Join us as we hear an on-the-go devotional today from therapist, business owner and pastor’s wife, Kemi Huntley.
In a world that often measures our worth by accomplishments, appearance, or approval from others, it’s easy to forget the truth: You are already deeply loved and valued by God. Let’s take the next few moments with Kemi to unpack our identity. Here’s what she has to say…
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I'm about to say a bad word... (takes a deep breath). Ok, here it goes.
Intimacy.... As the calendar brings the month of February and Valentine's Day back around to us once again, I'm stuck thinking about the word intimacy. Why do so many of us struggle with this word? Why is it hard for us to draw close to others, our spouse and to God? I think we learned to date God… 
Let’s sit down with my husband, entrepreneur and former professional athlete, Gage, and ask him the hard questions about starting something new. Like…
How do we find the bravery to take the first step? What’s our strategy? How do we identify godly counsel and surround ourselves with the right people to help us get where we need to go? How do we fail forward? 
“You’re stronger than you think.”
I was mid roll on the ab roller when my burn boot camp instructor sat down next to me. “Come on,” she cheered. She extended out her hand to a length that would push me a said, “roll it out to here each time.” Guess what? I met the goal she set for me. And then she said… “You’re stronger than you think.” I just thought you might need to hear that today too. You ARE stronger than you think. For some, getting out of bed today even seemed like an unreachable goal. But hey, you did it. For others, you ARE able to achieve that work goal, start that hard conversation, or ask God do accomplish the impossible on your behalf. Transparently…  You’re FREE ebook is at the end of this blog!
We’ve all heard the phrase “New year, New Me” about one thousand times. But here’s the deal, we don’t really need a new “us.” Why? Because we start things and don’t finish them. We make New Year’s resolutions and forget what they are by February. When the pressure is on us to fix us, we’re fail every time, right? What we’ve been doing isn’t working! That’s why we don’t need a “new me,” we need a new strategy. Here’s what I’ve been doing each new year and I’m tossing this plan in the trash. I’ve been adding things onto my life thinking these new additions will make my life more fulfilling, that I’ll even experience greater growth in my walk with Christ. More healthy food and exercise… More quiet time with God… Achieve more goals… Make more money… More date nights with my husband… Be more intentional with my kids… Gosh, just thinking of “more” makes my chest start to tighten. Is it doing that to you too? Because I know I need “more” of these things but life already feels full to the brim. If I throw on “more” I’m going to explode. I can’t handle more. I need less. And that is exactly how do we do more of what we know God is calling us into next year…. 
King Solomon is famously quoted for saying “there’s nothing new under the sun” in Ecclesiastes 1:9. And he’s right, isn’t he? History does always seem to repeat itself, every thing builds upon something preexisting, and even the most creative ideas are birthed out of a previous thought or teaching.
If there’s nothing new, why should we walk into a new year any differently? Can we expect 2025 to hold anything original? Will God actually do something fresh for us? 
Do you know what Christmas color isn’t actually a happy color? Red.
There is a famous painting that is basically a giant red canvas which seems easy to take in or pass over. Yet, the artist's intent is that you stand up close to the canvas and be consumed by the red. We tend to look at our emotions this time of year like that giant red canvas; something we can take in at a distance but don’t actually have time to get up close and personal with. However, God, as the artist of emotion, intended for us to encounter the canvas of our Christmas and see what’s really below the surface. 
"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
-Luke 2:10-12, NIV When people see you, what do you think they see? All your accolades or accomplishments? A potential success or failure? A social status or label? When the angels first appeared, the shepherds freaked out. So, the angels validated God's words by saying, "And this will be a sign to you..." Sometimes, like the shepherds, we need proof that we actually play a great part in God's story and that His Word is true for us. Even though Jesus is no longer physically here lying in a manger, He is still present, living, and active on earth. So, how do we know God’s words are true for us? What is our sign? 
You’ve probably heard the story of David and Goliath. David is a scrawny teenager who decides to slay a giant in a war he wasn’t old enough to fight in. The King at the time, Saul, tries to protect David by at least giving him some armor to wear. Notice what happens:
"Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off." - 1 Samuel 17:38-39, NIV Take a moment to imagine David as he straps on all that heavy gear and it weighs his awkward teenage body down. The metal clangs around, his feet shuffle under the weight, and he can’t quite see out of the helmet on his head. So what does he do? He takes it off. As I've been studying about David’s life for work, I’m realizing just how much we have to learn from this moment! How often do we put on other people’s armor and pray it does the trick for us?  This is not something I’m proud of…
But I tend to choose grumbling over gratitude. Instead of asking “What’s the best thing that could happen?” I find myself catastrophizing and wondering what the worst could be in this situation. I can point out a negative over a positive in a second. In times of stress, my world becomes black and white— here’s what’s working and here’s what’s not. There is no in between. As I’ve aged, I’ve also become more self-aware and have worked on this over the years. Here’s the main thing I’ve learned: Gratitude and grumbling cannot co-exist. Possibly this is why 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” The “all circumstances” part is the hardest, right? It’s easier to wish for or whine about the greener grass rather than put in the work to cultivate the land we've been given. When we long for healing, it’s incredibly hard to give thanks to the Healer who hasn’t come through yet. At times it can seem safer to uproot instead of sink your roots deep into something and make it grow. It’s our human default to want more rather than make the most of it. However, the secret to contentment is living life as one great big thank you note to God. It's not wanting more but making more of our moments. It's being present enough to soak up the potential in the place we're in-- the dry and weary land or the celebrated promised one. If you find yourself grumbling today, try gratitude instead. Just try it. You may find that your passive aggressive comments turn into praise, anxiety gives way to peace, and notice the beautiful things in the broken place. Here’s how to start… |
