One
The Turning Point
ROMANS 5:8
But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Too many of us live with unnecessary suffering. Some of the most common problems we face—anxiety, financial burden, depression, stress, fear, and others—are also the hardest to fight. The problem isn’t the trial we are facing—it is thinking the obstacle can’t be overcome.
Too often do we just try to make it through another day instead of attacking the issues that surround us. But it shouldn’t—and doesn’t have to—be that way. Your highest hurdles that prevent you from fulfilling your destiny can actually be overcome. It’s time to bring it back to the basics: stop running from adversity and claim victory, not defeat. No gimmicks, no more regret, no more self-pity, and no more excuses. Regardless of your race, past, choices, or age, Jesus died to see you live a prosperous life full of victory. The turning point is now.
Your life is about to change just by realizing that you don’t have to suffer anymore or carry the weight of your hurdles, and instead hand all of your problems to God and stand in tall faith that He will make a path of victory for you. He is the only true solution if you want a new life away from life’s curveballs. Your new life starts with understanding who God created you to be, and by realizing that He took your place and suffered once for victory over life’s stings. Get ready because your new life starts today. Can you see Jesus’ victory?
Jesus didn’t have to die for us, but His decision changed everything.
God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, not only to comfort His people, not only to strengthen their faith in Him, but primarily to die on the Cross of Calvary for our sins and to destroy the work of the devil. His sacrifice granted us the freedom to pray to God and be heard. We no longer walk in darkness. Jesus came into this world and declared He was and will always be our Light. We can pray knowing He hears us. We know there is nothing out of reach for Him.
He saved us from the burden and corruption of the world. He took the weight of sin and carried it on His shoulders, freeing us from the enemy’s captivity. Jesus’ death was vital for us to have eternal, everlasting life with God. Only Jesus could do all of this for us. The amazing part is He didn’t have to do any of it. He didn’t have to die for us. He didn’t have to love us. But He sees something so special in each of His children that He insisted on taking the fall for our own sin with His life. We must give Him all the glory forever because of His sacrifice.
Even when our body dies physically, we can rest assured that we will spend eternity with our Heavenly Father. God promises us living in His Kingdom is worth every obstacle, trial, and tribulation we face in this life. There is nothing on Earth that comes close to the joy and peace of Heaven. However, God often grants us wisdom beyond this world and a small glimpse into Heaven, especially when we are enduring difficult times, to remind us of the priceless life waiting for us.
On the Cross, Jesus overcame the whole world, and all its sin, corruption, brokenness and darkness. He restored life. Even though He has the duty of holding all of us in His hands and fixing all of our problems, He still went through with God’s plan for Him to die. That sure does make our problems pale in comparison to the pressure on God’s shoulders: finding solutions to everyone’s problems somehow. Despite this hefty task, nothing is too hard for Him. He is perfect and always wins.
Can you imagine the pressure and temptation put on Jesus at His crucifixion? He could have said it wasn’t fair for Him to die. He could have avoided the horrific pain of the piercing nails puncturing His skin. But no, He stayed confident that this was the very reason His Father sent Him: to die for us and save us from sin. The very reason He avoided that temptation was love—His love for you. He died for each and every one of us—not just a certain race, skin color, gender, sexuality, age, or size. No, Jesus died for all of us because we are all sinners, but more importantly we are all loved children of God.
Everyone deals with certain struggles, and there is no such thing as a “perfect” day. But that’s okay. We weren’t made to live a perfect life. As I have matured in Christ, He has taught me that problems are actually a blessing. It sounds crazy at first, but imagine a perfect life, one where you never went through a hard time. The idea itself sounds great at first, but one of the best feelings is overcoming adversity—knowing you were victorious and that no trial could defeat God. That feeling wouldn’t exist in a perfect life. God gives us bumps in the road for a reason: every obstacle pulls us closer to Him.
I thought that was untrue until I reached some of the lowest points in my life and then fully gave my life to Christ. I didn’t just give Him half of my life, or just my weekends, but my entire being. My mind, body, and soul belong to The Lord—I couldn’t be happier. Everything is different when you completely commit to Jesus. You feel happier, you have more energy, things seem to work out somehow, and you just feel like you are serving a true purpose in this world.
