I heard a story told by Joyce Meyer this week about a farmer and his donkey.  The donkey fell into a pit and no matter how hard the farmer tried to pull the donkey up, he just didn’t have the strength to do so.  The farmer came to the conclusion to give up on the donkey and start filling the pit and put the poor thing out of its misery by suffocating him.  So they started filling in the pit with dirt.  Every time the dirt would cover the donkey, he would stand up and shake it off.  Well, with each shovel full of dirt, the floor of the pit was filling up and the donkey was rising higher and higher.  no matter how much dirt covered the donkey, he would continuously stand up and shake it off.  Finally, after a while, the donkey was close enough to the top that he simply stepped up easily out of that pit.  

God is so good.  

When I heard this story I immediately prayed and asked Him to fill my pit with dirt.  He told me that my days of filling my pit with dirt are behind me.  He told me,  “I anointed you to fill other people’s pits with dirt.” 

To pull them out of transgression.

To pull them out of fear.

To pull them out of depression. 

To pull them out of anxiety.

To pull them out of all of the things that hold us down and keep us from the beautiful life god has given us, appointed for us and provided us.

Keep standing up. 

Keep shaking off the dirt of this World and soon you will step right out of your pit too.  

Let’s start with the beginning steps and go to where freedom begins.

The Bible.

Proverbs 4:23 says, 

“Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.”

The message version says: 

“Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.”

Watch your step,

Proverbs 16:17 says, “The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; One who watches his way protects his life.”

Deuteronomy 4:9 says, 

“Only be careful for yourself and watch over your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 says,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”

Something that stood out to me in reading these scriptures, were the words “you” and “your”.  

Each of us are given one mind, one body and one spirit.  We are solely responsible for our own thoughts, our own words and our own actions.  

Now, let’s go back and look at those verses again.  

The word instructs us to:

• Watch your heart

• Watch your step

• Watch your way

• Watch your soul. 

It took me so long and so many years of utter agony to receive revelation of this.  

To understand that I can not change the thoughts, words or actions of anyone else.

your is me. 

Just me. only me. 

There are still times I catch myself, or better yet, my husband lovingly, reminds me…it is not my concern.  It’s not any of my business unless, here’s the loop hole, I am asked.  

This was an extremely difficult lesson to learn.  

We do not have entrance into the life of anyone else, unless we are invited with a question.  And even then, only limited to respond without expanding on it.  Here’s where I get tripped up, so this is what I do:

1. I stick to the truth.  I will never candy coat or alter the truth to fit someone else’s ideas. 

2. Love without judgement.  If I’m asking the question why, chances are there is a judgement to follow.  So I Don’t. I Just don’t.  I Let it remain unspoken. 

3. I Hold tight and speak life through the spoken promises of God.  

I must be diligent in allowing God the room to work, because if my hand is on it, God’s hand is off it. 

But, if my hand is off it, Gods hand is on it.  

So here’s the question… When you ask God in prayer to take care of something, do you truly believe He will?  

If my hand is on it, what does that say about my faith in His willingness to do according to what I’ve asked Him to do?  

If my hand is on it, I am saying I can do a better job than God.  

We so easily forget the sovereignty of God.  

Our frustration, anxiety, anger, sorrow and pain comes from holding on too tight to what WE want, even if it’s what we know to be best.  

Release it, let it go and let God put His hand on it.  

I pray this brings freedom as we all navigate this life.  

You are only responsible for you.  

And the flip side of that is no one else is responsible for you either.  

Your life, your choices.  

Step out of disappointment, regrets, heartaches, and mourning.  Stop holding on to them.  

Stop maintaining regrets!  We don’t have time to maintain regrets, amen?  

Let it go! 

Release it and step out of that pit to your new freedom!  

Say yes to the garden of good and plenty He has prepared for you.  

Hallelujah!