I have been running since before I can remember running.  It has been the biggest passion and struggle in my life.  I started running competitively in 5th grade.  I guess it stuck because in high school I earned a couple of state titles and in college I was blessed enough to join Texas Christian University’s cross country and track and field teams.  I say all of this to validate what I am about to share with you.

I believe the one thing that has kept me running, even after countless injuries and encountering those who are dream crushers, is that God designed me to run, not running just in the physical but also in the spiritual.  My parents always spoke Hebrews 12:1 over me: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Until recently, I have focused only on the second part of this verse – I must run my race and not let anything distract me from God’s plan for my life.

Growing up an athlete has made me very competitive, but I became performance driven, my own worst critic, and too competitive with myself.  The better I did, the more value I felt. Sadly the opposite was true as well; the worse I performed, the less value I thought I had.  Little lies have big impacts!

Let’s take a step back from me, though.  The first part of Hebrews 12:1 discusses a great cloud of witnesses.  Who are these witnesses?

Chapter 11 tells us this cloud is made up of all those who came before us, who walked in faith and followed God wholeheartedly.  Now those who came before us were not perfect – they messed up, just like we do.  They include Abraham (a man who slept with his wife’s maidservant), Noah (a man whose sons’ had to cover his nakedness), Jacob (a man who stole his brother’s inheritance) and the list goes on and on.  Thankfully, our Daddy does not focus on our sins!  Instead Paul writes, “the world was not worthy of them” (Hebrews 11:38).

The value of this cloud of witnesses is not placed in what they did while they were on earth, but whom they believed in!

While speaking to a mentor about this revelation, she told me, “Rachel, you’re not running your race for the cloud of witnesses; they are there as a sign of hope.  Remember, you cannot run your race in anyone else’s lane.” In my performance driven mind, I forgot to have faith.  I believed the devil’s lie that this cloud was there to condemn me when I failed.  I couldn’t fail because that would not make them proud.  I have realized that they are not surrounding because of me, but for me.  They are examples of faith and are cheering us on with reminders that my value comes from the Father, not perfection or performance.

In 1 Peter 1:8-9, Peter writes, “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” This is the definition of faith.  We cannot see God or even the cloud of witnesses, but we have to stop believing the lies of the enemy.

This week I encourage you to search your heart and find the lies the enemy has planted there.  Your value comes from God and not what you do, or how you do it.  Remember to look to those who came before us – the world was not worthy of them.  The world is not worthy of you either, because of the incredible work of Jesus Christ.

Recently, I found myself in that busy mindset. After visiting with a friend, I decided to fast television for 21 days. To be completely honest, I was expecting to fight boredom and restlessness over the next 21 days; however, to my delight I experienced something very different.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters, and He restores my soul. Psalm 23:1-2

When I picture a shepherd leading his flock to green pastures and making the sheep lie down, it is a very peaceful image. That’s exactly what Father God was doing for me. He was leading me to a place that would cause me to leave behind the common and comfortable place where I had been living for something much better. He desired to restore my soul!

When you work with people and their problems every day, you tend to want to come home and vegetate in front of the “tube.” My intent was to try to leave all the issues that I had faced throughout the day for a few hours and focus on something that was, well…mind numbing. What I discovered after doing this for years was that it never really recharged my soul. It did offer a place of distraction from my thoughts but never rest. I rarely allowed myself to lie down beside quiet waters that offered a true charge to my soul.

For the next 21 days, I was amazed how engaged I was with God, His creation and His voice. Nothing was robbing me from my time of just sitting with Him. Nothing was stealing the joy of resting on my back porch and enjoying the creation of that day. He spoke to me because I had allowed Him to lead me to a place of rest.

I think most people leave for vacations in hope of something that will trickle charge their batteries to a full charge. Instead, most people share that they need a vacation from their vacation to rest. Time is a precious thing. What occurred to me was I had wasted so much time on TV, entertainment, and social media. Don’t get me wrong. All of these are great tools and fun, but when they become the norm, our souls never really restore or recharge to the place we desire.

Today, I would like to offer a suggestion to you. Take the next 7 days and fast from television. Use the time that has been offered for the mind numbing medication of media and invest it to connect with God. Take a walk with the Lord and just share your heart. Sit on your back porch and just be quiet, while you observe all that God has created. We are missing out on so many beautiful sunsets because we, like our children, are addicted to busyness and technology.