To name all of the things God has done for me is only possible for Him, but I know that He is blessing me and speaking through me right at this very second. And He is with you right now, too. He is watching you read this, and is accepting you with open arms, no matter what you have done in your past. He has drawn you to this book for a reason. He doesn’t care about any of that. He accepts you for what you are inside: a masterpiece. You are wonderfully and fearfully made—The Lord said so in Psalm 139:14. So, it’s one thing to hear that, but its life-changing when you truly accept God made you just the way He wanted to. What do you think? Are you willing to give Him a chance? There will be no going back once you chose Him because nothing could compare to living in Him. Whenever you make a decision, just know God will be right there, already mapping out your new life with Him.
Some days just feel impossible, endless, and like nothing will improve. But those days do come to and end, unlike God. He will get you through those tough days. Spend those times in prayer, thanking God for getting you through this storm. There is no other feeling greater than praising and serving Him, The Father who created us all! He knew us inside and out even before we were born, and He still knows us better than we know ourselves—that’s why there is no point in hiding from Him.
We should confess and share everything with Him because it shows we trust Him. Not only does He know everything about us, but He also knows every thought we think! At one particularly low point, I asked God to take my life as a living sacrifice and use me for whatever He wanted. That’s just the least we can do—Jesus paid the ultimate price when He died for all of our sins!
He let us know that we are children of God and that our prayers are in fact heard. God cares about us more than we could ever imagine, and all He wants us to do is live for Him. When life seems stressful, when you feel alone, when things aren’t going as well as you hoped for—talk to God about it. He doesn’t need for you to be a super-educated, rich, successful professor or lawyer to talk to Him—He just wants you, the masterpiece He created. All you have to do to start is ask God: “Lord, I’ve sinned. Please come into my heart. Change my life. I make You my Lord and my Savior.” Everybody has time to say those words, no matter how busy you are. You will be amazed at the power of that simple prayer.
God does so much for us on our behalf. He works behind the scenes for us, making sure we are safe and set on the right course. There is no stress, worry, anxiety, or depression with God—He takes care of all those things for us. He supernaturally lifts all burdens that we are suffering through and carries them on His back because there is no possible way for us to do so. But that’s the amazing thing about God: He is not limited to possibilities! Anything is possible through Christ.
Nobody but God can judge you, and even Jesus said He doesn’t judge or condemn His people. Nobody has the right to judge another human being. Don’t worry about what anyone else tells you because you are not seeking their approval—you are seeking, and will always have, God’s approval! Every time someone judges you, makes fun of you, or gives you a hard time, God blesses you even more. God already has His plan for you lined up. All you have to do is follow Him and give everybody else something good to talk about. God has plans for them too, but you already have God’s favor shining down on you, so you have an advantage. He truly is living inside of you. If you have God on your side, how can you ever be defeated?
One of the greatest things about God that I realize every single day is that when we sin, He always listens to our confessions. He hears us out. No, He will not turn His back away from you, but instead He takes you, cleanses you, and forgives you. He fills all voids in your life that you have tried to fill with temporary fixes. Only His blood and love can fill that emptiness guilt, shame, or whatever it may be, inside of you. God is everlasting. The Bible says He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He will always love you, no matter what. When you think there is just too much sin for God to forgive you, think again. He is waiting on you right now. Just open your heart to Him and pour out what you’re feeling—He will make everything okay.
Today is your day. God is already setting up amazing, larger-than-life blessings for you and your loved ones. He just wants us to know we can trust Him. One of the hardest obstacles in life is predicting the future. What will happen to me? Will I get hurt? There is no possible solution. I’ve sinned too much. God has lost His love for me. Nobody wants anything to do with me. There is no purpose for me being here.
We have got to block those thoughts out. God loves you regardless of your past, mistakes, weaknesses, and He is here to make our paths straight. People may not understand you—but God does.
God really does work in mysterious ways. Don’t try to predict His plan for you—just trust it will be good! He can take all our obstacles and use it for good. Sounds crazy. But God isn’t limited to what we deem as possible— He sees the whole picture, and uses every obstacle to bring us closer to Him—the ultimate blessing—and strengthen everything that we are. Without God, we are nothing. With God; however, we are everything and will always have the required tools and preparation to walk through any obstacle. God knows what He is doing. Let Him work everything out for you.
