Daily Devotional – 2/2/12 “Are you happy?”

I mean, are you truly happy or are you walking around with a smile on your face to keep from crying? You ride in your car every day, smelling good, looking good, hair done or a nice cut and smiling because you want the world to think you got everything all figured out and all is well when actually you’re at home drinking tears for water. Baby God never told you to conform to this world. What he said was “but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2).” See, you want the world to think your marriage is going great so you put a show on for folks but you’re living in hell in your own house, behind closed doors. You want folks to think you got all you need and never stress over anything, when you’re one paycheck from being homeless because you’re living in a house you can’t afford. Child, you’d better let it go. If the man or woman you got at home isn’t contributing to your happiness, maybe some changes needs to be made. If the kids can’t do what you need them to do and you’re stressing about them, then maybe some changes need to be made. Stop acting like you don’t have any problems because you worried about what folks might say when the truth of the matter is, they are having just as many problems as you and they are doing all they can to hide it.

Ecclesiastes 3:12 says, “I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.” What sense is it to have food and no appetite, a bed and sleep won’t come, a closet full of clothes with no desire to wear them! If God gives you new life and new mercies every morning, shouldn’t you enjoy them? Ecclesiastes 8:15 says, “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.” See, if you enjoy the blessings that God gives then you have joy and when you have joy, you have peace and with peace you have understanding and with understanding comes knowledge and knowledge leads to power. But if you’ve allowed someone or something in the world to steal your joy, then they steal your power. If you go into your job with hell in you every morning, it’s time for a change. If you go into your church home with hell in you every Sunday, it’s time for a change. If you go into your home with hell in you every day, it’s time for a change because if you continue to go into these places with hell, then you essentially come out worse than when you went it and that’s not good for anybody. When you come out with more hell in you, it makes you a road-rage driver, a hollering parent and an unwelcomed co-worker and who wants to be around any of you? Not me! Why should I have to put up with your mess, when I got problems of my own? The only way for you to get your happiness and joy back you have to take it!

If the mess you’re in isn’t pleasing to God, then you aren’t pleasing to him. If you know your child isn’t acting right in school which is causing you stress from the calls and emails you keep getting, change it. Take away all that cute, expensive stuff and get them back to the basic. The bible says in Proverbs 13:24, “Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.” If you keep telling them you’re going to discipline them and you never do, then they take you as a joke. You need to stand up and take the reins back. If the house you’re in is causing you more money than it’s worth, move! If the car you’re driving is costing you more than it’s worth, trade it. If the job you’re on is causing you more headaches than what they pay, change it. See, the common factor is all of this is YOU! You choose to be happy and you choose to let folks steal your happiness. Can’t anybody take what’s yours unless you give it to them or they are robbing you and I surely don’t think anybody with a gun will say, “Give me your smile!” When your smile is gone your joy is gone and when you joy is gone, God isn’t present because the bible says in Nehemiah 8:10, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” See, when you have God you get the Holy Spirit as a bonus and I’ve told you before the Holy Spirit will have your back on them days when you feel your smile fading. On those days when your heart is so heavy and you can’t say a word, the Holy Spirit speaks on your behalf (that’s if your heart is right.) Galatians 5:22 says, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” When you have the Holy Spirit, you can’t help but be happy but you have to have the Holy Spirit. Let me say it again for those that may miss it! If the Holy Spirit gives you all these things in your life, you can’t help but be happy but you must, first, have the Holy Spirit. I don’t just mean on Sunday morning, but I mean all the time because when you have the Holy Spirit in you, it’ll show in your walk, your talk, the way you carry your purse or bag, the way you dress and comb your hair and the way you feel about everything. When the Holy Spirit is present, the world won’t be allowed to do you any harm.

You have a right to be happy. Even in the midst of times when you may be temporarily without funds, be happy. When the car won’t act right and kids are acting like strangers in your house, be happy! When folk talk about, be happy! When they gossip about you, be happy! When you keep putting in job applications with no return call, be happy! When sickness attacks your body, be happy. In all things, count it all joy! Be happy because happiness leads to hope and hope leads to healing and with your healing comes helpfulness and when you’re helpful you get honor from God and with this honor comes hospitality and hospitality from God leads you to Heaven’s gates!

Daily Devotional – 2/1/12 “Are you about the Father’s business?”

