TUNE IN: APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | PANDORA | AMAZON MUSIC
I want to share something super important with you here today. And really, it begins with understanding the importance of good relationships. You see, you were not meant to do this life alone. In the very beginning of creation, God said that it wasn’t good for man to be alone. And so He created woman, Eve, to be his partner, his wife, his teammate, his helper. And when God created you, He had meaningful connection in mind for you as well.
If we look at the life of Jesus, we see that He had an inner circle. He had deep trusting relationships with His disciples, and He had a holy relationship with God the Father. We see examples of relationships and connection over and over again in Scripture. That’s because we need relationships. You need solid relationships. It’s a fundamental truth. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Relationships, having deep meaningful connections with other people, it will make you better in so many ways. It’ll help you grow. And it will help keep you accountable. Not only will good relationships help you grow and keep you accountable, but they’re also meant to be a source of encouragement in your life. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Good relationships will replenish you and they’ll help you to press on when things feel hard.
My husband and I, we have this saying over here and it goes like this, “Don’t quit on the same day.” It’s one of the best pieces of advice that we’ve ever received in our entire marriage. And what we mean by that is that if one of us is having a hard day or an off day, or it just feels like there’s something heavy that we’re walking through, and we want to just throw in the towel and quit, then the other one of us has promised not to quit but rather to lift up, encourage and to cheer one another on. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. If either falls, his companion can lift him up, but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm. But how can one person alone keep warm and if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” I feel like that passage has been the basis of our marriage, a foundational truth that we’ve clung to, and committed to and it has served us so well over the years.
The Impact of Good Relationships
Okay, shifting gears just a bit. I actually want to invite you to take a journey back to high school with me. Do you remember when the yearbook came out senior year and you immediately flipped to the page where the class voted on who was, whatever it was…best dressed, always late, the class clown…whatever it might have been. Well, I was voted most independent, and at 18 years ignorant, I prided myself on that title because I didn’t need anyone or any group of teenage kids telling me what to do. Don’t get me wrong, I had a handful of friends but I couldn’t care less about the big social events or even what people thought of me. And I would shut people out. I never wanted to get close to anyone because of things from my past that I was tightly holding on to. A lack of trust was a big part of that. And it wasn’t until I connected with a life coach and started learning and growing, that I began to understand how much I actually needed good relationships in my life, and how much they would shape me and impact me.
One important thing that I learned along the way is that we actually become the sum of the five people who we spend the most time with. In other words, we literally become like the people that we’re surrounded by, which is both empowering, and a giant word of caution. To put it simply, show me your friends, and I will show you your future. And I say that with confidence because I’ve seen it proven true time and time again. It’s pretty likely that you’ve heard me talk about your 5 tribe here on the podcast before. I encourage you to intentionally build a tribe of five people who will encourage, uplift, and support you…people who make good choices, intentional choices, people who will be a good influence in your life, people who will help you grow, people who understand empathy, who will feel your feelings with you, but who love you too much to let you stay in a dark place. They’ll let you get everything out that you need to get out when life feels heavy, but they’ll lovingly stop you from returning to it over and over and over. The Bible says in Proverbs 26:11 “As a dog returns to its vomit, so also a fool repeats his foolishness.” I know that Scripture is both graphic, and powerfully revealing all at the same time, right? But Sis, when you have the right five people in your tribe, they won’t let you return to your vomit. It’s so important that you build a 5 tribe of people who genuinely want the best for you. And it’s also absolutely essential that you choose those five people with wisdom. The truth is, we don’t always choose our friends wisely. The people you hang out with will either inspire you to grow, or they’ll keep you stuck where you are. Or even worse, they’ll move you backwards. So I want you to think about who are the people in your inner circle right now? Who have you allowed into your 5 tribe? Do their lives reflect the life that you want? Are they passionate? Do they radiate joy, confidence, hope? Are they teachable and growth minded? Are they forgiving, grateful, and honorable?
In 2011, I got some great advice. Find someone who has what you want, and do what they do. Build yourself a 5 tribe of people who have gone before you who are full of wisdom, who are living the type of life that you want to live. And then humble yourself and ask them questions. Learn and grow from them. If you’re serious about breakthrough, if you’re serious about healing, and freedom, and life change, have an honest conversation with yourself about the voices and the people that you’re allowing to influence who you are becoming. And consider that it might be time to make some changes when it comes to who you’re allowing to be a part of your 5 tribe.
The Most Important Relationship
All of these relationships that we’ve talked about so far are important, but I want to talk about the most important relationship that you will ever experience. In 2012, when I was 26 years old, I stepped into the most important relationship of my life. I embraced a relationship with Jesus. And it was the ultimate encounter. It’s the thing that truly changed my life. Understanding that someone loved me enough to see past my brokenness and loved me enough to forgive me of my mess. Understanding that someone accepted me and welcomed me with all of my flaws and shortcomings, my past failures, my bad choices, and my sinful nature. Understanding that the one who created me cared deeply enough for me, that he would make a way for me to become clean and pure by laying down His life and dying for me. Understanding that a relationship with Him meant that although I will die someday, I will live again eternally in heaven. That changed everything. That was the ultimate breakthrough, and the most important relationship of my entire life. Because, sweet friend, what Jesus did for me and what He did for you, is bigger than anything that’s ever been done to you. It’s bigger than anything that’s ever been spoken over you. It’s bigger than your bad choices, your past failures, and your sin, and you’re never too far out of reach from His love. You could never be too far gone because His unfailing love, it’s deep, and it’s wide, and it endures forever. I love Psalm 136, it repeats over and over again, “His faithful love endures forever.”
