Spirit

John 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.

It’s funny how we struggle with spiritual things, yet quote scripture inspired by God. We acknowledge the holy spirit, yet deny our own spirituality. We’ve seen God move. We’ve benefited from spiritual settings. We’ve explained it away. We feel it. We know it. It’s spirit. It’s God spirit in us. We have it. We possess it. Acknowledge it. Embrace the freedom of it.

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Thorn

I remember playing with my grandmother’s rose bush. I just wanted to pick a rose without getting stuck. It became a game. I’m sure my grandmother didn’t appreciate my trying to pick her roses either. Needless to say, I was unsuccessful most of the time. I managed to get in trouble for attempting to pick a rose and ended up hurting myself in the process. How many of us find ourselves trying to pursue something and end up getting hurt in the process? We knew it was dangerous. We knew the risk, but we did it anyway.

I was even more intrigued by the theme of thorns in the bible. God didn’t remove Paul’s thorn. Jesus was given a crown of thorns. It was like God saying that pain is part of the process. You remember the pain. You remember being uncomfortable. You tend to learn the lesson when you aren’t saved from the part that hurts. Maybe God has allowed you to experience the pain of thorns in your life. Maybe you got some bad news. Maybe you lost something or someone you cherished. Maybe you are experiencing a difficult season. God has not forgotten you. He is reminding you that his grace is sufficient.

2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Cancel Culture

Cancel culture is a term used to describe people, organizations and entities that have done or said something offensive. We tend to find it easy to dismiss celebrities, organizations and entities that offend us, yet we struggle to rid our lives of destructive thoughts and toxic relationships. The same energy we use to cancel culture is the same energy we should use cancel racism, poverty, and negative thinking. We should use our platforms to decry our insecurities, our fears, and our self-destructive behavior. It’s okay to cancel culture, but maybe we should focus our efforts inward as well.

Family over Everything

At some point, your family, your household has to become a priority in your life. Just like the concept of self-care, you gotta take care of home first. If your house isn’t in order, nothing else will be in order. If you don’t value where you rest your head at night, you will won’t find peace or rest elsewhere. Charity begins at home. Family over everything is the mantra. Family over everything is the priority. Family over everything is the goal. Family over everything is divine order.

Blessed in the City

Deuteronomy 28:3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

I’ve always been a Fred Hammond fan. One of my favorite songs by him is “No Weapon.” However, “Blessed” is a close second. We all need a little inspiration. We all need a little hope. We all need a little encouragement, So despite your current circumstances, I want to remind you that you are blessed. You are blessed in the city. You are blessed in the field. You are blessed when you come and when you go. You are blessed when you don’t feel like it. You are blessed when it doesn’t look like it. Be encouraged!

No More

When is enough, enough. At some point, we have to get sick and tired of being sick and tired. We must stop making excuses. We must stop justifying it. We have to say no more. We have to let it resonate in our spirit. We have to get righteously indignant. No more! Scream it. Yell it. You insert the blank. No more excuses. No more spending. No more overeating. No more lying. No more racism. Whatever it is, make a decision in your heart and stick to it. No more!