So many times we put our focus into negative things that takes us away from being about kingdom business when 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” But we spend more time gossiping on the phone with folks who spread lies faster than wildfire instead of inviting them to church with us on Sunday. We are quick to pass on an email containing mess than one that tells what the Pastor spoke about during morning worship. We are quick to forward a chain text of Talking Tom but we won’t forward a scripture. Why? Because we are worried about what folks think. Yes, I post statuses and devotionals, every day, about God and I could care less about what negative folks think. Why, because God has been too good to me not share with others. I have 511 Facebook friends and I can guarantee not all are saved, so the closest they may get to the goodness of God is through me, so why should I hide from it? I pray daily for the one whom maybe a doubter to become a believer, a sinner to be converted and a backslider brought back home and if it’s through this devotional then my work is not in vain. The bible states in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” See, if we work for God on our bad days, we’ll reap the benefits on our good days. If we work for God even when we don’t feel like it, he’ll give us the strength to carry on. If we work for God in the midst of our enemies, he’ll make them a footstool for us to stand on that lifts us up above them. I know that sometimes it feels like giving up/letting go is easier than holding on, but if you just believe and take God at his word he’ll bring you through, so that means you have to reach beyond the break in your rope and hold on! His word says in Deuteronomy 31:6, “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” See, even when it feels like you’re walking alone, you’re not. When it seems like you’re toiling alone, you’re not. When it seems like you going through all by yourself, you’re not. Genesis 28:15 says, “What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.”

Yes, God promised us trouble (Job 5:7) but he gives us strength to endure it. Job 40:29 says, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Yea, I know that death has snuck into your home but Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 says, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven, a time to be born and a time to die and a time to plant and a time to harvest.” But even in your sorrow, God promises joy when the sun shines for Psalm 30:5 says, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Yea, I know that cancer has attacked your body, taken your hair, strength, courage and even a part of your body but God sent his Son so that we would be healed by the stripes he endured at the hands of his enemies. God didn’t have to send his only Son into the world so that we could be free, but he did. Jesus didn’t have to endure the Hell he went through for us but he did. He didn’t have to heal the blind, putting walking into the legs of the lame man, save the people by parting the Red Sea, heal the woman who bled for 12 years, cover the 3 Hebrew boys that were thrown into the fire, protect Daniel in the lion’s den or restore Job’s health and wealth, but he did.

Isaiah 53:4-12 says, “He was hated and rejected by people. He had much pain and suffering. People would not even look at him. He was hated, and we didn’t even notice him. 4 But he took our suffering on him and felt our pain for us. We saw his suffering and thought God was punishing him. 5 But he was wounded for the wrong we did; he was crushed for the evil we did. The punishment, which made us well, was given to him, and we are healed because of his wounds. 6 We all have wandered away like sheep; each of us has gone his own way. But the LORD has put on him the punishment for all the evil we have done. 7 He was beaten down and punished, but he didn’t say a word. He was like a lamb being led to be killed. He was quiet, as a sheep is quiet while its wool is being cut; he never opened his mouth. 8 Men took him away roughly and unfairly. He died without children to continue his family. He was put to death; he was punished for the sins of my people.9 He was buried with wicked men, and he died with the rich. He had done nothing wrong, and he had never lied. 10 But it was the Lord who decided to crush him and make him suffer. The Lord made his life a penalty offering, but he will still see his descendants and live a long life. He will complete the things the Lord wants him to do. 11 “After his soul suffers many things, he will see life and be satisfied. My good servant will make many people right with God; he will carry away their sins.12 For this reason I will make him a great man among people, and he will share in all things with those who are strong. He willingly gave his life and was treated like a criminal. But he carried away the sins of many people and asked forgiveness for those who sinned.”

Jesus endured it all just so that we could be free to sin and all he asks us to do is repent and we can’t do that. He went through so that we could have all we need and all we have to do is ask him but we’d rather steal. He suffered for 3 days and all he asked us to do was love one another but we’d rather hate. All he said, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments (John 14:15),” and we can’t even do that. We sleep with folks who don’t belong to us, we lie on our neighbors because it makes us look good, we kill because someone looked at us wrong, we don’t honor our mother and fathers because we think they owe us what they give, we idolize cars and material things like they are our God, we take the Lord’s name in vain every chance we get and we surely don’t treat the Sabbath day as a holy day, when this is all God has asked. No one knows when their time will come to die, but wouldn’t you rather be sure of your destination before you leave? I would imagine that you wouldn’t get on a bus with a ticket that says destination unknown so why would you send your soul to an unknown place? God has already given you everything you need to have your ticket stamped and approved with the destination of your choice but it’s up to you to decide which one it’ll finally be. The good thing is, you’re still here today and you can still make the decision by asking God to forgive you of your sins and to clean your heart. Don’t keep putting it off because you might not get the opportunity too.

