Wednesday, August 13, 2025
“The Cross Changes Everything”
Scripture: Philippians 3:10–11 (NLT) – “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”
The Cross Is Not a Symbol — It’s a Surrender
We’ve grown used to seeing crosses everywhere — on necklaces, on church walls, even in home décor. But for the early followers of Jesus, the cross wasn’t something pretty to look at — it was a death sentence. It meant shame, pain, and the complete end of the person who carried it.
When Paul wrote, “I want to suffer with Him,” he wasn’t being poetic. He understood that the cross strips you of everything the old you depended on — your pride, your excuses, your coping mechanisms, your secret sins. It’s not a prop you pick up for appearance; it’s a place you climb onto willingly, saying, “Lord, crucify anything in me that doesn’t look like You.”
What Does “Your Cross” Really Mean?
For the women of Encouraging Her Resilience, your cross is not just the weight of your past mistakes or the consequences you face — it’s the daily choice to die to the self that addiction, abuse, shame, or fear built. It’s surrendering that voice that says, “I can’t do this,” and letting the Spirit say, “Through Christ, you can.”
Your cross might be…
- The decision to forgive someone who never apologized.
- The courage to walk away from a relationship that’s pulling you back into bondage.
- The discipline to show up for your healing even when it hurts.
And here’s the truth: this isn’t a one-time fix. Jesus said “daily.” The moment you think you’ve nailed that old self for good, she starts breathing again. Carrying your cross is an intentional, relentless act.
The Purpose of the Cross in Your Life
Jesus’ cross carried the punishment for your sin. Your cross carries the evidence of your obedience. His cross opened the way to salvation; your cross keeps you walking that way until the end.
The purpose is simple but costly:
- To Keep You Dependent – Without the cross, you’d drift into self-reliance.
- To Keep You Pure – Crucifying your flesh daily kills off what could contaminate your walk.
- To Keep You Aligned – The cross always points you in the direction of resurrection life.
Applying This Today
- Identify the Self You Need to Crucify – Be honest: what part of you is still trying to sit on the throne of your life?
- Lay It Down Again – Don’t just remember yesterday’s surrender. Choose it again today.
- Walk Like the Old You Is Dead – Make decisions today as if the woman you used to be no longer exists — because in Christ, she doesn’t.
Journal Prompt
- If the cross is the cost of following Jesus, what am I still trying to keep for myself?
- How would my faith look if I truly picked it up every single morning?
Affirmation
“I will not put down my cross. I die to self so I can live fully in Christ’s resurrection power.”
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for carrying the cross that I could never bear. Today, I pick up mine. Kill every desire in me that competes with You. Crush the pride, the fear, the self-reliance. Let me experience not just Your death but also the power of Your resurrection in every area of my life. I carry my cross with gratitude, knowing it leads me to You. Amen.
Day 3 – Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Dying to the Old Me
Scripture: “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” — Galatians 2:20 (NLT)
Devotional
Sister, here’s the truth — you don’t just pick up your cross once and call it done.
You don’t “die to self” at an altar one Sunday and never wrestle with her again.
Dying to the old you is daily work. It’s waking up every morning and choosing, “Today, my will dies so God’s will can live in me.”
You don’t “die to self” at an altar one Sunday and never wrestle with her again.
Dying to the old you is daily work. It’s waking up every morning and choosing, “Today, my will dies so God’s will can live in me.”
Galatians 2:20 is more than a memory verse — it’s the blueprint for carrying your cross. The cross was an instrument of death. When Jesus tells us to “take up your cross daily” (Luke 9:23), He’s telling us to willingly crucify our old desires, old habits, old thinking — every single day — so that His life can be seen in us.
Why daily?
Because the old self doesn’t stay in the grave quietly. She will knock on the door of your heart again and again. She’ll try to remind you of old coping mechanisms, old pleasures, old ways of fighting your battles. She’ll whisper, “It’s not that bad. You can handle this without God.” And if you’re not actively picking up your cross and nailing her there every day, she’ll slip back in and take over.
For the women of Encouraging Her Resilience, this is critical in recovery. You can’t just avoid the thing that once destroyed you — you have to kill the appetite for it daily. That means:
- When anger rises — crucify it.
- When fear whispers — crucify it.
- When shame tries to wrap its chains around you — crucify it.
And then, let Christ’s love, peace, and truth take that empty space.
This is not weakness. This is spiritual warfare. The act of dying to self is the act of saying, “I trust God’s way over mine, even when my flesh is screaming to take control.” It’s surrendering the pen of your story and letting Him write it — every day.
