Ever just had enough? Ya know the saying ~ 

No pain. No gain. ? 

It’s kinda true. You want new muscles you’ve never had? It’s gonna hurt going up on weights and working harder in the gym. 

You wanta accomplish more, be more, excel more? It’s gonna cost you your comfort level to go to college or study or put in the reps to become a better (fill in the blank). 

You want to lose weight, stop yielding to that addiction, or get your mind right in some way? It’s going to take getting “DONE!” with being fat, being second place, being a slave to work or to whatever your drug is! 

What are you DONE with? What has you almost pushed to your limit? Fried? Overwhelmed? Frustrated to no end about? Hopeless? 

Y’all, it’s not worth it! Nothing is worth THAT^^!

NOTHING! No amount of money, success, fame, or notoriety! I’ve seen it up close and personal. I’ve experienced a little taste of all of this I’m talking about. It’s NOT worth it. 

If you are feeling like you can hardly go another minute, or if you are on the brink of a break down, or if everyone around you is giving you warning signs that you seem almost burnt out or on edge, LISTEN TO THEM! I did recently and so glad I did. It’s a slow fade. When you are almost fried or if you are wound so tight, are living in constant anxiety or with a dark cloud over your head, take a TIME OUT. Get away. Go save yourself. 

I was a lifeguard in high school and college at a huge water park and the wave pool was the most serious place to lifeguard I guess next to the beach. I learned if you are going to be able to save someone else, you have to first save yourself and at which point you lose the confidence that you will be able to save someone who is pulling you down and drowning you, it’s better to save yourself rather than have 2 drown. 

That’s a tough decision to make and thankfully I never had to make that decision while life guarding but I have had to make that decision while pastoring a few times. It’s hard. It affects you. No one gets into ministry having any clue just how much pain there is in this profession. But no pain. No gain. And ohhhhhh Heaven’s gain is beautiful!!! And it’s so worth it. The good outweighs the bad 100 to 1! But no matter what you do or where you are in life, I double dog dare you to get DONE with some things! Go through the pain of getting up earlier or saying no to the brownie or not saying that word any more or no longer saying everything you feel or stop calling your friends about your other friends gossiping in the form of prayer requests or just to hear yourself talk. What do you need to be done with? 

I’ll go first. I challenge you to make a list of things you are done with.

Me? 

• Being a workaholic – not being able to quit working to balance life and ministry 
• Eating stuff I know good and well God is leading me not to put in my mouth and being disobedient to Him by doing it anyway then praying for healing with some things when I wouldn’t even need healing if I would put the cookie down! 
• Getting my mornings right which means getting my evenings right with self control to get to bed earlier like an adult instead acting like a 22 year old staying up watching my favorite shows way too late
• Being disorganized due to not allowing enough margin to take the time needed to maintain stuff, busy going on to the next thing too fast
• Being disillusioned with the next big thing robbing me from enjoying now
• Allowing people to disrespect me and just keep going back for more

I encourage you also to jot down what you’re getting right so you stay encouraged! 

Me? 

• I regularly spend time in the Word and let God teach me and correct me.
• I invest in coaching and counseling regularly to keep me accountable to keep moving forward.
• I have great work ethic and because of that, get a lot accomplished which is a great attribute. 
• I genuinely care about people which is why I sometimes don’t have the best boundaries. 
• I have honed my skills and am happy with the writer and minister of the gospel I’m letting God shape me into.
• I am in great company with the best of family, friends, team and community.

So stay encouraged while you at the same time GET DONE with some things and say NO MORE! so you can keep going from glory to glory and so you can finish your course with JOY! 

Happy Monday y’all! 

Adrienne