Love Like Jesus

I have always been passionate about sharing the gospel and helping people who have never heard about Jesus to become His followers. I even planned to carry out Jesus’s Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20) as a missionary in a faraway land.

My dream was to travel to the deepest jungles of Central America and live in a hut complete with anacondas hanging from the ceiling. The Lord seemed to confirm this plan when He sent me a beautiful wife who shared my passion for mission work. She was even on board with hut-dwelling. I imagined us going to unreached people groups. I would translate the Bible, she would teach, and we would live happily ever after, serving the Lord.

Sounds like a fantastic plan, right? We thought so, too, but God had other plans for us first (Proverbs 19:21). After our wedding, Kathy joined me in Topeka, Kansas, where I had begun pastoring a church.

God, in His wisdom, postponed our desire to serve Him overseas. We still knew we’d get there someday, but not yet. God placed us in Kansas because He knew we needed a little experience under our young belts and a good sending church before we sailed off to the other side of the world.

After five long years, the Lord finally gave us the desire of our hearts. He and our church in Kansas sent us to Taiwan. It would be our home for the next twenty years. We learned to speak Chinese and planted a church. It was a challenging task, but God helped us.

It was another five years before a single person responded to the Good News, but when they did, God moved mightily. Kathy and I were amazed at how the Lord melted the hearts of people who had been so far from believing in Him. Lives all around us were transformed. The Lord used those precious people to teach us how to live and love like Jesus.

In 2006, we felt the Lord leading us back to the United States, and I settled into a new position as the teaching and missions pastor at First Christian Church (FCC) in Phoenix, Arizona. I would need everything I had learned in Taiwan, as God was about to do a new thing in our congregation (Isaiah 43:19). And He would use formerly incarcerated people to do it.

Ministering to former inmates was the one thing that had not made it into my busy schedule. Yes, I had known ex-offenders over the years and had heard their powerful redemption stories. I’d even visited the county jail with my brother who is a police chaplain and student pastor.

I admired my brother’s work and his special relationship with former gangsters, but I’d never imagined myself in that role. Nor had I ever been in a Christian community with a significant constituency of ex-cons. That was about to change, however, after an unexpected visit from two men—Collis, the founder and director of Alongside Ministries (ASM), and Austin, the men’s director there.

ASM is a dynamic local prison ministry that matches men and women behind bars with Christian mentors before they are released and provides residential discipleship training for nine more months after their release from prison.

Collis and Austin had discovered a missing piece to the intricate puzzle of rehabilitation and reentry, and they were on a mission to put this piece in place within their ministry. That’s what brought them through FCC’s doors.

They wanted a church home for the men and women in their program and all future ASM programmers. They met with me and my coworker, Jon, to discuss their idea.

“Pastor Chuck,” Collis began, “our men and women need to experience what it means to be part of a church family. We’ve hopped around Sunday after Sunday, visiting various congregations that support our ministry. We need to find a church home so our men and women can experience life in the body of Christ.

“We recently polled our folks to find out where they would want to settle down, and it was unanimous. They like the biblical focus of FCC’s teaching and always feel welcomed. So what do you think? Can we make this our home?”

I was glad the men and women had chosen FCC over all the other churches in town, but I was also wary of an influx of ex-cons into our membership. How would our people react? Then I remembered the heart of God for this group of people.

There was no question about what He’d have us do. He loves formerly incarcerated people the same as He does anyone else. His love had redeemed them from a deep, dark pit. How could we as a body of believers refuse them a place in God’s family?

So there was only one answer. We would love like Jesus, no matter how messy or uncomfortable it got.

Jon and I had no idea the massive evolution our church was about to undergo, but we sensed God was orchestrating something big. Our part in His plan was to say yes to the opportunity and trust God with the results. We could do that.

But then, Collis presented another request that caught us a bit off-guard. “Guys,” he said, “not only do our men and women want to attend the main service, but they want to spend their entire Sunday mornings at FCC. Is there a class they could join?”

I began to sweat a little.

We offered small groups through the week at FCC and around the city but had eliminated our Sunday classes. Well, except for one attended by the congregation’s most senior crowd.

Faithful grandmas and grandpas who had led our church through challenging brush fires and storms comprised this class. Still, we weren’t sure they would be excited about 30 formerly incarcerated men and women descending upon their classroom. I wasn’t sure they could handle the culture shock.

We informed Collis and Austin that we would check with our church elders and get back to them.

We met with three of the church’s patriarchs and recounted our meeting with Collis and Austin. I smiled as I spoke, hoping to soften the impact of the news that FCC would now be the home church of a community of former inmates. Then I dropped the big news: “And they want to join your Sunday School class!”

I held my breath, expecting a negative response, but the men simply said they would ask the class. The following Sunday, after their group met, the men said, “The class thinks it sounds like something Jesus would want us to do.” I’d never been prouder to be their pastor.

It’s been 12 years since that first group of pierced and tattooed wonders descended on the Kingdom Seekers Sunday School class. I have to smile when I think back to that first Sunday. I can still hear Glen’s voice (one of those elders) calling me.

“Chuck, come quick. You have to see what’s happened to our class!” At first, I didn’t know how to respond, but then his face broke into a bright smile. “These people have doubled our attendance and reduced our average age by one-third!”

That day was a happy, pivotal moment, both in the life of First Christian Church and in those of the men and women who desperately needed to experience the love of a family. We’ve all been changed for the better.

Austin soon persuaded me to accompany him into the men’s prison in Florence, Arizona. I was apprehensive, but my fear dissipated when those men welcomed me into their family. I have been a religious volunteer for the Arizona Department of Corrections ever since. Now I do what I used to watch my little brother do—teach men about Jesus and the Word of God in prison. Talk about a foreign mission field! The irony in the way God works makes me chuckle.

Some people have difficulty believing there’s a church who will love them like a family and help them reenter society. Many respond with, “Yeah, right. No church will want someone like me around.”

But after they come, I usually hear, “I’ve never felt loved and accepted like this.” That makes my day like nothing else. These folks don’t realize what it means to us to be loved and accepted by them.

On any given Sunday, I can look into the congregation and see the faces of people I have met in prison. It has been a privilege to continue to teach and disciple them; many have become close friends. Sometimes, they teach me how to follow Jesus and reflect Him in our broken world.

God is moving powerfully from the inside out. Who knew He could use transformed men and women from the inside to bring transformation to people on the outside? I’m glad to have a front-row seat.

God refashioned what was once a very traditional, upper-middle-class church into a diverse community where incredible stories of redemption abound and where people from every tribe, tongue, and nation live in harmony, worshipping their Savior together.

It’s a beautiful sight—and I imagine heaven will be much like it.

You know, not everyone appreciated our saying yes to God and welcoming these folks. Love and grace are messy. Many people left our church because they didn’t want to sit next to an ex-con.