If you decide to actually allow the Lord to lead you to these quiet waters, He promises to restore your soul. ANYONE need to have their souls restored?

Today’s thought: Could it be possible that this fast could be the very breakthrough you have been asking God to give you? I believe that He is actually been waiting on us to come away from the comfortable, so that we can actually be comforted by the Holy Spirit.

Today’s Scriptures: Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait on the Lord. Psalm 27: 14
The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace. Psalm 29:11

Paul starts off telling us about the armor of God with the spiritual analogy of “the belt of truth”. A belt? Not the sword of the Spirit or the great shield of faith or the breastplate of righteousness. No, he starts off with “the belt of truth”. Hmm, why a belt? Well, he knew that where the belt goes, so goes the person.

I played for a basketball coach in high school that played for Ole Miss. Coach Ward was the defensive stopper for Ole Miss and he guarded Pistol Pete Maravich every time they played. He held Pistol Pete to his lowest points scored when they played against each other. I asked him what the key to his success was. He said he never looked at anything but his waistline area when guarding him. He said, “Pistol would give you deceiving reads with his feet going one way, his head another, his arms another, but his waistline (belt) would always signal him to the true intentions and direction of where Pistol Pete was planning to go.”

Whatever truth or lack there of, you have wrapped around you will always be the direction you travel.

Why is truth described as a belt? Just as the belt surrounds and supports our core, so should the core of our beliefs be surrounded and supported by truth. Why? Because “the truth will set us free.” If our beliefs are tied to and supported by a lie, then we are anything but free; we are in bondage. God’s truth applied to our lives and our core beliefs will lead us to freedom.

In the physical, the belt was also where the scabbard was attached that held the Roman soldier’s sword. In the spiritual, the “belt of truth” is where the sword of the Spirit is attached to us. The sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon we have to use against our enemy. All other pieces of the armor are for our protection. The sword, if hung on a lie, wounds us, and those around us. The sword of the Spirit, connected to truth, makes us a deadly foe in the spiritual realm. We cannot go into battle and expect to be victorious if our sword is left behind or our arms too tired from carrying it. John 4:24 says “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. Spirit and truth go together, just as a belt and sword do. From a practical observation, Paul learned an important spiritual lesson, that the “belt of truth” is the first thing we need to put on so the sword of the Spirit can be drawn when needed.

Are you surrounded and supported by the truth of the Word of God, or are you still having your weapons attached to the lies of the enemy? Truth only comes from one place, the Word of God. Have you surrounded yourself with God’s Word? Are you worshiping Him “in Spirit and in truth”?

The word clearly defines who and what we battle against in our daily lives and how we must clothe ourselves in order to guard ourselves:

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:11-17

Recently, I hosted a Fully Alive event for 21 women who were seeking freedom with all of their hearts. It was amazing to see the truth of Jesus set people free! However, I forgot that as we were facilitating freedom to these women, there were very real, dark forces battling against us. When I got home exhausted and totally out of energy, I felt like the Lord showed me a picture of my armor and the reality of the war I had just encountered.

My armor was not shiny or polished as I had seen in my mind when I read Ephesians 6:11-17. In fact, it had been brutally assaulted and beaten. There were dents, dings and mud all over the armor that God had given me. My armor had been battle worn and tested to the max. Here is the scary part: I was shocked and surprised by the picture He showed me of the battered armor.

Why are we shocked that we have dents, dings and mud all over our armor? Do we think that the armor of God would be paraded down the street for show or pageant? God knows that His armor will protect us from the vicious assaults of a very real enemy.

We are at war for our nation, marriages, children and freedom in Christ. Do you have your armor on for the battle today? Without the armor, we risk our souls being severely injured in our daily battle against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Armor up!

Today’s thought: God gave us armor to cover us in the daily battles of our lives. His righteousness and grace is a mighty weapon against the schemes of the enemy.

Today’s Scripture: Now this I know: The LORD gives victory to His anointed. He answers him from His heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of His right hand. Psalm 20:6

Dr. Terri Orbuch’s landmark marriage study, which observed more than 700 married individuals for more than a quarter century, has found that trust is the most important glue in marriage. In the study, when the happiest couples were asked to rank 16 common marriage expectations from most to least important-ranging from sharing household chores to meeting each other’s sexual needs – a whopping 92 percent of men and 96 percent of women ranked the following expectation as number one: “You should feel that your spouse would never hurt or deceive you.”