Most of the time, we trust the people we love, those closest to us. Well, God loved you so much He sent His only begotten Son—conceived by The Holy Spirit—to come to Earth in the flesh of man to not only perform miracles and provide comfort for us but primarily to die for us. He was sent to take the fall for us and give up His own life so we could have life. Now what do we do with that life He died for us to live? The least we could do is live for Him, and use our live to bring glory, honor, and thanks to His Name. That’s all He asks of us. He isn’t asking us to be perfect, always do the right thing, or feel bad for ourselves when we fail. All He wants us to do is live for Him.
I encourage you to take the time to grow in your relationship with Jesus, and grasp how much He loves you. This will strengthen your faith and trust in Him. You will find it much easier to hand over your problems to Him trust that He won’t let you fall once you start building a solid relationship with Him through prayer and just talking to Him about your problems.
Many times people say they don’t want to give God a chance because of their position in life. They ask, “How could there be a God when He let me end up like this?” Well, God has a purpose behind every decision He makes for our life. That situation isn't permanent. God is leading you to Him, no matter what. He doesn’t give you trials because He is mean or doesn’t love you. He is using those obstacles in your life to bring you closer to Him, to let you know you can place your trust and confidence in Him, and that He will carve a path out for you.
He knows how long it will be before you just confess and say, “Lord, fine, I’ll give you a chance. I have no other options.” Even though God wants to see us turning to Him out of our love for Him, if you feel like there is no other way but God and finally submit to His heart, that’s all that matters. Have you given God a chance? I pray you do, because He loves you and has amazing plans for you! I pray you will find comfort in the words below and pray they have a blessed impact on your life. Regardless of how much you know God—maybe you don’t know Him at all, or just want to know Him more—He is living inside of you, blessing you, praying for your needs, and is giving you everything you need for this next, blessed chapter of your life.
This book is for all my brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering any kind of obstacle or stressful situation, for those enduring touch times, or feeling anxious about the future. Maybe the stress of life is causing you to lose hold of your faith and building a burden impossible to carry.
Don’t get discouraged if life’s obstacles have been more than you can bear. Also, don’t feel like you are alone in your struggles. The obstacles included in this book are some of the most common ones we all suffer with. The good news is we don’t have to suffer through them anymore. We can rest assured knowing God is still on the Throne and He will use all our trials for our good. Don’t stop reminding yourself that God is perfect, meaning nothing challenges Him or surprises Him. With this book I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ to take the limits off of God, and realize He is still alive and inside each and every one of us.
There is so much more in your future. So many more blessings, opportunities, great people, amazing achievements, success, healing, power, and pure joy, and I know you are strong enough to keep fighting until the finish line. You may have had some bad breaks or feel as if things just have not worked out for you, but God is telling you otherwise. You are victorious. You are a child of God, and only He can define who you are. Only He knows the gems hidden within your heart, and only He can control your bright, prosperous future.
With this book I hope and pray you will realize—or be reminded that—God can do the impossible. You are a child of God, and you are loved and held by your loving Father in Heaven. Take note of all the things He has given you and the opportunities coming your way. He will open doors no man can shut. Inside your heart is the same power that raised Jesus from the grave. You were chosen to be here by the most important Person to ever exist—now it’s time to act like it. Relax, read at your own pace, and rest in the fact that God is in control and knows all your needs. I know from my own experience that God uses every obstacle for the good of those who love Him, just like He promised in His Word. Whether this is the first or thousandth time you’ve decided to really trust God that He will take care of all your obstacles, I pray you will find God in your heart and make Him the Lord of your life—you don’t know what you’re missing. Enjoy!
Faith Reminder
Anxiety has put up a good fight, but now is the time for change. Proclaim that you are leaving all forms of worry behind and all burdens were crucified. God is carrying you and your obstacles. He knows where this path is going to lead you—victory. Stay in faith and open your heart to Jesus to the point where there is no room for anxiety to creep in anymore. His perfect love casts out all nervousness and you no longer have to live as a prisoner. You were made for better. You were made a champion and child of God.