\nOne night I was awakened in the middle of the night with these words: Embrace your thorns. Why? Because painful circumstances, mean people who have offended you or spoken falsely about you are actually helping you arrive sooner to your destiny. Perhaps we should thank them. They are helping us lose our reputation in the world and, as a result, bring the humility necessary to hold the gift God has for us. If we are made in the image of Christ and follow in His footsteps, we must remember that He was made of no reputation. Hebrews 12:2-3\u00a0 tells us to keep our focus on Jesus, the perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The scripture continues to say we should consider him who endured such opposition from men so that we do not grow weary and lose heart. The joy set before Jesus was our deliverance and freedom from sin.
\nWhat is the joy set before you that would help you endure your own cross? Would transcending the world system, answering to an audience of One, coming into your kingdom calling or helping point others to Christ be enough of a joy?
\nWhat did Jesus do with the shame? He endured it but He despised it. He was going to another place and knew it was leading Him to sit at the right hand of God. We are not to be held back by old companions on the road of victim mentality, self-pity, or shame. Let\u2019s strap on our best running shoes to journey to our new name, a new kingdom, to be seated with Christ. We are being redefined and shedding an old skin that was hard to live up to anyway.
![\"images-3\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/images-3.jpeg?ssl=1\")
<\/a>\nWhen we see this process in a redemptive light, we will run to make the initial effort to resolve our differences, humble ourselves and break up hardened ground.
\nJesus sat down at the right hand of God. Are you trusting in the finished work of the cross and who you are in Him now? Do insults roll off your back replaced by humility? Have you embraced your thorns, swallowed your pride, resolved your offenses? Then you are ready to represent Him.
\nPsalm 87:6-7 announces, This one was born in Zion. As they make music they will sing, All my fountains are in you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Embracing Your Thorns Humbling ourselves and making the first move to resolve offenses can turn our biggest rival into our greatest cheerleader. What do you have to lose? Often our own pride and caring what others think are obstacles preventing us from doing so. The Bible tells us to break up hardened ground and not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1222,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1222","url_meta":{"origin":2193,"position":0},"title":"Sibling Rivalry Resolved","author":"hollysmith","date":"September 11, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"I wanted to make my mark in this world, don\u2019t we all? This goal proved a challenge, however, when I seemed to get the short stick in the gifts and natural talents department. I felt like a square peg in a round hole in my competent family. What was I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/sibling_rivalry_resolved_2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/sibling_rivalry_resolved_2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/sibling_rivalry_resolved_2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/sibling_rivalry_resolved_2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/sibling_rivalry_resolved_2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/sibling_rivalry_resolved_2.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1924,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1924","url_meta":{"origin":2193,"position":1},"title":"Strategy with a “T”","author":"hollysmith","date":"March 14, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I was given an assignment this week to write a successful strategy using the letter T that has helped me take a vision or dream from beginning to end. I thought I would share it here too and apply it for anyone who wants to speak their testimony. Teach truth\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"images-1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/images-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1725,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1725","url_meta":{"origin":2193,"position":2},"title":"Lessons of the Desert-God’s Conditioning School","author":"hollysmith","date":"February 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Jesus rebuked Peter in Matthew 16:23, \u2026\"you do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men.\" Which do you have in mind? Are you prepared, equipped, toughened for the season ahead? Jesus never said we wouldn't endure a season of difficulty but that after a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"desert road","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/desert-road-300x202.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2366,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=2366","url_meta":{"origin":2193,"position":3},"title":"Listening for God","author":"hollysmith","date":"July 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Is. 57:11 Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me? (NIV) Is. 57:11 Did you forget about me and become unfaithful because you were more afraid of someone else? Have I been silent so long that you no longer fear me? (Contemporary English\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"sunset-field-poppy-sun-priroda","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/sunset-field-poppy-sun-priroda-300x198.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":563,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=563","url_meta":{"origin":2193,"position":4},"title":"Scripture Pondering for Change","author":"hollysmith","date":"January 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"How do you solve the dilemma of feeling a lack or weakness in an area of your life? We\u2019ve learned as Christians that we are not really to go by what we think or feel but by the Word of God, so we pray. But if persistent prayer has not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?cat=18"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hollywsmith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/images11.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1791,"url":"https:\/\/hollywsmith.com\/?p=1791","url_meta":{"origin":2193,"position":5},"title":"Scripture Pondering for Change","author":"hollysmith","date":"July 21, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"How do you solve the dilemma of feeling a lack or weakness in an area of your life? We\u2019ve learned as Christians that we are not really to go by what we think or feel but by the Word of God, so we pray. 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