Bible Verse of the Day

Romans 5:3 – 5 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Today’s Daily Devotional for Women

I was 24-years-old and pursuing the biggest dream I'd ever had.  It was my first 5-figure movie budget being used to produce a screenplay I'd written by myself.

Being on set was amazing. Working with the actors to get the vision done was incredible. Working in a career that all my mentors told me I would fail at was euphoric.

I felt like I was on top of the world.

We ended up finishing the movie, editing it and premiering it in front of my family and friends.

I started selling it at churches and online, making sales here and there.  But I knew that in order to make a huge profit, I couldn't just sell the movie myself. I needed a big distributor to pick up the film in order for me to make the kind of money I'd always dreamed of.

So I started pursuing distributors.  I knew the movie was well received by everyone who'd brought it from me, so of COURSE big movie distributors would want my film.

But then after a year of trying to land a distributor, something happened that I didn't expect.  

No distributor wanted my movie.

No one wanted to pick up my film and make me a gazillionaire.

And my heart fell with disappointment.

I was so angry at God. I couldn't understand why this happened.  Why these Christian distributors I'd approached didn't want to pick up my film.

I was tempted to just throw in the towel and quit.  I'd already spent a year of my life pursuing this goal that seemed impossible. I didn't want to waste another second.

But then something happened.  A moment of clarity clicked.  

God had given me the idea to make this movie. God had provided the script and direction and cast and budget.  

God had helped me pay for a 5-figure budget when I was a broke college grad still living at home with Mommy.

If God could do THAT, then God could CERTAINLY do THIS.

That moment of clarity gave me a much needed mind shift. No more acting like a victim who couldn't get a distribution deal.  

Now I realized God was preparing me for a testimony that would empower others going after their dream to never give up.  And I started praising God for the struggle.

I kid you not, the NEXT day, I got an email from a producer in Los Angeles selling a training course on how to get a distribution deal for an independent movie. It cost $497.

I used some of the money I'd made selling my movie (God always provides what we need when we need it) and purchased the training.

I spent the weekend going through the training and implementing the steps to a t.

Three weeks later - I started getting offers from distribution companies.

Four weeks after that - I signed a distribution deal.  And just six months later, my movie was in Redboxes and retail stores nationwide.

God. Can. Do. All. Things.

Repeat that with me - God can do ALL things!

While you pursue your dreams, you’re going to encounter a lot of disappointment. It’s inevitable. But understand you are filled with the power of God’s spirit, and with that comes the ability to rejoice in your sufferings.

It doesn’t come naturally though. You must make that choice. You have to choose every single day, every moment that suffering comes into your mind, you must choose to decide to rejoice in. To find the lesson in it. To push you to endure and have hope and rely on God’s love to overcome it.

A lot of people don’t realize this, and instead allow the suffering to overcome them to the point that they quit.

But when you stop pursuing your goal, when you stop acknowledging God’s divine purpose for your life, when you take yourself out of the game – you are killing your spirit. You are destroying the creator within.  You’re settling into a life of ordinary instead of rising to the extraordinary.

Don’t miss out on the blessing God has for you. I know suffering is hard. I know what it feels like, to feel so sad that you don’t think you’ll ever smile again. To be overcome with pain to the point that you can’t even breathe. To feel damaged to the point of no repair.

But it’s not over yet. You’re not irreparable. Because we have God’s promise in Romans 5:3 – 5, that within us is the Holy Spirit – the power to REJOICE in the pain, the power to let that pain push us to where we need to be.  That pain is part of our success, that pain is part of our perseverance.

We must harness everything within us and choose to use it to drive us forward. Thank God for this new momentum, this opportunity of a lifetime to be your best self. Praise the Lord Jesus, this is not the end of the road. You have a beautiful life waiting for you to live it.

All you have to do is not quit.

Today’s Daily Affirmation Statement  

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