Why do we worship? First of all, God asks for it. God repeatedly tells us in scripture to worship Him, to praise Him. Praise is our purpose. It was for His pleasure that we were created. It is His love language with us. Church is not all about us. It is about giving all the praise, honour and glory back to God. We worship because of who God is. We forget who He is and how great our God is. Psalm 145:3, “Great is the Lord, He is most worthy of Praise.” He who has been forgiven much, loves much. Remember how much He has done for you. Praise God for what He has done in your lives. Worship changes everything. Worship because He deserves it.

For so many of us there’s that one area in our lives we keep struggling with. We learn how to cope, how to live with that bag. That’s not God’s best for your life. God wants to set you free from that addiction, habit, lust, substance abuse or brokenness. It’s a battle. The biblical word for baggage is ‘stronghold’. It keeps you locked up, it makes you a prisoner – a prisoner locked by a lie. It’s deception, and the enemy has convinced you that it’s part of you. The enemy has come to steel, kill and destroy but God has come to give you an abundant life. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free, stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yolk of slavery”, Galatians 5:1. Stop believing the lies.

Every single one of us has baggage in our life. Things we shouldn’t be carrying. One of the reasons we pick up baggage in our lives is due to unfulfilled expectations. Anger stems from this. Untreated pain, more baggage, we are trained to just ‘smile and wave’. Unresolved yesterday – we don’t deal with stuff quickly enough. Don’t let anger turn into sin. Deal with it quickly. Don’t let the devil get an edge in your life. A lot of us carry baggage of low self-esteem. We live a life of what the world wants us to live. God does not see you the way the world sees you. Finally, unrepented sin. Confess and change, check in baggage that you shouldn’t be carrying. Replace the lies with the truth. The truth will set you free. No matter what you’ve done, God still loves you. God can free you. God will restore you.

We have all faced the urge to quit. People disappoint us. We must refuse the urge to quit. No matter how confusing or dark times are. Read God’s word hungry. It takes more than bread to stay alive, it takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth to stay alive. Never stop praying. Be thankful. Most of us struggle with thankfulness. Be thankful in all circumstances. Love and serve others. Serving is the ultimate goal. Do not be selfish, be humble, think of others as better than yourself. The ultimate goal of a Christian is to serve others. Resist the temptation to quit, bring yourself to God. Let Him love you.

There are many sons and daughters who are sons and daughters of a King, but you have forgotten who you are. You have forgotten that you are the daughter of a King. You have forgotten that you are the son of a King. Because you are the son and daughter of a King you have access to all that the Father has for you. Promises that are yes and amen in His word. You and I run away and we forget who we are. You are the son of a King, you are a daughter of a King. You need to take your rightful place. It’s time to go back to who God called you to be. Remember who you are.

The trauma that betrayal has in a person’s life damages our psychi, body, mind and soul. God calls us to deal with it. If we don’t, we end up in a place of unforgiveness. It builds bitterness, offence and resentment. Forgiveness is dismissing a debt – releasing your resentment. Some of us need to release the right to hear, “I’m sorry”. Forgiveness is not about the other person, it’s about you been free. Unforgiveness poisons us and blocks our relationship with God. Go to God, ask for faith. Forgiveness is a decision – make the decision. Grow in empathy, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Don’t take revenge, God will deal with those who do wrong. And finally – let it go.

Bitterness destroys. Stop pretending that everything is fine. God’s grace is all we need. God’s power works best in weakness. Turn to God, and others you trust – be vulnerable. Lurking around the corner is defeat. The enemy lurks around and waits. Stop neglecting what’s important. Put God first. Defeat awaits you when you let Jesus slip. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else. The devil’s goal is to destroy you. Disappointments lead you to hold onto unforgiveness. God wants you to walk in forgiveness. Turn to God, His grace is sufficient for you.