But that’s okay. Life isn’t about making everyone comfortable; it’s about obeying the Lord. It’s about loving others and welcoming them into God’s family. It’s about moving over and making room for people who are different from us.

Making disciples is a journey of on­going healing and growth. It’s deliberate, intentional, and often challenging. Is it easy? No. It requires God’s wisdom and strength and patience (Philippians 4:13). But it’s worth the effort.

And in the process, you’ll grow. You’ll make new friends. And you’ll experience God doing something incredible in and through you.

Don’t miss it! Open the door. Scoot over and make room for others today.

______

CHUCK FOREMAN and his wife, Kathy, have established deep roots at First Christian Church of Phoenix, Arizona, a church known for humbly serving its community. In addition to being proud parents and grandparents, Chuck and Kathy consider dozens of men and women as part of their beloved family of disciples.

Will You Trust God?

Certain events stay fresh in our memories forever, like the birth of a child and taking them home for the first time. Even now, I can vividly recall the sleeper my youngest son, Brett, wore when I brought him home from the hospital—his “froggie.” I loved to cuddle him in that soft outfit. Memories like that are precious.

But then there are the memories I wish I could forget, like the day I learned that same son was going to jail. That life-changing phone call came four days before Christmas in 2015. I remember every detail.

I was heading out the door to finish some last-minute holiday shopping when my phone rang. I wasn’t going to answer it, but then I noticed it was Brett calling. We hadn’t spoken in months, and our previous call had ended in an argument. Sadly, that was the norm between us.

But this call would be different. I answered and immediately heard sobs on the other end of the line. It was a crying that came from a place of absolute fear and panic.

My son attempted to catch his breath as he told me a warrant was out for his arrest. He was on his way to turn himself in to the police.

Trust me—no parent is prepared for that conversation.

As his mom, I searched frantically for the right words to comfort him, to assure him that everything would be okay. But all I could do was cry with him and say, “I love you.” I was terrified and alone as I hung up the phone.

The days and weeks that followed are a blur. My mother’s heart attempted to reconcile terms like “suicide watch” and “no release on bail.” I was drowning in an overwhelming mix of emotions: fear, sadness, shame, guilt, and helplessness. I cried a lifetime of tears.

I sat alone in my closet and rifled through my Bible, desperately seeking a way to escape my sorrow. I didn’t understand the depth of God’s love for my son and me then, so I was scared to death.

One day as I was begging God to take away my pain, He led me to the story of Paul and his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7–9). Like me, Paul had begged the Lord to take some hardship from his life. But the Lord answered, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (NLT).

I couldn’t move past this verse. I read it again. And again. Each time, a different part of it jumped out at me.

“His power is made perfect in my weakness.”

“His power is made perfect in my weakness.”

“His power is made perfect in my weakness.”

God illuminated my heart and mind as I meditated on this verse, and I noticed the contrast between my weakness and God’s power. Being in that weakened state positioned me to experience the fullness of God’s power. It allowed me to witness God’s power in action, and I realized that hardship wasn’t my enemy. It wasn’t something to pray away immediately.

Still, I didn’t appreciate feeling helpless or weak. I’ve always been a take-control person, as self-reliant as they come. And yet…I never seemed to achieve the desired outcome. Honestly, I often made things worse. And that led to feelings of self-pity and bitterness.

I was a living example of God’s Word in Jeremiah 17:5, “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord” (NLT).

The Lord showed me that self-reliance had prevented me from having a deep personal relationship with Him. I was a spiritually dead Christian who foolishly believed I was in control.

My son’s arrest presented a situation over which I had zero control. My child was facing serious prison time, and there was no amount of action or self-reliance that would change the outcome. For the first time in my life, I was desperate for God. Without His intervention and help, I would have drowned in my sea of troubles.

And that’s when I started to discern God’s presence in my life. He kept nudging me and asking, “Do you trust Me?”

I wish I could say I immediately surrendered and said yes, but it wasn’t that easy. After all, this was my son. How could I trust anyone else to care for and love him more than I did?

I wrestled with God for months, until my brother sent me a copy of an article about a desperate mother with a prodigal son.

This woman talked about a dream where she’d recited a prayer for her son, touched him with the blood of Jesus, and then asked God, “What now?” God told her to leave her son with Him. She then shared how she laid her son at the foot of the cross and trusted the love of God.

By the time I finished reading the article, I was sobbing, overcome by tears of joy and relief as God spoke to my heart. He invited me to leave my son with Him and trust His love. No, I couldn’t be with Brett. I couldn’t help him.

But God could, and He would.

I surrendered my son that day into my heavenly Father’s loving arms. I found immediate relief as He lifted that heavy burden from my shoulders.

After that, my prayers became more confident. I began coming boldly to God’s throne of grace to find the help I needed (Hebrews 4:16). I asked God to send the Holy Spirit to comfort and strengthen my son (John 14:16) and to place Christians in his path to guide him and share the love of Jesus with him. God’s Spirit comforted me too.

A few years into Brett’s prison sentence, I learned of a prison ministry called Kairos. I attended an orientation meeting for a local group of volunteers who hosted weekends inside a women’s prison with the intent of building a Christian community there.

I felt drawn to the ministry as I heard stories of how lives were being transformed. God had led me to this place and prepared me for this moment.

I thought back to when I’d asked God to place believers in Brett’s path in his prison. Now the Lord was calling me to step into the path of someone else’s child behind bars and be a living example of Christ’s love.

Those Kairos weekends were a blessing for me; I felt so at home! I had come full circle from wallowing as the cursed one in Jeremiah 17:5 to being a living testimony of Romans 8:28. Because I loved the Lord and was living out His purposes, He was working the most challenging trial of my life for my good and the good of others.

The greatest blessing on this journey has been reconciling with my son and growing in our faith together. Quite frankly, it’s more than a blessing; it’s a miracle.

Before Brett’s arrest, our relationship was defined by conflict and separation. With every year that passed, I lost more of him. The thread that bound us was steadily unraveling in my grasp. But I had been praying that God would save my son, and He heard my prayers (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

While Brett’s story is his to share, he would freely tell you that he was walking down a dark path of destruction until Christ intervened. The Lord has done a mighty work in his life. Of course, his transformation didn’t happen overnight; no one’s does. But God never gave up on him, and neither did I.

In 2019, I attended a family day at the prison, where my son gave his testimony. Toward the end of his talk, he turned and thanked me for refusing to give up on him. He apologized for the pain he had caused, and then he shared the foundation of faith that I had instilled in him. I cannot describe the joy I experienced that day.

I never thought I would say this, but I am grateful for my son’s incarceration. We both needed to get to the end of ourselves so we could see that Jesus had been sitting beside us the whole time.

Jesus is the only One who could free us from the grip of the enemy. Only He could show us the path to redemption and love us enough to forgive our past mistakes. And then He taught us how to forgive ourselves and each other, so we could love one another as He loves us.