Building trust with anyone, let alone your spouse, is hard work. It requires both quantity and quality of time. And let’s not be deceived, time alone will not be the solve-all in a marriage. I know many couples who live and work together, yet trust still is nowhere to be found in their marriage relationship. I believe that we must be diligent and strategic in our time to build a firm foundation of trust in our marriage.

I wanted to offer practical wisdom today in building strong, healthy marriages. One of the things that my wife, Leslie, and I do several times a week is to set aside time for uninterrupted communication. We have discovered that it is easier for us to do this once we get into bed at night. We start the conversation with simple open ended questions to one another to build safe communication.

Example:

Leslie, what was the best thing about your day, and what was the most difficult thing about your day?

Leslie, is there anything in the past few days that I communicated with you in my words, actions or attitude that made you not desire to be closer to me? (With each question, we go deeper into our relationship.)

We usually don’t ask more than two questions to each other. Based on what is shared, we respond to each other with love, compassion, and prayer. This is not a time to fix the problem or issues shared. Men, I hope you are listening when I say this. Don’t try to fix it. This is a time to comfort with touch (not sex) and word of encouragement to each other. When we choose to consistently share about our victories, joys, struggles and frustrations, we open our hearts in vulnerability and trust to our spouses. This also gives each of us the opportunity to invite the Lord, through prayer, into our marriage!

What are you doing to build trust with your spouse?

I love this particular portion of this scripture: “the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.” Remember, Jesus is the word that dwelled among us. That means he is responsible for all of the scripture, New and Old Testament. His attitude was to give all that he had to bring abundant life to our lives. He walked with disciples, loved the little children, healed the sick, had compassion on the hurting, and endured the cross for the joy set before him! All of these acts were glued together with a divine attitude of joy.

I heard someone share that “an attitude is like electricity, except it travels faster and touches more people.” A good attitude is one that is channeled, and helps build others up just like electricity can be used to power up our home, while a bad attitude spreads quickly, destroying the attitudes of others, just like a spark in a forest can cause a wild fire. How true this is!

I love to watch people in airports and restaurants. Without any dialogue, people communicate volumes from their body language and facial expressions. The work place is no different. I can tell with a glance how my secretary, Wanda, is feeling on a particular day. I can arrive home from work and just look into my wife’s eyes and see if it has been a good or a difficult day.

On the flip side of this coin, I can also become an atmosphere changer by simply having a joyful attitude towards others. Have you ever noticed the happy person in your office? Of course you have. Every work place has a Patty Positive (if you don’t have one, then become one!) No matter what the day has been like, they remain hopeful and positive. They change the atmosphere of the work place with a positive attitude.

Chuck Swindoll once wrote:

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company … a church … a home.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude … I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you … we are in charge of our Attitude.”

In the heat of battle, one word was used to bring troops to full alert of the life and death reality of an imminent attack: “INCOMING!!!!” When someone shouted that warning, troops immediately passed it along with great shouts of desperation. All who heard this warning headed for the nearest shelter and bunker for protection.

Years ago Joyce Meyer wrote an incredible book titled, The Battlefield of the Mind. In her book, she describes Satan’s well-developed strategy, custom made for our destruction. Yes, our enemy has devised a plan to steal, kill and destroy!

Joyce writes: “He (Satan) begins by bombarding our mind with cleverly devised patterns of little nagging thoughts, suspicions, doubts, fears, wonderings, reasoning and theories. He moves slowly and cautiously (after all, well laid plans take time). Remember he has a strategy for his warfare. He has studied us for a long time.”

We must arm ourselves with the truth of God’s Word so that we may be victorious against the schemes of the incoming missiles the enemy sends each day.

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.2 Corinthians 10:4-5(NIV)

The power of God’s Word is divine and devastating to the enemy’s well laid plans. We have not been left defenseless in the battle of our minds. Today, you and I must arm ourselves! Today we must choose to believe God’s words over Satan, the father of lies.

Let me encourage you today to take a piece of paper and write down the little lies that assault your mind. As you re-read what you wrote, ask God how to war against that particular lie. You will be amazed how simple and life changing this little exercise will be in your daily life!

There are over six billion people on the earth today and every one of us will leave a unique fingerprint on the world in which we live. God loves uniqueness – making each snowflake one of a kind…and you as well.