The old you cannot carry the new life God is calling you into. She can’t handle His blessings because she doesn’t have the character to sustain them. So you put her on the cross, and you leave her there. And tomorrow, you’ll have to do it again. And the next day. And the next.
How This Scripture Connects to Picking Up Your Cross
- The cross is a place of death — daily death to self means daily picking it up.
- You cannot follow Jesus on your terms — your cross means His will, not yours.
- Resurrection power comes after crucifixion — there’s no new life without daily surrender.
Application Steps
- Morning Crucifixion – Each morning, list one thing your flesh wants that you will surrender to God today.
- Midday Check-In – Ask, “Am I carrying my cross right now, or am I carrying my old self?”
- Evening Reflection – Thank God for every moment you chose His way over your own today.
Journal Prompt
- What areas of my life do I still try to control instead of surrendering daily?
- How different would my life be if I truly died to myself every morning?
Affirmation
“Every day, I die to me so Christ can live through me. I will pick up my cross daily and never put it down.”
Point to Ponder
Picking up your cross is not a one-time moment. It’s a daily burial followed by a daily resurrection.
Day 2 – Monday, August 11, 2025
Enduring the Weight Without Quitting
Scripture: Matthew 16:24 (NLT) – “…take up your cross, and follow me.”
Devotional:
Carrying your cross is not a one-time act of obedience—it’s a daily commitment to keep going even when the weight feels like it’s pressing you into the ground.
There will be days you wake up and your spirit feels strong, ready to take on the world. Then there will be days you wake up already tired, when just getting out of bed feels like a battle, and the thought of “carrying your cross” feels impossible. But here’s the truth—the days you feel weakest are often the days God is building your greatest strength.
The women of Encouraging Her Resilience know this weight all too well.
- The weight of addiction—when your flesh craves what your spirit is rejecting.
- The weight of shame—when your past tries to convince you that you’ll never be free.
- The weight of trauma—when the memories you wish would fade still try to replay in your mind.
- The weight of responsibility—when you’re trying to rebuild your life while still carrying the needs of others.
But here’s the good news—you were never meant to carry it alone.
Even Jesus, the Son of God, who was sinless and perfect, had help carrying His cross. As He walked toward Calvary, exhausted and beaten, Simon of Cyrene was pulled from the crowd to help Him. That moment wasn’t weakness—it was a divine reminder that endurance sometimes requires accepting help.
Enduring the weight doesn’t mean pretending it’s light. It means refusing to put it down when God has told you to carry it. It means adjusting your grip, leaning on your sisters in Christ, and remembering that with every step forward, you are building spiritual muscle for the next season.
If you lay your cross down now, you might relieve the pressure temporarily, but you’ll also forfeit the growth, breakthrough, and victory that comes from finishing the walk.
So today, make the decision: “No matter how heavy this feels, I will not quit. I will keep walking. I will keep carrying. I will keep trusting God with every step.”
Application Steps:
- Identify the weight. Write down one area in your life that feels too heavy for you to carry alone. Be specific—name it so you can confront it.
- Invite God in. Pray and ask Him to carry what you can’t. Speak it out loud: “Lord, I can’t do this without You. I need Your strength today.”
- Seek help. Share your struggle with a trusted sister in Christ, mentor, or counselor. Let them pray with you, check in on you, and help you keep going.
Journal Prompt:
- When have I felt like quitting, and what helped me keep going?
- Who in my life has God placed to help me carry my cross, and how can I let them in?
- How might God be using the weight I carry to prepare me for something greater?
Affirmation:
“The weight will not break me—it will build me. I endure through Christ’s strength, and I will not quit.”
Point to Ponder:
Even Jesus—the One who created the universe—accepted help to carry His cross. Don’t let pride stop you from receiving the help God is sending you.
Day 1 – Sunday, August 10, 2025
Surrendering My Way for God’s Way
Scripture: Luke 9:23 (NLT) – “…you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”
Devotional:
Let’s be real—picking up your cross is not cute, convenient, or comfortable. It’s hard. It’s costly. It will stretch you until you feel like you might break. But it’s also the only way to truly live free.
When Jesus says, “Give up your own way,” He’s not asking you to give up something small. He’s asking you to give up the very thing you’ve been depending on—your own will. That survival instinct that says, “I’ll fix it. I’ll control it. I’ll handle it my way.” But sis, let’s be honest—your way nearly destroyed you. It left you exhausted, broken, and still empty inside.
God’s way is different. His way is about life after the pit. It’s about peace in the middle of chaos. It’s about walking away from the familiar chains that kept you bound for years. But here’s the part we don’t always want to hear: God’s way will often conflict with what your flesh wants. Your flesh will want to lash out, but God’s way will call you to be still. Your flesh will want to run back to what’s easy, but God’s way will tell you to stand firm and trust Him.