I won’t lie; Brett and I still have difficult days. It’s been a long and arduous journey with many challenges. In seven years, he has been housed in seven different prisons and moved farther away from home each time. We’ve survived a pandemic that resulted in our inability to see each other for more than a year. And I can’t even begin to tell you the injustices he has endured to survive.

God’s Word consistently encourages and uplifts us. Joshua 1:9 says, “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (NLT). I recall this verse whenever I need to be reminded that God is with me.

While I am grateful for all God has done for us over the past several years, I look forward to concluding this chapter of our lives. Brett will be released in a few months, and I’m eagerly awaiting his homecoming and being able to embrace him. No longer will I have to leave him behind. I look forward to long walks and enjoying our favorite meals together.

At the same time, I’m well aware that adjusting to life outside of prison will be a challenge on its own. Brett will have to deal with the collateral consequences of his felony conviction. I’m sometimes overwhelmed by the reality of the challenges he’ll be facing. I’ve even asked God, “How much more can we endure?”

But God was prompt with His answer and led me to Matthew 16:9: “Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up?” (NLT).

Jesus had to remind His disciples about the miracles of the past, and now, God was reminding me too. I must never forget His mercies and all He has done for my son and for me; doing so would allow the enemy to sneak in and overwhelm me with his lies.

No situation is too hard for God (Jere­miah 32:17). In fact, the bigger the challenge, the greater the opportunity for us to experience God’s power. We can face anything with Christ (Matthew 19:26; Philippians 4:13). There is no darkness that we will encounter that the light of Jesus has not already conquered (John 1:5).

Maybe you’re fighting doubts and what-if scenarios too. It’s hard to face the unknown. Let me encourage you to remember God’s faithfulness and His promise found in Joshua 1:9. You are not facing the darkness alone. God is with you. Always.

He will show up and work in your situation in amazing ways. Will you trust Him?

I hope my story helps you answer with a resounding yes and amen.

______

PAULA FOX loves the Lord and serving His children behind bars. She volunteers her time at Kairos Prison Ministry and Victorious Living.

Flourish in His Care

I love springtime! Sprucing up my yard and home with colorful flowers and beautiful plants is a favorite pastime that makes me smile.

A couple years ago, I added some pygmy palm trees to our home’s landscape. They are known to do well with proper care and a little pruning. I planted two in the yard and two in large planters. I was excited to watch them grow.

I thought I did a good job looking after them, but I soon noticed distinct differences between the ones in the yard and the ones in the planters. The trees I regularly pruned were noticeably taller and healthier than the ones that had not had as much attention. They were also producing tender new palm branches from the top center of the trees, each one reaching toward the sun. I marveled at how they knew to stretch toward their source of life. The two palms that received less attention were not exactly living their best lives.

My gardening lesson reminded me of Psalm 92:12–13: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God” (NIV).

The repetition of the word “flourish” in this passage piqued my interest, and I searched for its meaning. Merriam-Webster defines it as “a period of thriving” and “to grow luxuriantly.” The Hebrew definition, the original language of the Old Testament, refers to a “breaking forth” and “blooming.” In the New Testament, the word appears once and means “to put forth anew.”

God’s loving intention for His people is that we grow in maturity and fruitfulness as we shed our old nature and bloom anew.

I can’t speak for my palm trees, but in my human experience, growing is hard work. Flourishing doesn’t just magically happen for plants or for people. It requires a pruning process that can be downright painful and sometimes make you question the Lord’s goodness.

But I’ve learned that in those times, we must take our cue from the palm trees and keep stretching for the “Son.” Jesus’s light will sustain us and cause our faith and love for others to flourish (2 Thessalonians 1:3).

God’s pruning process comes in different forms. Sometimes it requires the removal of selfishness, pride, stubbornness, bitterness, hate, and jealousy. As we submit our emotions to God and renew our hearts and minds with His Word, we experience God’s perfect will for our lives (Romans 12:2). His Holy Spirit will help us grow in love, grace, and humility. He will develop a desire in us to walk in obedience to His Word.

At times, pruning requires the removal of people and things. Hebrews 12:1 says we are to cut away anything that hinders our steps. Sometimes even beautiful things must be cut away to make room for God’s better. Those are the hardest things to release.

You can trust the pruning process to the hands of the Master Gardener. Pruning is evidence of His love for you. God knows which branches to cut off so you can be fruitful and experience an abundant life (John 15:1–8). Whatever He removes will make space for something more beautiful than you can imagine.

Let His promises sustain you as you bloom into the person He intends you to be. God will help you grow, produce fruit, and remain full of life even into old age (Psalm 92:13–15).

Now that is some much-needed hope, isn’t it? May it nourish your soul as you flourish in your relationship with Jesus.

LINDA CUBBEDGE-SMITH was Victorious Living’s Prison Correspondence Outreach Director from 2014 until June of 2021. She is currently working on a book about the goodness of God and remains passionate about leading others to Him.

Your Pain Has Purpose

I’ve spent many years lying on bunks in jails and prisons, staring hopelessly at the ceiling. At the time, I’d bought into the lie that I had gone too far and it was too late for me.

Fear, regret, and defeat convinced me that I had wasted the best years of my life. Those thoughts overshadowed any positivity about my future. The emotional pain was so intense, I could feel it physically.

I tried to escape the weight of these emotions with drugs, pornography, and gambling, but those things only took me deeper into darkness. I would have died of an overdose if Christ hadn’t responded to my cries, but He did. He jumped into my pit and pulled me out (Job 33:28, Jonah 2:6).

Not once did He chastise or condemn me. Instead, He wrapped His arms around me and set my feet on solid ground. He traded my prison blues for His robe of righteousness and resurrected my life into one with meaning. Because of Jesus, my life is now a testimony of powerful restoration that leads others to freedom. (See Psalm 40:1–3.)

As a redeemed son of God, I now walk confidently through gates that once held me prisoner. I am a seasoned veteran with many battle wounds, but I am also an overcomer through Jesus Christ. He alone has given me the keys to freedom, and I am committed to sharing them with my incarcerated brothers and sisters.

It never ceases to amaze me how my painful past helps me get eye level with others. They have hope when they hear what God has done and is doing in my life. They realize if He could set me free, He can set anyone free!

With Jesus, nothing in my life is wasted—not even my biggest mistakes. Every experience has become an opportunity to learn and a powerful testimony of the goodness of God.

Did you know that the Apostle Paul wrote two-thirds of the New Testament from a prison cell? Paul rejoiced in his suffering and wanted everyone to understand that his time in chains had a divine purpose. He said, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel” (Philippians 1:12 NIV).

I can relate to Paul here because my incarceration has also served to advance the Gospel. Of course, my incarceration was due to my disobedience to God, not my loyalty to Him. But God’s mercy is for people on both spectrums—the sinner and the saint. He brings beauty from ashes for His glory, no matter how our ashes were formed (Isaiah 61:3).

