Let's Protect It

The Word of God demonstrates that, sometimes, the Lord will have to protect what He has placed within us. Like a pregnant woman, when we are preparing to give birth to a God-given vision, we will be instructed to limit — or even eliminate — certain interactions, activities, and habits.

Has the Lord placed something within you that needs to be protected?

Are your relationships, habits, and activities nurturing or destroying the things that God has placed inside of you?

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Powerful Friend & Foe

Do you know that the tongue is our most powerful friend and enemy? It shapes the way we think and feel; it determines the direction of our ministry and lives; it gives us the ability to not only build-up, but also destroy. If we were to examine what has inspired or discouraged us the most, many of us would recall the words of others.

Proverbs 18:21 admonishes that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Let us ask: "What have you been saying? What words have you been speaking over yourself, ministry, finances, marriage, and the people you love?

Why Compare?

From very early on, we are conditioned to compare ourselves to other people. If we’re not careful, our entire lives can bounce from one comparison to another. Who ranks the highest in school? – Who has the happiest marriage? – Who makes the most money? – Who is the most successful? – And the list goes on!

Even in our childhood fairytale we recited, "mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?" It is important to recognize, however, that sizing ourselves up to other people can only lead to negative outcomes. We will either:

1.) Think more highly of ourselves than we ought (Romans 12:3); or

2.) Become insecure, bitter, and jealous because we feel as if we don’t measure up.

Have you fallen into the trap of making unhealthy comparisons to other people?

Do you secretly wish that your life would accelerate at another person’s pace?

Change Direction

Changing direction is seldom easy. As children, we daydream about who we want to be. As adults, we devote our lives to making our dreams come true. What happens, however, when our dreams don’t line up with God’s plan? Do we stubbornly try to create our fantasies, or do we change direction — and follow God?

Proverbs 19:21 teaches that sometimes the life we’ve imagined is not the life God has purposed. For, “people can make all kinds of plans,” the Scripture states, “but only the Lord's plan will happen” (New Century Version).

Do you feel the Lord guiding you in another direction?

Are you holding on to your plans when God has asked you to let them go?

We Can Set Boundaries

Effective leadership requires that we have the ability to set boundaries. Yes, we are called to a life of love, mercy, and generosity — but sometimes the best love we can offer is a firm and resounding "NO." After all, didn’t Jesus set boundaries?

Have you found yourself feeling stressed, annoyed, tired, or even burned-out by "obligations" that you took on against your better judgment?

Have you allowed others to pull you in directions that you did not feel led to go in?

Has your inability to set boundaries given some an opportunity to "cross the line" or take advantage of you?