Daily Devotional – 1/31/12 “I pray we’ll all be ready!”

This song by the Chicago Mass Choir entitled “I pray we’ll all be ready,” was in my head again this morning and I couldn’t understand why God was leading me this way, again, but of course I obeyed. Then I logged into Facebook to see some folk’s statuses and talked to some folk at work and then I knew exactly why God was leading me this way.

The song simply says:
I pray we’ll all be ready
I pray we’ll all be ready for his return
I pray that we’ll get our business straight
So we can all meet at the gate
I pray we’ll all be ready for his return

Every day folks are dying and it seems like the ages are getting younger and younger. Older people are starting to bury their children instead of children burying the parents, the way it’s supposed to be. Young girls find more stuff to argue over just because they want it to be known that they are bad and young boys are joining gangs and carrying weapons because they want to look hard in the midst of their peers but one thing I know, being bad and hard won’t stop you from going straight to hell. Who cares because folks say you’re being hard on your children because you won’t let them get in the car with everybody, spend the night over everybody’s house or even give them an early bedtime on school nights. I know that you can’t stop things from happening when they are out of your sight, but you can surely instill in them good morals that makes you want to believe they’ll carry themselves decent and in order at all times. We, as parents and adults, have to carry ourselves in a way that’ll teach the young girls and boys how to live right. We have to stop playing with God’s word in order for them to be fearful of God and the wrath that he can bring. We make it all seem easy like we don’t struggle but sometimes we have to let them know that we’re going through a storm just so they can see how God works. If all we show them is that things are easy as an adult, when they grow up and become one they’ll buckle and fall at the first sign of trouble. Now, I am not saying that your kids should be all in grown folk business but what I am saying is let them in on how God works. If they never see you sick then how will they know that God can heal? If they never see you go through anything, how will they know that God will bring you through? If they never see you struggle, then how can they appreciate when you have a little extra to spend on them?

We’ve got to get back to handling the kingdom’s business. As women, we’ve got to stop fighting over things that don’t belong to us because the only time you fight for something is when it’s yours. If he can’t put a ring on your finger to make you his wife, he isn’t worth fighting over because the bible says in Proverbs 18:22, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.” If she can’t claim you as hers in front of her friends, she isn’t worth arguing over because the bible says in 1 Corinthians 11:9, “For indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake,” and If he or she can’t contribute to the household then they aren’t worth fighting over either. The bible says in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” We’ve got so accustomed to folks being in our business that we now worry about what they have to say but baby, you can spend your tax money on whoever you want to because it’s yours. You can look foolish hanging on the arm of someone who doesn’t love you if you want, because it’s your business. But one thing I must say, YOU BETTER GET IT TOGETHER BEFORE YOUR TIME IS UP! We are spending way too much times on meaningless mess, foolish fighting, lavish lying, secret spying and blatant backstabbing than working God’s business. So many folks are dying and being killed when they are here at 2PM and gone at 2AM. It’s time out for playing church. Matthew 11:15-19 (Message Bible), God asks, “Are you listening to me? Really listening? How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riffraff. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” I wonder if God walked into service with most of us on Sunday, will he say we are like children playing church. We are raising teenagers who can’t even pray because we’ve never taught them how. We are teaching kids that it’s ok to play around with your cellphone during worship service, because most times we are playing with ours. We got hell in us all week and then are the first ones shouting when Jesus’ name is shouted. You gossip all day Saturday about the “church folk” and then get to church and tell your neighbor that you love them and they can’t do a thing about it. You tipping on Friday night to the motels and clubs and then is the loudest one singing, I love the Lord, he heard my cry! Baby, God isn’t in the midst of your mess! 2 Timothy 3:12-17 (Message Bible) says “Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there’s no getting around it. Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They’re as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse. But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.” The only way for you to live a Godly life, you have to read God’s word. How do you know if you’re being led astray by the Pastor if you don’t know the word for yourself?

Women, stop being a doormat! Be a worthy women, one that’s worthy of what God has blessed you with, so that your daughter will know how to be one. Proverbs 31:10 says, “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” Stop lowering your self worth when God has made you worthy of so much more. Men, be the man God talks about in the bible (a provider, protector, lover one that is worthy of his calling) so that the son you’re raising can be one too. Ephesians 5:23 says, “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.” Be the sister, brother, mother, father, aunt, uncle, cousin and friend that you are supposed to be. Live the life that is pleasing to folks so that no one has to stand over your casket and lie about you being a good person. The life you live is the funeral that you’ll one day have. Live a life that is pleasing to others so that a sinner may see the God in you because sometimes the closest they get to God is through you. I pray that we all be ready when our time comes and even though God promised us 70 and even 80 years, we sometimes don’t make it. You may not have tomorrow to get it right, so start right now!