It’s time to look at your past through God’s lens of purpose. Give Him those ashes. Don’t buy into the lie that your life is a waste; God never wastes anything.

Every broken road you have traveled has uniquely equipped you to help others. Through your life story, you may reach people for Christ that others cannot. And every time you find the courage to share the goodness of God, your testimony defeats the enemy’s hold on someone else (Revelation 12:11).

Purpose, though, begins with surrendering your broken life to Christ and then courageously journeying through it with Him. Despite all the pain you’ve been through, an overwhelming victory can be yours through Christ, who loves you (Romans 8:37).

Your testimony holds the key to someone else’s freedom. Please don’t keep it to yourself.

Kory Gordon spent 11 years in incarceration, where he gave his life to Christ. He is now an evangelist, sharing the Good News that set him free. In 2021, he founded Damascus Road, a nonprofit residential discipleship program battling addiction, recidivism, and homelessness. Email damascusroad2021@gmail.com for more info.

God, Be with Me

I’ve seen God move in miraculous ways in my many years. Like when I was flying combat in Vietnam in the late 1960s.

The air force assigned me to the F-105 Thunderchief aircraft and sent me to the Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. After three days of orientation, I flew my first combat mission.

I was more than anxious as I headed toward my assigned target, but I took the time to pray. “God, please be with me.” Praying to my heavenly Father brought peace and comfort. I would repeat that short prayer on all 91 of my subsequent missions.

On my 38th mission, my aircraft suffered enemy fire and lost all oil pressure. Ejection was imminent, and that didn’t excite me. At that time, ejections were only 80 percent successful. So I prayed.

Generally, with no oil, a jet engine will continue to run no more than a minute. I’ve even heard the time be as short as 15 seconds. Miraculously, my engine ran for over six minutes, allowing me to get away from enemy territory.

I told the electronic warfare officer in the back of our F-105G to prepare for ejection and headed for the closest airbase.

As I started my descent, the aircraft accelerated to over 450 knots (518 mph). I retarded the throttle and expended the speed brakes—and the engine seized.

My wingman came over the intercom. “You’re on fire! You need to get out.”

I pulled up the nose to slow the airplane and ordered the officer with me to eject. Two orders and some not-so-religious words from me later, he finally obeyed.

Smoke filled the cockpit. It was my turn to eject. I grabbed the ejection lever, said another prayer, and pulled hard. Wham!

The ejection seat fired, and my head slapped down hard on my knee. My chin strap went into my voice box; I couldn’t breathe. Disoriented, I fell from the aircraft. When I finally got my bearings, I realized my chute hadn’t automatically deployed. I quickly grabbed the D-ring and manually opened the chute. I breathed a sigh of relief and then focused on where I was going to land.

The chute was drifting toward obstacles. I tried to steer clear, but I went down hard and broke my ankle. Twelve minutes later, a rescue chopper was right above me. I’d never been happier! The other officer survived as well. After rehab, I, like many others who served, went back to fly 53 more missions. I took more gunfire, and you can believe, the words, “God, please be with me,” were always forthcoming. I had no better protection than the Lord’s help.

I believe God hears all our prayers. He knows our hearts. He hears us when all we can say is “help,” and He welcomes our longer prayers too, when we pour out our hearts to Him.

Of course, God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we think He should. Sometimes, for reasons we’ll never know, He chooses not to perform a life-saving miracle on this side of heaven.

Those moments are disappointing, and they can shake our faith if we aren’t careful.

I’ve said my share of “unanswered” prayers too. But I don’t give up on God or doubt His ability to hear and answer prayer. Instead, I trust His love for me and keep asking, seeking, and knocking on the heart of God (Matthew 7:7).

It helps when I think back on the times I’ve witnessed God at work. Those moments serve as powerful reminders of God’s power and grace and give me hope that if He did it then, He can do it now.

Whatever you are facing today, I encourage you to pray about it (Philippians 4:6–8). When you give your situation to God, He will give you His peace and enable you to face the difficult thing before you.

By Gerald B. Hurst, with Kristi Overton Johnson

Gerald B. Hurst served in the US Air Force for 26 years and has also served as a representative in the NC Legislature. Colonel Hurst has been married to his sweetheart, Amelia, for 65 years and still enjoys flying. He has flown over 5,300 hours.

Benched by God?

I have never cared about sports of any kind. Then I got married.

For the last two years, I have been in boot camp, learning to be the wife of an avid sports lover. Any game involving a ball makes my otherwise attentive husband oblivious to the world around him.

To keep harmony in my home and avoid being a nagging wife, I sometimes sit with him through the games, absorbing more information than I will ever need or use. I have learned about teams, players, touchdowns, field goals, offense and defense, and good versus poor sportsmanship.

Players who spend time on the bench consistently catch my attention. Whether they’re there because of injury, poor performance, or not following the game plan or their coach’s lead, being benched is a big deal. It can be a temporary setback, or it can define their career.

The player’s attitude and ability to receive correction and instruction is what makes the difference. Those who decide to use the experience to gain wisdom and guidance are likely to emerge as better players and possibly even better people.

The same principles apply to our life and our walk with Jesus. My ultimate bench experience happened the third time I went to prison. The first two times I got locked up, I didn’t know the Lord, and I wasn’t interested in trying to do better in life.

I didn’t see myself as the problem. I blamed other people and my circumstances for where I had wound up. The chaos and dysfunction of my life had become comfortable, so it didn’t even occur to me that I should try to change.

But after 25 years of repeating the same cycle, I was barely alive and exhausted from doing things my way. In His grace and mercy, God put me on the bench, and I finally realized my need for Him. There, I surrendered my life to Jesus and decided to let Him be the head coach of my life.

I spent the rest of my prison time immersed in my Bible. It’s God’s playbook for a meaningful life (Hebrews 4:12). If you want lasting transformation, God’s Word is where you’ll find it.

Once released, I surrounded myself with like-minded people who were invested in my success. Five years later, they still take the time to walk with me, share their wisdom, and cover me in prayer as I learn to live for Christ. When I mess up or when my thinking is skewed or I misbehave, they don’t just tell me what they think I want to hear. They tell me the truth about myself and lovingly redirect me to God’s Word.

No matter how you get to the bench, trust that God knows what’s best for you. He may require you to sit it out with Him several times throughout your life. Our heavenly Father deals with us individually according to what we need (Hebrews 12:7). If He puts you on the bench, sit there and learn!

Is yours a physical bench or an invisible one? Are you in a season of correction? Maybe God wants you to be still for a while and get your priorities straight. Pay attention! Look for the lessons and the wisdom around you. More importantly, listen for God.

Spend your time on the bench wisely. Ask the Lord to show you in His Word how to change, how to break old habits and behaviors, and how to become more like Him. God disciplines you because He loves you (Proverbs 3:12). He wants you to become everything He created you to be—for your good and His glory (Ephesians 1:4–6).

