Elevation Point Church

There are times in our lives where we’ve been facing something for so long, we’re used to it. Times where we’ve put up with something for so long, we no long fight it. Our response has become — ‘it’s always been this way.” And since it’s always been this way, we believe it can’t change. But just because it’s always been this way, that doesn’t mean it has to stay this way. Today can be the day that change begins.

When we feel afraid, when we feel outnumbered, when we feel overwhelmed — we can resort to hiding. We can choose to avoid what we will inevitably have to face. The longer we put it off, the stronger the opposition gets. Hiding is never the answer. Avoiding is never the answer. Victory and freedom come when we finally get tired of hiding, and we choose to attack.

Everyone isn’t easy to love. It’s naive to believe that just because we follow Jesus, loving others is easy. The reality is, loving others is difficult. People lie, steal, betray, and more. Loving others is a choice. And in truth, it will cost us something. It will cost us pride, it will cost us comfort, and it will cost us preferences. That’s what makes it so powerful. Not because it’s forced upon us, but because we get to choose to live it out.

It’s often difficult to love, forgive, and care for others the way we’re called to do in scripture. While this can be caused by a variety of circumstances, the most common is that we don’t love, forgive, or care for ourselves. We cannot pour from an empty cup. We cannot give to others what we haven’t even given ourselves. May we learn to see ourselves the way Jesus sees us — as worthy of love. Then, and only then, can we in turn show others that same love.

If we’re going to be where God intends for us to be in 5 years, we have to be consistent. We have to make our minds up. We have to be steadfast and focused. We cannot say “yes” one day and then “no” another. With Jesus, it is always “yes.”