Never say that you can’t change. That you’ve tried and tried to break old bad habits and form new good ones, but it hasn’t worked and therefore it won’t work.

Never say that you have nothing left to learn or discover and that you have God and your theology neatly definted and packaged into a system that you can understand.

Never say that you are beyond hope, even when everyone around you seems to think so and even when some of those have told you so. Never think for a moment that you are too far from God’s reach.

Never say that your addiction or stronghold or struggle has beaten you and that you will never overcome it.

Never say that God has stopped loving you and has given up on you.

Never say never to those dreams and goals that seem unreachable and hopelessly out of sight right now.

ALWAYS believe that the love of Jesus, given time, can change ANYTHING or ANYONE, regardless of where they are. It’s not up to you or your strength or your willpower to make change happen; all it takes is your surrender and openness to let God do whatever He wants in you.

ALWAYS know that as long as you live you will never begin to know all there is to know about God and His ways. Even eternity won’t exhaust the deep well of riches and wisdom that are in God. We will spend eternity fathoming the depths of His love for us and still not come to the bottom.

ALWAYS believe that while God is still God and while He is still good, you will always have hope. There is NOTHING you can do that will cause God to quit on you.

ALWAYS know that those in Christ have already overcome the world and sin. Not only can you overcome your addictions and strongholds, you can through the blood of Jesus be triumphant over them. All it takes is falling at His feet and admitting your absolute dependence, not on the addictions or strongholds, but on Jesus.

ALWAYS believe that God has promised that He will finish what He started in you and He will never be finished with you (in the sense of His walking away in disgust). God has promised to NEVER leave or forsake or stop loving you or stop conforming you into the image of Jesus and God hasn’t broken a promise yet (and He ain’t about to start now!)

ALWAYS know that a God-given dream ALWAYS comes to pass. Believe that if God doesn’t make your dream come true, He has a much better dream in His heart for you. If your goals don’t succeed, know that His goals for you WILL. And His goals don’t end with you. They start with you and end with the whole world hearing about the good news of Jesus.

Never give up or give in, but ALWAYS throw yourself at the mercy and grace of God and ALWAYS surrender to Him and whatever He wants for you. ALWAYS know that God is in you, with you, for you, and on your side.

Amen and amen!