CHRISTINA KIMBREL serves as Victorious Living’s production manager. Once incarcerated, she now ministers hope to those held captive by their past and current circumstances while sharing the message of healing she found in Jesus.

You Don’t Have to Go Back

I had just a few months left on my ten-year prison sentence when a friend said to me, “I don’t know how you’ve been able to do these ten years, Danny.” Without thinking, I said, “One day at a time, John.”

If you think about it, we’re all doing time somewhere. The question is, what are we doing, every day, with the time we’ve been given?

There are two things we all do, no matter who we are. One, we live till we die, and two, every day we’re alive, we make decisions. Good decisions generally lead to good results, and bad decisions usually lead to bad ones.

I’ll admit, I have made more than my share of bad decisions—but that doesn’t mean I have to continue making them. No way! It took serving time in 12 federal prisons and 5 county jails in 8 states for me to come to my senses, but I’ve now made it my aim to make the best decisions I can.

I’m in my 70s, and I have been out of prison for 20 years now, clean and green. I guess you could say I’ve “learned a thing or two, about a thing or two.”

Society has decided that incarceration is a form of punishment that will deter an individual from making the same bad decisions a second time. But does it?

Recently, I asked the men at a Bible study I teach at a halfway house to raise their hands if they had done more than one bit. More than half of them raised their hands. One man had been down 11 times. But then he said, “This is the last time, because I’ve found Jesus.”

Hold that thought!

What is it about Jesus that can prevent someone from going back to prison? Shouldn’t the shame, guilt, and financial hardship we’ve placed on our families be enough? Or living miles away from everything we love? How about living in fear and constantly looking over our shoulders?

For so many, none of those things prevent them from going back to their old ways and ultimately returning to prison. But Jesus can change things. Galatians 3:22 says, “we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ” (NLT).

I got right with God during my first two weeks in jail by accepting Jesus into my life. In that moment, I knew that I was corrected. Sure, I still had to serve the rest of my time and work through some wrong thinking, but from that day until now, Jesus has been doing time with me. He’s helped me overcome every obstacle I’ve met. He’s given me His strength, wisdom, peace, and power to face each day.

Is Jesus doing time with you, or are you still trying to do everything your way? Whatever trial you’re facing, are you doing it with Him or on your own?

I’ve tried doing life my way. It didn’t work. But when I began doing things God’s way, everything changed. He is the reason I am an ex-con, an ex-drug dealer, an ex-drug addict, and an ex-alcoholic.

I saw a poster once that said, “Never be a prisoner of your past. It was just a lesson, not a life sentence.” With Jesus, you can be free from your past, once and for all. His truth and Spirit can set you free (John 8:32; 2 Corinthians 3:17).

Stop trying to do things your way. Let Jesus change your heart and mind so He can change your ways and future. You don’t have to go back to your dead-end ways; you don’t have to be a statistic.

Life is about decisions, and the most important decision you can ever make is to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. Go ahead, make it today. When you do, Jesus will come into your life and serve your time with you.

DANNY R. COX was called by God to be an evangelist while serving time in prison. He is now a credentialed evangelist and correctional chaplain and serves on the board of KOJ Ministries. Danny shares his story in churches and prisons worldwide. His book, High on a Lie, may be purchased on Amazon in English and Spanish. He is the founder of Prison2Preacher Ministries.

Commitment and Consistency: Keys to Transformation

In July 2012, I received an email saying my soon-to-be ex-husband had been awarded full temporary custody of our two sons. Two days later, my children and I were separated. My heart broke into a million pieces.

My sadness turned to rage, and I took on the victim role. Roots of bitterness grew deep, and I hurt many people (Hebrews 12:15). Intense shame and depression set in, and I slid into a hopeless pit. I lost all sense of who I was and my life’s purpose.

I had no one to blame but myself. Seven years of poor decisions caused by drug and alcohol addiction had led me into dark places where I had neglected my children. The court ordered that I would have supervised visitation, pay full child support, and attend family drug court for a year.

I set out to avenge my motherhood, but I was quickly overwhelmed because I didn’t know the Lord and I was fighting my battle alone. Four months into the court program, I failed a random drug test. The court took disciplinary action, but I didn’t have the courage or strength to follow through with the requirements.

My shame and selfishness kept me from taking responsibility and fighting for my life. I gave up and gave myself over entirely to my addiction and a life of lawlessness. I became homeless, revolving in and out of psychiatric hospitals and jail for years. My children were distant memories.

If you read my story in Issue 03/2022, you know that the light of Jesus Christ overcame the darkness of my life (John 1:4–5) while I was in jail awaiting a prison sentence. Right there, Christ made me new—He gave me a new heart, a clear mind, new desires, and a new will to live and love again. His presence and Word gave me strength, courage, and hope for future reunification with my children. My heart clung to the promise that with God, all things were possible (Matthew 19:26).

Then He stepped in and made a way for me to go to the Phoenix Rescue Mission, a Christ-centered facility providing solutions for people trapped in cycles of homelessness, addiction, and poverty. There, I committed my whole self—heart, mind, body, will, emotions—as a living sacrifice to God and renewed it daily (Romans 12:1). I laid my relationship with my children and their father on God’s altar. Only God could bring the healing we needed.

The first few months I was at the Mission, I wasn’t allowed to have contact with the outside world except through writing to approved people. Each week, I wrote my two sons. I didn’t know if they were getting my letters, but I continued to pursue them in faith.

Three months into the program, I received permission to call them twice weekly.

God planted the words commitment and consistency in my mind. Commitment and consistency were new ideas for me, but I’ve since learned they are critical components for life transformation.

A couple months later, my boys were approved to visit me. I loved those weekend visits! We would talk, laugh, and play games. I was grateful their dad allowed these interactions.

Eventually, I got a car and gained even more freedom. I felt hopeful and eager. I was ready to be their mom again and to have unsupervised visits. But their father said, “Not yet.”

This delay hurt, and I felt rejected. I’d worked hard and made significant progress.

But my addiction, actions, and brokenness had betrayed the trust of many, especially my sons’ father. It would take time to unravel and reshape the mess I’d made. I had to trust God’s timing and His ability to heal and change hearts. If I rushed the process, I might cause more delays.

“Commitment and consistency, Sheridan.” The Lord kept urging me to stay the course, to not react to my hurt feelings, and to keep my eyes fixed on Him. His plans were good (Jeremiah 29:11); I just had to trust them.

And then I learned my ex and his family,  including my boys, were moving to Georgia. My heart broke as my reunification plan fell apart. “No, God!” I cried. “Why would You save me and change me, only to let my boys move away from me?”

I wrestled with my emotions for a hot minute but returned to the truth—God had a plan, and I could trust it. I saw that I had two choices. I could either succumb to the crippling heaviness of this news and the uncertainty of my reconciliation process, or I could “lean not on my own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5–6) and “be still and know that He is God” (Psalm 46:10).

