Why is self-devaluation such an epidemic? Every human being is born with innate core needs to be loved, valued, and to experience healthy, trusted relationship. However, because we do not live in a perfect world and this often is not our felt reality, as children we develop beliefs and behaviors in an attempt to meet these unmet core needs. We will do whatever it takes for us to feel loved, valued, and accepted.
Words are wonderful when they are used in a good way. They can encourage, edify, and give confidence to the hearer. A right word spoken at the right time can actually be life-changing (Proverbs 15:23). But words can also keep us from experiencing God's plans for our lives. Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) says, "The tongue has the power of life and death…." Words are containers for power, and we need to choose them carefully.
Everyone wants to progress. Everyone wants to grow, to expand, to increase. It's human nature to desire advancement—but Kingdom nature demands response. Growth is not automatic; it's activated. Increase isn't achieved by ambition—it's unlocked through obedience. When God draws your attention to something, He is giving you a stepping stone—a path forward into destiny, maturity, and impact. What He reveals is not for your curiosity but for your calling. Every revelation is a divine invitation: Will you respond?
Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" Matthew 4:10 When negative thoughts come your way, you must not give them time to take root in your heart. That correlates with the wise saying that you can't stop birds from flying over your head, but you can surely stop them from building a nest on your head. We can't stop the enemy from attacking our minds, but we can surely defend ourselves with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17).
In a recent dream, I found myself walking through deep terrain with some young assistants. It was a road less traveled and required strength and agility to traverse the steeper portions of the journey. But even though the journey should have been physically and mentally challenging, I was able to do it without hesitation.
There's something about the word home that stirs the deepest places of the heart. For many, it brings images of warmth, rest, and belonging. For others, it brings a quiet ache, longing for something they've never fully experienced. But Christmas whispers a truth we all need to hear: Your true home has never been a place…it has always been His will. When the angel visited Mary on an ordinary day in Nazareth, her entire world shifted. She was young, inexperienced, and surely not expecting a divine interruption.
There's something most people don't realize and that is that unprocessed fear is the barrier between you and your wound. You have a wound. Something that happened in your life. Something that shaped how you see yourself, how you move through the world, what you believe about love, safety, and belonging. The wound is real. It lives in you.
My house is decorated. The tree is up, and the lights are hung. Oh, how I love this season! However, it's easy to forget that the season of Advent is about waiting well for Immanuel. Seasons of waiting can feel lonely. They raise questions in our hearts about whether or not God is really listening to our prayers. As I've been thinking about waiting, I've been studying Luke 1. I'm intrigued by the relationship between Elizabeth and Mary in their season of waiting. Each could have felt lonely for many reasons, but in their waiting, God led them to one another.
There are some things about faith that we need to continually go over to keep them fresh. Just because we have heard it or known it doesn't necessarily mean we still remember it. It is good to go back and review some old truths from God's Word that have become old hat, so to speak. Sometimes we find that we have forgotten some important things that were fresh revelations years ago.
"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1 (NIV) Life will throw fear, worry, and uncertainty at you. Sometimes it comes quietly, other times it hits like a storm. But God's Word tells you exactly what to do: don't let fear run the show. Choose praise. Choose faith. Decide to focus on God instead of your problem. Look at Abraham. When God called him to leave everything familiar and go to a place he had never seen, fear could have paralyzed him. But Abraham chose faith.
Follow Up