Daily Devotional – 1/30/12 “A Jubilated Praise”

As me and my sister talked on yesterday, she shared with me the message that was given to them, from their Pastor. She told me that his message was “From Jacked Up to Jubilation, Luke 17:14-19.” Of course this piqued my interest because I wanted to know how I can go from being jacked up to being jubilated. Now, the first thing I had to know was the real meaning of jubilation. It is defined as uninhibited rejoicing in the celebration of a victory or success. Humph, that definition alone gives me chills because when I think about all things that I could have been a victim of, I realize I’m victorious so I start rejoicing. When I think about all the things that tried to hinder my success, I realize I’m victorious so I start rejoicing. When I think about all the times folk said I wouldn’t amount to nothing and instead of falling, God gave me strength to walk, I realize I’m victorious so I start rejoicing and because I have the victory, I can offer God a jubilated praise! See, it’s these things that cause me to celebrate. I don’t have to wait until a birthday or holiday to throw a party because I can get my Praise on for Jesus all the time. I don’t have to wait until Sunday morning to show my appreciation when God shows up on a Friday night to give me rest. I don’t have to wait until Sunday morning to give God praise, when he shows up on Monday with a financial blessing that allows me to make it to payday. I don’t have to wait until Sunday morning to tell God thank-you when he shows up on Saturday with a calming peace that surpasses all my understanding. When I give God a jubilated praise, I’m giving him an uninhibited praise which means I am praising him without restraints. See when you are inhibited, you aren’t able to express yourself openly and that’s not the type of praise I want to offer God. It’s like not being able to mention God in schools because of the rules that have been put in place but if the rule makers knew God like I know God, they would allow you to give God an uninhibited praise in the cafeteria, in study hall, walking down the hall and even in the bathroom. If they knew the wonders that God gives us on a daily basis, they wouldn’t try to hinder the prayers of the righteous. If they knew the works of God on the folks the doctors counted out, they’ll join in your praise instead of trying to stop it.

Stop allowing the world and folks to hinder your praise when the bible says in Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.” You’re scared to shout because you don’t want anybody to put it on Facebook or tell others but if parents would shout more, then maybe our children will stop going to church playing church. John 5:19 says “So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” We have no problem with them seeing us shake our butt to the music on the radio, but when it’s time to worship God, we get shy and lazy. Isn’t God worth a jubilated praise when he sends new mercies to you every day? If we don’t teach our children the real meaning of praise who will? If they see us texting and playing with our cellphones during worship service, won’t they do the same? Yea, I know, you’re bible is an app on your phone but the truth of the matter is you need to get a real bible, one that you can study at all times and not just when you have a signal. If we, as adults, would stop playing church, then maybe our children would. How can we expect them to get God on the inside of them when we act, 80% of the time, like he’s not on the inside of us. In Luke 17 starting at verse 11, Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem when he was approached by 10 (ten) men who were referred to as lepers or folks who were shunned or had leprosy. Now, all of the men begged Jesus to have mercy on them, so Jesus sent them to the priest but on their way, they’re bodies were cleansed. Now, out of the 10, only one who realized he was cleaned, turned and went back to Jesus and offered him a jubilated praise for his healing. The bible says in verse 16 this man came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God and he kneeled at Jesus’ feet, because he was so grateful but then Jesus asked in verse 17-18, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?” God is asking the same thing of us. When he healed you from the cancer, do you offer God a jubilated praise every time you think about all the chemo and surgeries you had to overcome? When you get in your new car and think about all the times you had to walk or beg folks for rides here and there, do you offer God a jubilated praise? Each time you come home to a loving spouse and it makes you grateful because he/she doesn’t treat you like dirt like the last one did, do you offer God a jubilated praise? When you leave the house a little late and pass the car wreck that should have been you, do you offer God a jubilated praise? When your name wasn’t called to receive a pink slip when your other co-workers weren’t so lucky, do you offer God a jubilated praise? When you walk past the alleys and see the folks strung out on drugs, when you visit the hospital and it could have been you or your child or when you drive under an overpass and see the folks sleeping outside and you know that God is surely keeping you, do you offer him a jubilated praise? If not, you’d better start.