Salvation & Grace
So maybe you’re sitting there like, yes and Amen, sister, or maybe you’re like, I think I’m a Christian, but I’m not sure. Perhaps if I’m good enough, I’ll end up in heaven someday, maybe. Maybe you’re wondering if being considered a certain religion is the same thing as a relationship with Jesus. Or maybe you’re sitting there right now with sweaty hands and your heart is beating really fast and you feel like you need a relationship with Jesus, but you don’t know how to step into it. I’ve got you, Sis. It’s actually really, really simple. I want to share with you the very simple explanation of salvation, and grace.
You see, God created the first humans, Adam and Eve, and He gave them free choice. They chose to go against God’s wisdom, and against the best plan for their lives. He gave them basically one and only one rule to follow and obey and they made the choice to disobey God. Sort of like how children disobey their parents, like we test the waters, right? Our children test the waters and Adam and Eve were no different. And when they did that, it allowed sin to enter the world which caused a separation between them and God, because no longer could they stand before God blameless. But rather, their sins drove a wedge between them and God and now their sins had to be atoned for. They deserved to die. In the Old Testament of the Bible, sins were atoned for by animal sacrifice. But then God sent down Jesus who was actually a part of himself. Maybe you’ve heard of the Trinity…the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So Jesus came to earth as a baby. He grew up to become a man, He was the God-man, we call Him the God-man because He was, as mind blowing as it is, He was fully God and fully man, the God-man. He came to earth, He grew up, and then He was put to death on a cross. And this was to take the weight of all the sin and the whole world is what was really put up on him. The awesome thing is that three days after He died, He actually lived again. You see, He was the perfect sacrifice atoning for sin once and for all, as he bridged the gap between sinful humans and God.
Jesus is the reason that there are no longer animal sacrifices needed because His blood, it covered every single sin for every single human. That includes you. The Bible says that because we’re sinners, we deserve death. We deserve punishment, like big time punishment, eternal punishment. But God, the good Father, loves you so much that He sent His own son, a piece of himself, down to die in your place. Romans 5:8 says, “God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Sis, that is how deeply loved you are. It’s right there in Romans 5:8. God showed His love for you and for me, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. All you have to do is show up and accept His grace, that free gift. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. It’s not your own doing; it’s the gift of God, not by the result of your works so that no one may boast.”
Friend, you could never be good enough. You could never do good enough, you couldn’t do enough good works, or clean up enough to earn eternal life. And it’s not about some label, or any certain “religion”. It’s not about being a Catholic, or a Baptist, or a holy roller. It’s not even about the title of being called a Christian. The truth is that the only securing of your eternal salvation is through the simple belief and acceptance of what Jesus did on the cross for you. It’s really that simple. It’s by His grace, through faith, that you can enter into a relationship with Him, and experience salvation and freedom. And when you ask God to wash you clean, and to lead you into a good future, He will do it in an instant. Your healing, your breakthrough, your path to freedom, and life, you experiencing genuine joy…it’s that simple. It’s all packaged within relationship with Jesus. Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
While this is awesome and wonderful news, I have got to share a word of warning with you as well. You see, I’m a sinner in need of a savior and friend, you are a sinner in need of a Savior. We naturally choose sin and disobedience, especially in today’s world where it’s like this microwave society. All we want to think about is the here and now and what feels good and what makes us happy now. Heck with delayed gratification or planning ahead or thinking about the future. Instead, it’s like Carpe Diem, live for today. But there’s another day coming. All of eternity is coming. And I have to tell you, I have to warn you out of love that there will be consequences if you ignore what I’m sharing with you about relationship with Jesus. A lot of times all that believers want to talk about is heaven and how good God is, which is awesome. And it’s true. But there’s another side of the coin and it’s not so good. Let me ask you this…If you and I were physically together right now, we were standing on my front porch together right now, and there was a rattlesnake crawling on the ground behind you creeping up ever so slowly to attack you and to harm you, would I be a very good friend if I didn’t caution you of that danger? No. A true friend would give you a warning like, “Hey, you’re about to suffer long-term pain if you don’t do something different here.” It’s the same with your life and your eternal life. If you choose to ignore the fact that you need a savior, what you’re guaranteed of is a place in hell. In the Gospel books, hell is described using these words…weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth, darkness, flames burning, and torment. Friend, it’s a place of everlasting punishment. And I’m sharing this with you out of love. I’m sharing the answer, the simple solution, the way out of eternal salvation and freedom from that dark place of punishment. It’s a relationship with Jesus. It’s believing that He lived and died for you. It’s asking him to forgive you of your sins and inviting Him to live in your heart and set you free. That’s it. It’s believing and asking, and living a life with Him and for Him.