For the women of Encouraging Her Resilience, surrender is not just spiritual—it’s practical. It’s walking away from toxic relationships even when you feel lonely. It’s deleting numbers you shouldn’t call, blocking people who keep pulling you back, and refusing to return to places where your healing can’t grow. It’s waking up every day saying, “Lord, I don’t know what this day will bring, but my life belongs to You. Take me where You want me to go.”
And this is the part we must grasp—surrender is not weakness. It is the most powerful choice you can make. The enemy wants you to believe that letting go means losing. But in Christ, letting go means winning. It means you’ve stopped fighting battles you were never built to fight alone. It means you’ve placed your future into the hands of the One who already wrote it.
So today, pick up your cross by laying down your way. Let Him guide every step. Trust that His path will not lead you into destruction but into purpose. This isn’t a half-hearted decision—this is a full surrender.
Application Steps:
- Name your “control points.” Where are you still calling the shots that God has asked you to release?
- Pray it out. Speak to God out loud: “Lord, this belongs to You. I refuse to carry it my way any longer.”
- Act in obedience. Make one bold move today that proves you’re choosing God’s way—whether it’s a conversation, a decision, or a refusal to go backward.
Journal Prompt:
- Where has my way brought me in the past?
- What would my life look like if I fully trusted God’s direction?
- What scares me most about letting go—and how can I surrender that fear too?
Affirmation:
“My surrender is my strength. I let go of my way and trust God’s way completely.”
Point to Ponder:
The moment you lay down your way is the moment you pick up His power.
Day 5: Unshaken in the Valley — Standing on the Promises of God
Scripture Focus:
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” — Psalm 23:4 (NLT)
“…I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” — Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)
“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.” — Psalm 23:5 (NLT)
Message:
My sisters, let’s talk truth. There are valleys you can stroll through without much trouble, and then there are valleys that feel like they were designed to break you. I’m talking about valleys filled with betrayal, false accusations, manipulation, injustice, and heartbreak.
I know those valleys because I’ve been walking through one. And maybe you have too.
You know what it’s like to have your name dragged through the dirt. You know what it’s like to see people plot behind your back, smiling in your face while secretly hoping you fail. You know the pain of waking up each day with a target on your back, not because you’ve done wrong, but because you’ve done right — and the enemy hates that.
Here’s the thing: God never promised us a life without valleys, but He promised to walk through every single one of them with us. He promised He would never leave us nor forsake us. That means no matter how dark the path gets, His presence is right there. Even when your enemies seem to have the upper hand, His Word says He will prepare a table for you right in their sight.
It might not look like it right now. You might feel like the fire is hotter than it’s ever been, but here’s the good news — God’s Word is still true.
- He promised, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17). He didn’t say the weapons wouldn’t form — He said they wouldn’t win.
- He promised, “Whom the Son sets free is free indeed” (John 8:36). That means no lie, no false report, no manipulation can bind you when God has declared your freedom.
- He promised, “I will keep you in perfect peace if your mind is stayed on Me” (Isaiah 26:3). Even when the world feels like it’s falling apart, you can have unshakable peace.
- He promised to “expand your territory” (1 Chronicles 4:10) and to keep you from harm. Even in the valley, expansion is still coming.
Sisters, when you are in the valley, the enemy will try to make you forget God’s promises. He’ll try to distract you with fear, bitterness, and exhaustion. But I need you to hear me — do not let what you see make you forget what God said.
The situation may look bad, but God’s goodness is greater. The attacks may be loud, but His promises are louder. The enemy may be bold, but your God is bolder.
Personal Word from My Heart:
Right now, I’m living through a season where I have every reason in the natural to be angry, bitter, or afraid. People have lied on me. Systems have tried to strip away my character and my work. But I refuse to let the valley define me. I refuse to be moved by what I see — I will be moved by what God says.
I’m standing on His promises with everything in me. I know that the same God who shut the lions’ mouths for Daniel, who parted the Red Sea for Moses, who lifted Joseph from the prison to the palace — that same God is working behind the scenes for me. And He’s doing the same for you.
Challenge for Today:
Write out five promises of God that speak directly to your situation. Place them where you can see them — your bathroom mirror, your journal, your phone wallpaper. Every time fear or doubt creeps in, speak those promises out loud. Remind the enemy that you’re not standing on what you see — you’re standing on the unshakable Word of God.
Declaration:
“I will not fear. I will not bow to lies, threats, or intimidation. My God walks with me in every valley. He is my Shepherd, my Defender, my Provider, and my Peace. I stand on His promises, and His Word will not return void.”