Leaning on my minimal and faulty understanding had consistently led me to destruction. I had to remain committed and consistent in my relationship with God, no matter what my emotions were telling me. God knew the end of my reconciliation from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). His plan would prevail. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21 NIV).

I was amazed at the peace in my heart. Before giving my life to Jesus, a circumstance like this would have taken me out. I would have played the victim card, used drugs, fought for my rights, and been depressed and filled with despair.

Instead, because of God’s presence, power, and promises in my life, I was able to receive this news without sliding into that hopeless pit. He had transformed my heart and mind and made me a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). This new creation was no longer doing old things. Praise God!

My sons often asked me when I would move near them. I wasn’t able to answer them definitively, and that hurt. I still had to complete the program at the Mission and finish three years of probation before I could go anywhere.

“Whenever God allows it,” I’d reply. I had to surrender to the unknown and trust that God was working behind the scenes to bring about His plan. And you know what? That’s all God asked me to do.

While I waited, I strove to remain faithful to the Lord. I started working in ministry, completed my probation, restored my civil rights, and returned to school.

God impressed on my heart to pay the child support I owed, including seven years of arrearages. I had no idea how to do this—the bottom line didn’t add up. I was already working two jobs and didn’t have enough money to meet my personal needs. But God soon blessed me with a promotion. “Commitment and consistency” kept ringing in my ears.

I flew back and forth from Arizona to Georgia to visit my children for the following year. Before too long, their father agreed to unsupervised parenting time. I burst into tears of joy at the news, and a year later, I moved to Georgia.

Today, my husband and I are coparenting with my ex-husband and his wife. Only God could restore such brokenness and bring forth such beauty (Joel 2:25). Only He could transform my messed-up self into a mother who is now part of the solution and not the problem. And only He could have softened my ex-husband’s heart to bring us into this arrangement.

You know, God can do the same for you. You have to realize, however, that transformation and restoration take time. It’s a process that starts with surrendering your heart, mind, life, and desires to God. It requires unwavering commitment and consistency to God and doing whatever is necessary to move toward your goal, no matter how difficult or long it takes.

Along the way, God will give you His strength, peace, and contentment for the journey. Trust Him.

Sheridan Correa is a biblical counselor who is trained in trauma-informed care. She’s a wife, mother of two teenage boys, singer, and avid runner who has been radically changed by Jesus. She joined the Victorious Living family in 2022 as digital content manager.

More of Jesus, Less of Me

“Go for it! Have some fun! You deserve this. Everybody has it better than you. Your mom’s sick. Your dad’s a drug addict. God cheated you. Life cheated you. Everybody cheated you.”

Anger and self-pity fueled me for decades. It never mattered that I knew that what I was doing was wrong. My inner voice always urged me to move forward. I was a victim, and the world owed me.

As far back as I can remember, I’ve felt sorry for myself. It started in elementary school when I began comparing my home life to what I imagined my peers experienced. I could never pinpoint exactly what they had that I didn’t, but I knew it was better. I lost sight of any good thing in my life and focused only on the negative.

I loved my family and knew they loved me, but our home was dysfunctional and chaotic. Dad was a full-blown crack cocaine addict and alcoholic. His addiction brought much grief into our home, especially for my older brother, whom Dad abused. My brother was my father’s stepson; perhaps that’s why he targeted him so fiercely. Whatever the reason, it made me uncomfortable because Dad treated me like the golden child.

Dad’s addiction led him in and out of jail and eventually to prison. It also caused us to move a lot. By the time I was 15, we had moved ten times.

My mother was loving, but she had her own struggles, primarily due to her battle with diabetes. I don’t remember a time when she wasn’t in intense pain or homebound. She ultimately became blind and addicted to prescription pain pills. Her addiction and physical misery made it difficult for her to be emotionally present for my brother and me, but she did the best she could.

Extended family provided much-needed support. My grandmother, aunt, and uncle loved our family well. We often attended church together.

I heard many stories about Jesus when I was a kid. Early on, I believed that God had sent His Son to die for me. I even prayed to receive His gift of eternal salvation. But as often happens, my Christian faith stopped at my head and never settled in my heart.

I had no relationship with God outside of the church, nor was I interested in developing one. To me, God was to blame for the chaos in my home, especially Mom’s sickness. She passed when I was 15, and that was just proof that God didn’t care about us.

Dad was in prison then, and my brother had moved from West Virginia to Ohio. I felt so alone, lost, and overwhelmed by the uncertainty of my future. Where was God, and why was He allowing me to endure such hardships?

Anger pumped through my veins as I recounted how He had cheated me.

My Aunt Kathy and Uncle Herb, a kind Christian couple, welcomed me into their home. They loved, accepted, and supported me daily, and they modeled God’s sacrificial love and faithfulness. Through them, I learned the benefits of hard work and integrity and experienced a stable home life for the first time.

But the anger, resentment, and self-pity inside kept me from accepting their love or God’s gift of a new life. I spent the best years of my life at my aunt and uncle’s home, yet I wasn’t satisfied. By focusing only on the things I didn’t have, I forfeited the very things I had longed for in a family.

During my two years in their home, I partied, smoked, cussed, and messed around with girls. I occasionally dabbled in weed. Tired of their watchful eye, I devised a plan for my brother to obtain legal guardianship of me. Because I was 17, I could make that foolish choice without my aunt and uncle’s permission. They knew it would not end well for me as my brother was involved with drugs too.

The court granted my request, and I moved to Ohio. My brother enrolled me in high school, but after only six months, I dropped out and dove headfirst into a life of destruction. I traded weed for methamphetamines, and for the next 13 years, I served a harsh master.

I did whatever I had to do to satisfy my addiction, including manufacturing and selling the drug myself. My choices caught up with me when I was 30, and I was arrested. It was the first time I’d ever been in serious trouble, and there I was, facing prison time.

While in solitary confinement in jail, I came across a Bible. I opened it a few times, but my heart of stone couldn’t receive anything it had to offer. I still blamed God for my miserable life.

The day before my sentencing hearing, my lawyer visited and told me he was getting me a great deal. His promises brought me a sense of hope. That night I decided I’d better make one more deal. “God,” I said, “if You’ll come through for me tomorrow, I’ll follow You. Do this for me, and I’ll trust You. I’ll even read the Bible.”

But God wasn’t playing my Let’s Make a Deal game.

The lawyer didn’t show up for court. Instead, some wet-behind-the-ears, state-appointed attorney represented me. This new guy knew nothing about my case, and the judge sentenced me to a mandatory three years in prison with no possibility of early release. I sat in disbelief as life as I knew it came to an end.

The officer took me back to solitary confinement. The clanging of the chains connected to my hands and feet was the only sound in the corridor. As I shuffled, I searched for some emotion but felt numb.