God’s Word & Faith
If you’re thinking to yourself right now, Katie, how can I know that this is true? How can I trust that this is even for real? This is how…it’s two things. It’s God’s Word and faith. John 1:1-3 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him, not one thing was created that has been created.” You see, God’s Word always has been and always will be. It’s eternally relevant. God’s Word, the Bible, it’s infinite, and it’s alive. And faith, believing in what you can’t see, you already have faith in a lot of things. Friend, you have faith that the sun will come up tomorrow. You have faith in yourself, and in other people. You have faith in hope and love. You can’t see those things, but you believe in them, right? You know they’re real and true. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for. It’s the evidence of things we cannot see.” So faith in God’s word, that’s how you know that all of this is true. I love 2 Corinthians 5:17. It says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone. The new is here.” Thank you, Jesus, that you bring healing and breakthrough, and freedom when we choose to enter into a relationship with you. Amen.
Real quick sis, let’s recap the ultimate path to healing and freedom.
Romans 3:23 says, “Everyone has sinned. We all fall short of the glory of God.” This goes back to the garden and the very beginning when Adam and Eve chose sin, and sin entered the world.
Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord.”
Romans 5:8 says, “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, for it’s by believing in your heart that you are made right with God. And it’s by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” Knowing trusting, believing, speaking it with your mouth, having faith and the belief that this is true, and that God sent Jesus for you.
Romans 10:13 says, “Everyone, who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Amen, that gives me goosebumps.
Right now, you’re probably thinking one of two things. One, you’re thinking, this was an awesome recap of salvation. And maybe I’m gonna share this episode with my friends because I know how deeply important salvation is. And this was an awesome roadmap that explained the plan of salvation, and you’re sitting there rejoicing and knowing that Jesus has already set you free. Or number two, you’re thinking, Oh, my gosh, I need this. I need Jesus. What the heck do I even do next? Friend, once again, the answer is simple. You just close your eyes and you open your heart and you talk to the Lord like He’s your friend and your father. Because He’s both of those things and He is waiting to hear from you. Your prayer, or what you say to God, it does not have to be picture-perfect by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it won’t be perfect. It can’t be perfect because you’re not perfect. Jesus was the only one that ever was perfect. You’re not perfect, and neither am I.
So, here’s an example of what you could share with the Lord as you invite him to forgive you and to set you free. You could say something like this, “Lord, I recognize my sinful nature and how I act in disobedience. I understand that because of my sin, I deserve severe consequences. I deserve death. But God you created me and you love me with an unfailing love and you made a way for me to be forgiven and free. Jesus, I believe that you are the way. You are truth and life. Please forgive me for all the things I’ve done wrong, for all the ways I’ve hurt you, myself, and others. Wash me clean and make me new. Welcome me into your family as I welcome you to live in my heart. Thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you for being the God of my salvation. In Jesus name, I ask and I receive, Amen.”
If you just prayed that prayer, I encourage you to take a moment and a deep breath and just rest in your newfound salvation. You might even want to reach out to a trusted friend or a family member and share the awesome news of what just happened in your life and in your heart. It is awesome. It’s like a joyful celebration. Thank you, Jesus for each and every one of my sisters who just prayed that prayer and chose to enter into a relationship with you. As Psalm 30:11 states, “You have turned my weeping into dancing. You’ve clothed me with gladness and joy.”
So now what? At this point, the prayer of my heart is that you found healing and freedom with Jesus, whether it happened just moments ago or long ago in your life. Either way, your next step is to continue growing in relationship with the Lord. It doesn’t stop here, this is just the beginning.
Real quick, just to clarify, you’ve heard me using the words God, Jesus and Lord interchangeably. And just in case there’s any confusion, I want to remind you that the Lord is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It’s the Trinity, the three in one. It’s kind of wild and really awesome. So think of the Lord as God, your Creator and Heavenly Father, Jesus, who was God in man form, and then the Holy Spirit, God in Spirit form. The Holy Spirit is a helper that God put inside of you when you accepted salvation. Yep, His spirit is alive inside of you, Sis., It’s there to lead and guide you. The best way to get a more clear picture of this is to read the Gospels in the Bible, the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Opening up your Bible will be key to growing in your relationship with God and it’ll be key to helping you navigate future bumps in the road. And there will be some as you continue to travel the journey of life. Trust me, there will still be valley seasons ahead, because life doesn’t become perfect when you choose to follow Jesus, but it does become peaceful and free. And you can rest in knowing that no matter what tomorrow brings, Jesus will be right there beside you through it all, holding you, growing you, giving you the strength you need at exactly the moment that you need it. I think it’s so incredible that we still walk through hard times even after we choose to follow Jesus because those hard times truly are a blessing as they are the moments where we hit our knees and we look up, and we lean in and we always grow closer to God in those tough moments. In fact, I praise the Lord, when we encounter those tough moments in our life.