But, for those who are following Christ, there is another identity – an identity more real than the physical print someone can trace back to your body. This identity is so complete when we confess Jesus as Lord, Heaven records our name under “New Creation” and without doubt it is written in ink! The reality is that we’ve moved into a new realm spiritually. We’ve been given a wonderful gift of never ending life; we’re in fellowship with God – today and throughout eternity. But, our day-to-day life reminds us all too often of our fingerprints. We’re praising God one moment and cut off in traffic the next. We’re not feeling too Christ like in our thoughts, words and actions and leave a piece of our mind behind at the “scene of the crime.”

This is when the accuser of the brethren shows up and reminds us of the “evidence” he’s got on us. “You’re prints are all over that! That’s who you really are. You’re no different. Nice try.”

“You were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.” Most of us, even our best day, don’t think of ourselves as being significant, being desired, being pursued or much less wanted. The word says that you were chosen before the foundation of the world.

Who are your heroes? Who are the people, past and present, that you think have it all together: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, Smith Wigglesworth, Billy Graham…the A Team. I have staggering news for you. You were chosen at the same time they were! You are on the same team!

Not a word needs to be uttered in your defense. Your defense has already been given by the One who chose you before the foundation of the world.

The same hands we lifted to God in surrender are lifted once again in praise – thanking Him for the blood of Christ that cleanses us from all unrighteousness. In our humanity we will always have our fingerprints, and they should be celebrated for scripture reminds us we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

The choice is ours every day. We can leave our fingerprints on life, or leave a witness to the life of Christ in us. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23) John the writer of the fourth Gospel summed up our relationship with Christ and ultimately our identity in six short words, “He must increase…I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

Today’s thought: The fingerprint of God is on us all. Sometimes our identity can be incriminating others liberating. Make the conscience choice to identify yourself with Him today. You are one the A Team.

Today’s Scripture: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)

Today’s prayer: Father, today I choose to walk as a child, a son or a daughter. I will believe you, trust you and depend on you. You are my life, my source and my all. Fill my spirit with your Spirit. May my life make much of You.

Quiet down for a few more minutes and see what you hear in your spirit, or feel impressed to write down, or a thought to capture.

I love the inclusiveness of the word “ALL” in this particular verse of scripture from the Apostle Peter. Please keep in the backdrop of your mind who had written this passage with his own hand… Peter, the man that drew his sword and cut off the ear of one man who tried to lay hands on Jesus because he thought he could protect God! This is the same Peter who spoke without thinking on too many occasions to count. This is the same man that refused the first request of Jesus to wash his feet. This is the same Peter who said that he would die for Jesus, but ended up denying him three times.

When Jesus spoke, “Behind me satan,” Peter felt the stinging words as his Lord stared into his eyes. I can’t think of any other words that would throw me and my pride to the ground than these words that Jesus spoke to His disciple, friend and son. Peter had learned that he was included in ALL, in regards to humility.

Humility is NOT groveling in front of others or thinking we’re no good and others are better. That is man’s definition and his attempt to walk in something that can only be manifested by an intimate relationship with Jesus.

God says when you live in humility, you are free from pride and arrogance. You know that in your flesh you are inadequate, yet you also know who you are in Christ. You see, when we walk in true humility, we are expressing that we are completely confident in God’s ability to fulfill His purpose in our lives, no matter the situation. Humility could be defined as a faith statement to our family, co-workers and friends.

Ask God today to show you areas that you can trust Him and walk in humility. His word promises favor to those who clothe themselves in this heavenly garment. I promise there will be countless opportunities today!

How many times in your life have you asked God for peace in a certain situation? I can think of several relating to my children right now! Peace is a spiritual currency that can be spent in good times and bad. “Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God no matter what the conflict.” – Anonymous

Every sporting event has a referee or umpire that oversees the rules and players of the game. Take the game of baseball for instance. A home plate umpire in baseball rules the plate. He decides what is a strike or ball. According to Colossians 3:15 the word invites the peace of Christ to rule your heart. Peace is to umpire your heart (mind, will and emotions) based upon the truth and inheritance of Christ.

Without peace we are given over to what our mind, will and emotions sense and that trio begin to rule our view of God, people and circumstances. This is a very dangerous way to live your life.

Jesus is described as the Prince of Peace, who brings peace to the hearts of those who desire it. He says in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” NKJV The only way to get this peace is to trust in God. Listen to the promise from Isaiah, “The steadfast of mind you will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

Who and what are umpiring your heart today?