Back in my cell, I punched the wall to feel something. Anything. Nothing. I turned on the small 5-station radio in my cell. I couldn’t stand the silence.

“Drunk on a Plane” by Dierks Bentley echoed through the cell. I quickly changed the station. I wasn’t in the mood. Suddenly, “How He Loves” by David Crowder Band rang through the emptiness. It’s a song about the unconditional love of God, and the words brought me to my knees.

It was a surreal moment. Years of anger and resentment toward God drained from my heart in tears. I was so tired of fighting for my rightful place in this world. It had only led to one painful, lonely, rock-bottom place after another.

In that humble posture, I heard God’s voice. “Trust Me anyway.”

I reached toward the small window at the top of my cell and surrendered to the love of Jesus. “Okay, God. I will trust You anyway!”

Immediately, His presence engulfed me and the space around me. Peace replaced years of frustration and fear. Love replaced hatred and bitterness. Suddenly, unexpectedly, I no longer felt like a victim. It was an instantaneous transformation of the heart.

Back in general population, the guys immediately knew something was different.

“What in the world happened to you?” they asked. Just a few days before, I’d been dealing and stealing. Now, I wasn’t even cussing.

“Jesus happened.”

From then on, I read the Bible daily and sought God’s will. I was about to spend three years in prison and—I must admit—I was afraid. But knowing God would be walking through those prison doors with me brought comfort, courage, and confidence (Deuteronomy 31:8).

I wanted to honor the second chance God was giving me and do my part to better myself. If I wasn’t willing to invest in myself, I certainly couldn’t expect anyone else to care.

I sensed God telling me, “If you’ll commit yourself and do the work, I will help you get to where you need to be.” Now that was a good deal!

My first commitment was to obtain my GED. Since math had always been a difficult subject for me, I asked another inmate to tutor me. Every day after lunch, this former doctor helped me. It wasn’t easy preparing for the GED, as the test had recently become more complex. I studied for hours daily. It’s like they say: Nothing worth having is easy.

I scored so high on the test that I was asked to tutor other inmates for the GED. I couldn’t believe it. For the first time, I was a leader. That alone was a testament to what God can do.

Not only had He saved my soul, but He helped me understand things I had struggled with before. He was changing me, making me a better man. I found the confidence to pursue a college degree from Ashland University. They offered an associate’s program to incarcerated people that other universities would accept.

I studied hard and was amazed when I made the dean’s list. I’d never cared to apply myself in school, so I’d had no idea what I could do academically. Once released from prison, I completed my education and received my associate’s degree from Ashland.

God’s Spirit continually reminded me, “You’re worth the work, Ronnie.”

I had never felt worthy of anything good. Nor had I believed I could ever be anything other than a drug addict. But God thought differently about me. He didn’t see an addict or a boy raised in poverty who’d lost his mom and dad. He saw a son whom He loved.

Believing I was worthy helped me continue down this new path. It wasn’t always easy. There were many times, especially after I was released from prison, that I was tempted to quit college and return to where I’d been. But God kept spurring me on. “You’re worth the work, Ronnie! Keep pressing forward with Me.”

After I graduated from Ashland in 2018, I became a youth pastor at a local church. I wanted to help kids discover their worth in God.

For so long, I had wanted nothing to do with Him, and now, I was bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others! People used to cross the street to avoid me. Now parents and youth were coming to me for advice. It was incredible.

Only God could transform this dirty, lying, and conniving manipulator into a man other people trusted.

New doors began opening for me, and I left my youth pastor position to travel nationwide, sharing my story. I also took a job at Christian Healthcare Ministries. God brought promotion after promotion as I stayed faithful. It’s just like Luke 16:10 promises: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (NIV). Today, I am over the training and development of more than 300 employees.

This incredible new life started with a simple: “Okay, God, I’ll trust You anyway.”

The moment I died to myself and my perception of life, God raised me. He gave me new eyes and a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26) and set my feet on a new path (Proverbs 3:5–6). And as I humble myself before Him daily, God continues to lift me (James 4:10).

Not too long ago, I had John 3:30 tattooed on my arm. It helps me remember the important words of John the Baptist about Jesus. “He [Jesus] must become greater; I must become less” (NIV).

John knew the secret to life: more of Jesus, less of self. It’s the only way to experience the abundant life Jesus promises in John 10:10.

How about you? Will you choose to trust God anyway? Will you lay down your anger and disappointments, uncurl your fists, and open your heart to the One who loves you—even if life hasn’t happened like you thought it should? And will you believe that you are worth a better life?

Right now, your experiences might have brought you lower than you ever imagined possible. I know. I’ve been there. But I’ve learned that with Christ, rock bottom is a great place to lay a foundation for your new life (Matthew 7:24–27).

God’s got good plans in store for you (Jeremiah 29:11). How can you experience them? Remember John 3:30. More of Him and less of you.

Trust God today. When you do, He won’t waste any time restoring and rebuilding your life.

I won’t promise His plans will be easy. But no matter what you face, God’s goodness will meet you there. And His grace will help you move forward to great heights.

Don’t focus on that thing you never had. You’ll miss the better thing God has for you today.

RONNIE HOPKINS is the training and development coordinator for Christian Healthcare Ministries. He is also a spokesperson and advocate for educational opportunities in prison.

See Yourself as a Champion

Recently, world-class athlete Vennesa Vieke asked me what I thought it takes to be a champion. For the next year, she and I spent time together talking about how I had achieved my success. It was fun, going back and sharing my 35-year athletic journey with my new friend. (See her story in Issue 03/2021.)

What I’ve learned is that if you want to be a champion in anything—sports, relationships, careers, ministries, you name it—the principles are the same. If you want victory in your physical, mental, and emotional health, you must apply these principles. But here’s the kicker: mentally agreeing with them won’t get you anywhere. You’ll have to do the hard work, make sacrifices, and persevere daily.

If you want to be a champion for the kingdom of God, you have to use the same principles.

Let’s talk about that phrase, a champion for the kingdom of God. I chose those words deliberately because I’ve realized there are many champions of God who are not actively being champions for God’s kingdom. There is a profound difference.

As believers, we are all champions in God’s eyes. And our champion status isn’t based on what we do. It’s based on the simple fact that we are God’s children. There are no chumps in God’s family, only champions.

Right now, maybe you’re thinking, “No way am I a champion. I’ve never succeeded at anything. You have no idea what I’ve done or what has happened to me. God couldn’t possibly see a champion in me.”

The Bible says otherwise.

If you’ve put your faith and trust in Jesus for salvation, then you are His champion. The blood of Jesus has made you one. Romans 3:25 says, “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (NLT).

While we were still sinners—not after we got it all together and had a champion’s success record—God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us. Jesus’s blood makes us right in God’s sight (Romans 5:8–9). Because of Jesus, God can’t even see our failures. It’s the work of the cross that makes us His champions, not what we do.