We have to give God more jubilated praises because we never know when we won’t have the chance too. You’d better store up your praises now so that you’ll be in God’s number on the day he returns instead of being sent to a never-ending Hell! John 4:23 says, “But the time is coming–indeed it’s here now–when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.” God doesn’t need folk playing with him but he wants folks praying to him. He doesn’t need praise only when the sun is shining but he wants to see you dancing in the rain when the storm is raging. He doesn’t need you screaming his name when you’ve been pushed down in the pits and valleys but he wants to hear his name in rejoicing when you’ve made it to the top of the mountain. You don’t have to wait until the storm comes, when death sneaks into your home or sickness attacks your body to give God an uninhibited praise because you can do it now! While you are trying to see whose watching you, the devil is watching you so you need to show him that you’re worthy of all the blessings God sends whether they are big or small. I’d rather be dancing to the beat of rejoicing instead of jumping around the hot coals on the floor of hell!

Daily Devotional – 1/27/12 “Think about it!”

Have you ever sat down to think about this or that? Have you ever done something that makes you say, “What was I thinking,” afterwards? Have you ever thought about doing something wrong, dirty or illegal? I read in the bible, Proverbs 23:7 which says “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, said he to you; but his heart is not with you.” See, it really doesn’t matter what you say because it’s what is in your heart that count. The scripture above says it all. Take as an example, you come to my house and I’ve cooked dinner for my family and even though it’s just enough for us, I invite you to join us. Think about it! With my mouth I’m saying, come on and eat but with my heart I’m saying, I hope she says no because I don’t have enough. So, in actuality I really don’t mean the words that have left my lips and because of that I’ll be judged harshly by God. Why? Because, as a child of the King, I am supposed to love my neighbors and be the keeper of my brother and sister and I should also be ready to help no matter what the situation. Luke 6:45 says “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” When you think about doing something bad to me, it’s just as bad as you doing it. See, if you heart is clean then your lips speak clean words but when your heart is dirty all that you share is dirty. Yea, you may be able to hide it for a while but eventually it’ll come out because all it will take is for someone or something to trigger it. Think about it. After you eat greasy or spicy foods, you sometimes end up with heartburn and/or gas that will eventually have to come out, right? Well, if you keep eating hate for your brother, lies about your sister, gossip about your neighbors and malicious intent for your co-workers, eventually it’ll come out no matter how you try to cover it.

You’re still pissed off because your co-worker got the job you thought was yours and even though you’ve remained cordial with him/her, each time they come to your desk for help, your anger gets closer and closer to coming out until one day it will. But see, it doesn’t really matter if you ever say it or not because you’ve been thinking it all along and as the previous scripture states, as a man thinks so is he. So even though you act like you like him/her, you actually hate them and this is causing you to be punished by God. You’ve been mad at your ex-boyfriend for the way he treated you and even though you say you’ve moved past it, you haven’t and now you’re ruining a good man’s life because you’re holding him accountable for what your ex did. Think about it! Your last man cheated on you so now you’re so jealous you’re pushing the new one away with all your insecurities. You want to check his text messages, voice mails, emails and pockets when he comes home but he doesn’t treat you like that and he’s never given you a reason to not trust him but you do. Why, because you are thinking about all the malicious stuff that your ex did. But what you should have done is prayed to God saying, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10),” after the old relationship so that you don’t have to hide behind pleasant words because they will be true and coming from your heart. Proverbs 26:24 says “People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they’re deceiving you.” If you don’t mean what you say, then you are a deceiver, which means you are a liar, fraud, cheat and/or con artist. It’s like you praying for me and even though I hear the nice words that are coming from your mouth, they aren’t reaching God’s ears because your heart is dirty and what you really want to say is the opposite of what you’re actually speaking. Think about it! When you have all of this nasty mess in your heart, it’s blocking your blessings and not the blessing of the folks you hate on. Each time you think something bad about me, you’re blocking your blessing. Each time you think about doing something bad to somebody, you’re blocking your blessing. You choose to let God into your life which means you choose a new life, so why are you holding on to all of the old stuff? When you chose God, you chose a new beginning and just like he wiped your slate clean, you have to also wipe the slate clean of all the stuff you’ve been holding in your heart for folks that have done you wrong. You can’t change folks but you can surely change you.

Colossians 3:1-17 sums up everything that I’ve said above and I wanted to share it with you. Just as something for you to think about. Let go of all the hurt and anger that is in your heart for whatever or whoever because it’ll consume your life and I know that your life is much more than that and way more than the ugly person you’ve become. Step into the newness that God has given you and become a better you just for you.

“ 1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”