. That one’s discouraged. That one’s pitiful. That one’s angry. That one’s exhausted. That one’s selfish. That one’s prideful. That one’s distracted. That one quit trying. That one’s busy. That one’s still comparing. Which one are you?

What causes us to be this way? It’s the story we tell ourselves that it’s supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to be fair. It’s suppose to all work just like this, and when it doesn’t we spin out of control.

YOUR LIFE ISN’T GOING TO BE EASY.
THINGS AREN’T ALWAYS GOING TO BE FAIR.
THIS ISN’T ALWAYS GOING TO BE FUN.
YOU WON’T ALWAYS UNDERSTAND.

SO WHY HAVE YOU ALLOWED THIS TO STEAL YOUR PEACE?

Jesus said in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus warned us of the realities of this life and the truths of his power. If you cling to that, you will have peace. Trouble will come, but your peace will not be shaken when you remember that Jesus has already overcome every single trouble you will ever face.

Misery is optional. Why would you ever choose it? Why choose to dwell on how bad this trouble sucks? Why wallow in the unfairness of this muddy mess? There’s no peace found in that. You can’t be shocked and shaken by the twists and turns of your story, EVERY STORY has trouble, otherwise it’s not a story.

And God never wastes a single chapter of a good story. He is always present in all these seemingly random, sometimes questionable, often unfavorable and undesirable details of our lives, working them together for good. My favorite scripture, Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Guess who said it? That would be Joseph. Guess who he said it to? Yip, the very brothers who sold him when he was 17. It has been 22 years since the betrayal, 13 of which Joseph had spent in prison. But God wasted absolutely NOTHING. He used every detail to bring Joseph to a position of power where 22 years later he would stand face to face with the brothers who betrayed him and be able to save their lives during a famine. And that’s exactly what he did. All that intended harm was turned for good and used to save the lives of many.

Now THAT is a story!

We all love it. We’re inspired by it. And it would have never been told if it would have went the way we would have written it. Big happy families sitting around peaceful tables in perfect homes without a problem in the world for all their days … where’s God’s power at work against intended harm there?

Check your story.

Jesus offers us peace in the middle of the problem. God promised to show up with his power in the middle of that problem.

That’s the story. That’s your story and my story. We don’t have to be miserable on any chapter.

If you have trouble, you are just in the middle of a good story and you can trust the author of your life to use all of this for good that will save many!

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