There is nothing we can do to become more of a champion to God. He loves us just as we are for one simple reason: we’re His kids. There are no conditions to our heavenly Father’s love. You can’t earn it, and you can’t lose it. It just is, and it’s everlasting.

There aren’t different degrees of God’s love either. His love doesn’t change. He can’t love you any more than He does right now. And He doesn’t love one person more than He does someone else. This is great and amazing news.

So if we’re already champions, isn’t that all there is? No. Even though God loves us and even though He sees a champion when He looks at us, that doesn’t mean every believer will live the life of a champion. Not every believer will determine to be a champion for God and His kingdom.

I didn’t for a long time.

I was all about championing my kingdom. I was focused on using my gifts and talents for my glory, not His. I didn’t realize there was more to being a Christian than asking Jesus to forgive me of my sins and give me eternal life (John 3:16).

I knew I was supposed to go to church, pray, and read my Bible, but I didn’t understand that God wanted to partner with me in life and use me for His kingdom purposes. I had no idea someone could be a champion for God’s kingdom, and I certainly didn’t know how to be one.

Let’s look at the life of Moses to understand this better. God created Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. God knew Moses was the right person for the job—even after he’d killed a man and had to hide out in the wilderness shepherding his father-in-law’s sheep. (Check out Exodus 1–2.) Does that sound like someone who’s a champion? A wanted man, a murderer, living in obscurity?

Thankfully, when God chooses people to champion His causes, He doesn’t look at their outward appearance, their past, or where they live. He looks at the inner qualities He put in us.

God created Moses to lead. He allowed Moses to have unique and even painful experiences to prepare him for the task. He wanted to journey with Moses to help him develop those leadership qualities.

In Exodus 3–4, we see God inviting His champion to go on this adventure with Him. A voice from a burning bush? You can believe God had Moses’s attention as He began to reveal what He wanted him to do.

God was like, “Moses, I’ve chosen you to champion the cause of My people. I’m going to use you to save them from the Egyptians. I want you to lead them, protect them, and teach them how to live and love Me.”

But Moses couldn’t imagine himself leading anyone. Maybe before, but now? No way. So he began to object.

“Me?” he said. “Appear before Pharaoh? But God—! Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt? What if they don’t believe me? What if they won’t listen to me?”

Even after God promised to be with Moses, even after He gave him instructions and the words to speak and supernatural powers, Moses still refused to accept God’s call. He only saw his limitations: “I–I can’t be Your mouthpiece, God. I st–stutter.”

Do you ever feel like Moses? Do you have trouble seeing yourself as someone God can use? When you think of the word “champion,” do you have difficulty seeing yourself in that category? Or do you see yourself as the least of the least, when God is saying you are a mighty warrior?

Well, I have some good news. God uses the least of the least to champion His causes!

Consider 1 Corinthians 1:27–28: “God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important” (NLT).

Have you ever been called a fool? Worthless? A big fat zero? Have you ever felt despised or rejected? Well, you are who God wants to use.

Your past doesn’t matter; neither do your limitations. All that matters is that you are willing to be used by God. Friend, God is in you, and Christ in you is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

You can face anything and do anything God has called you to do (Philippians 4:13) because God’s Spirit lives in you. The very power of God, the heart of God, the mind of Christ is in you (1 Corinthians 2). His Spirit empowers you to do what He asks you to do. It’s not by your might or power; it’s by His (Zechariah 4:6). You are a champion because God, the greatest Champion of all, lives inside you!

It’s time to start walking with your head held high. I love Leviticus 26:13, where God says to His children: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high.”

We aren’t to walk in shame or be overcome with guilt. We aren’t to walk burdened down by the weight of sin or the words of others. God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us. And in doing so, He freed us from the penalty and power of sin. He broke the yoke of bondage.

Now, I am not suggesting that we get all puffed up with pride and become overconfident in our abilities. No. Our confidence is in God and His love for us. God declared our worth when He created us, and He has promised to be with us every day since.

Have you ever thought about the moment you were created? According to Psalm 139, God was at work in your mother’s womb, fashioning and forming you with His very hands. Maybe you think, “God didn’t plan me. I was an accident. I was unwanted, a product of violence.”

There is no life outside of God. He is the Creator, Giver, and Sustainer of life. (See Job 33:4; Acts 17:28; Colossians 1:17; and 1 Corinthians 8:6.) Negative circumstances around your conception or birth do not negate the fact that God created you, He loves you, and that He has a good plan for your life that He wants you to fulfill.

You, no matter who you are, are God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10). He created you on purpose and for a purpose. Your earthly parents might have cursed the day you were born, but God didn’t. He wanted you to be born because He values your life.

Not only that—He took great delight in forming all the delicate parts of your body (Psalm 139:13). God knit you together. You are wonderfully fashioned, and when He looks at you, He smiles. He has precious thoughts toward you that outnumber the grains of sand (Psalm 139:17–18).

You’re His prized possession, worth even the life of His only Son.

It’s hard sometimes to remember that. The world likes to remind us of our shortcomings, as does Satan, the enemy of our soul. But God thinks differently, and it is time we align our thoughts with His. We can’t live the life God intends us to live without doing so.

Let’s do an exercise. Write down the negative words your parents, spouse, children, so-called friends, or coworkers have spoken over you. Write down the negative thoughts you’ve had about yourself too. How many are there? Ten? A hundred? Maybe a thousand?

With a pen, place a dot of ink on your paper to represent each countable thought. When you’re done, compare those dots against all the grains of sand in the world. The sand represents God’s thoughts toward you—His good, precious, innumerable thoughts. Remember Psalm 139? No matter how many negative statements you came up with, there’s no comparison!

Friend, God thinks you are the bomb, and it’s time you realize it. You can’t be the champion He has created you to be if you don’t believe you are champion material. God does not create junk! He doesn’t make mistakes. He created you—you!—on purpose and with a purpose. Why should it matter what other people think or say?

Let’s continue our exercise. Dive into God’s Word and discover His thoughts toward you. Write His words next to the negative ones you listed. For example, if you wrote, “You are a failure,” write next to it, “I am not a failure. I am the righteousness of God.” If you wrote, “You will never amount to anything. You are just like your father.” Write down this truth, “My Father is God Almighty, and I was made in His image. He has great plans for me and will help me accomplish them. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!” Exchange each lie for the truth of God.

Search the Bible daily and renew your mind with God’s thoughts toward you. If you want to know God’s will for your life, you have to renew your mind. Change the way you think about everything, including yourself. As you do, God will transform you into a new person—the champion He created you to be (Romans 12:2).

Capturing negative thoughts, rebuking condemning words (2 Corinthians 10:5), guarding your mouth (Psalm 141:3)—it’s a full-time job. But it’s worth the effort.

KRISTI OVERTON JOHNSON encourages and equips people for victory through her writings, speaking engagements, and prison ministry. To learn more, go to kojministries.org.