Yesterday was my birthday. I didn’t view myself turning 49 as much as I saw it as closing out my 4th decade and it has my
So in a salute to my 40s, I thought perhaps you might like to read some of the biggest takeaways of the decade.
God – From Creator to Father
ONE: My awareness of God’s love through His Father-heart has been a LIFE game changer. See, Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Here is the deal Jesus is the way, not the destination — the Father is the destination of His children. [Insert mindblown moment here]
For far too long I was stuck in the way, seeking to know more about Jesus at the expense of never experiencing a true relationship with my Father. When I let the Son do His job, by connecting me to the Father, it opened my spiritual eyes to an entirely new experience as an heir, otherwise known as a child of the living God.
My Faith Walk
TWO: I spent too much of my 30s trying to earn the approval of my earthly father, and far too much of my 40s trying to earn the approval of my church leaders — both a complete waste of time. The only approval that makes a bit of difference is that from my heavenly Father, and I received it in full the moment I believed in His son’s sacrifice.
THREE: Being God’s daughter is far more important than ever trying to be His servant. Doing more to be more is simply modern-day Christian bondage.
FOUR: Prophetic words are given and received through filters. Not every word, no matter how desperate you want it to be true, is accurate in the way we hear it. Some words feed the ego and others feed the spirit. The journey in the prophetic is discovering which one is feasting upon it — an orphan or an heir. My friend digging into this single truth has proven to be incredibly transformational.
The Reality of Life
FIVE: Letting go of the unrealistic expectations of myself and others set me free to appreciate my honest reality.
SIX: Hard conversations never get easier but they are necessary for growth. A hard conversation doesn’t always mean with another person, sometimes it’s with yourself.
SEVEN: Friendship is both fragile and redeemable. In the past 10 years, I have lost friendships I viewed as unseverable, and been surprised by the restoration of ones I thought were dead. Learning to love and release well has prove to be beautiful, painful, and redemptive all wrapped up into one.
Understanding Success
EIGHT: Bigger isn’t necessarily better, and success isn’t a large following or a big stage. It’s not in the sparkle of a good show, the delivery of a great message or the multitude of book sales. I believe success is found in the faithfulness of our yeses when we get nothing in return.
NINE: I think one day God will talk more about what we did when no one saw a thing, than what we did when everyone was looking. Friend, if you’re considered a safe place for others to fall when they feel vulnerable — you’re winning! And if your kids like you, your spouse adores you, and you have a few friends who don’t mind being around you — well then you’re more successful than a high percentage of the human race. Embrace it!
TEN: The snare of comparison has robbed me of more enjoyment, appreciation, and excitement over the years than any pit or failure ever could. Learning to love and appreciate my life, my family and Remade Ministries the way they are has been one of my greatest successes in this decade.
The Dethroning of Leaders
ELEVEN: The words of leaders linger just as long when spoken irresponsibly as they do when given in love. Spiritual abuse and manipulation silences some of the strongest voices in shame. Discovering my voice has been the hardest-fun I’ve ever had. (P.S. still uncovering it so stay tuned)
TWELVE: When people show you who they are the first time believe it. Believing the best in those who have spiritual authority over you should never be done at the expense of ignoring the truth that the Holy Spirit is revealing within you.
3rTEEN: The comfortability that a leader has in gossiping about others shows far more about their character than whatever they happened to be speaking about the person not present.
Family Highs and Lows
4TEEN: Acknowledging my mistakes with my children and showing my humanness has been one of the most terrifying and yet most magnificent healing balm to any parental failure I had. Authenticity and owning your stuff is powerful.
5fTEEN: God is working all things together for His good even if it doesn’t look good right now.
6TEEN: Loving my spouse became more natural when I began to love the person I am — even if I didn’t like what I saw about her. And after 30 years I can say, my love for him is sweeter because of what we overcame rather than if we had avoided the pain altogether.
Ruling the Mind
7TEEN: Being vulnerable isn’t a weakness, so I should show my underbelly sometimes. Not having an answer doesn’t mean I don’t bring any value, so don’t shrink back in the in-between, and my feelings are a gift from God so I shouldn’t ignore them. (So says me over and over in my mind every single day!)
All my love and friendship,
LET’S CHAT: Have you had a moment in your life where you felt like you’re crossing over to something new? I kind of feel like this is what this blog post represents. A sort of crossing over. I would love to hear it how you handled it and what awaited you on the other side.
Thank you Beth for sharing this with us.
Oh you’re very welcome! Thank you for reading it.
Thank you Beth for sharing your heart and what God has and is showing you! You challenge me to be more aware.