Issue 1| 2023

TRANSFORMED LIVES
more of a champion to God. He loves us just
as we are for one simple reason: we’re His
kids. There are no conditions to our heavenly
Father’s love. You can’t earn it, and you
can’t lose it. It just is, and it’s everlasting.
There aren’t different degrees of God’s
love either. His love doesn’t change. He
can’t love you any more than He does right
now. And He doesn’t love one person more
than He does someone else. This is great
and amazing news.
So if we’re already champions, isn’t that
all there is? No. Even though God loves us
and even though He sees a champion when
He looks at us, that doesn’t mean every
believer will live the life of a champion. Not
every believer will determine to be a champion
for God and His kingdom.
I didn’t for a long time.
I was all about championing my kingdom.
I was focused on using my gifts and
talents for my glory, not His. I didn’t realize
there was more to being a Christian than
asking Jesus to forgive me of my sins and
give me eternal life (John 3:16).
I knew I was supposed to go to church,
pray, and read my Bible, but I didn’t understand
that God wanted to partner with
me in life and use me for His kingdom
purposes. I had no idea someone could
be a champion for God’s kingdom, and I
certainly didn’t know how to be one.
Let’s look at the life of Moses to understand
this better. God created Moses to
lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into
the Promised Land. God knew Moses was
the right person for the job—even after
he’d killed a man and had to hide out in
the wilderness shepherding his father-inlaw’s
sheep. (Check out Exodus 1–2.) Does
that sound like someone who’s a champion?
A wanted man, a murderer, living in
obscurity?
Thankfully, when God chooses people
to champion His causes, He doesn’t look
at their outward appearance, their past,
or where they live. He looks at the inner
qualities He put in us.
God created Moses to lead. He allowed
Moses to have unique and even painful
experiences to prepare him for the task.
He wanted to journey with Moses to help
him develop those leadership qualities.
In Exodus 3–4, we see God inviting His
champion to go on this adventure with
Him. A voice from a burning bush? You can
believe God had Moses’s attention as He
began to reveal what He wanted him to do.
God was like, “Moses, I’ve chosen you
to champion the cause of My people. I’m
going to use you to save them from the
Egyptians. I want you to lead them, protect
them, and teach them how to live and
love Me.”
But Moses couldn’t imagine himself
leading anyone. Maybe before, but now?
No way. So he began to object.
“Me?” he said. “Appear before Pharaoh?
But, God—! Who am I to lead the people of
Israel out of Egypt? What if they don’t believe
me? What if they won’t listen to me?”
It’s the work of
the cross that
makes us His
champions, not
our works.
Even after God promised to be with Moses,
even after He gave him instructions
and the words to speak and supernatural
powers, Moses still refused to accept God’s
call. He only saw his limitations: “I–I can’t
be Your mouthpiece, God. I st–stutter.”
Do you ever feel like Moses? Do you
have trouble seeing yourself as someone
God can use? When you think of the word
“champion,” do you have difficulty seeing
yourself in that category? Or do you see
yourself as the least of the least, when God
is saying you are a mighty warrior?
Well, I have some good news. God uses
the least of the least to champion His causes!
Consider 1 Corinthians 1:27–28: “God
chose things the world considers foolish
in order to shame those who think they are
wise. And he chose things that are powerless
to shame those who are powerful. God
chose things despised by the world, things
counted as nothing at all, and used them to
bring to nothing what the world considers
important” (NLT).
Have you ever been called a fool? Worthless?
A big fat zero? Have you ever felt despised
or rejected? Well, you are who God
wants to use.
Your past doesn’t matter; neither do your
limitations. All that matters is that you are
willing to be used by God. Friend, God is in
you, and Christ in you is the hope of glory
(Colossians 1:27).
You can face anything and do anything
God has called you to do (Philippians 4:13)
because God’s Spirit lives in you. The very
power of God, the heart of God, the mind of
Christ is in you (1 Corinthians 2). His Spirit
empowers you to do what He asks you to
do. It’s not by your might or power; it’s by
His (Zechariah 4:6). You are a champion
because God, the greatest Champion of all,
lives inside you!
It’s time to start walking with your head
held high. I love Leviticus 26:13, where
God says to His children: “I am the Lord
your God, who brought you out of the land
of Egypt so you would no longer be their
slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your
neck so you can walk with your heads held
high.”
We aren’t to walk in shame or be overcome
with guilt. We aren’t to walk burdened
down by the weight of sin or the words of
others. God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for
us. And in doing so, He freed us from the
penalty and power of sin. He broke the yoke
of bondage.
Now, I am not suggesting that we get all
puffed up with pride and become overconfident
in our abilities. No. Our confidence
is in God and His love for us. God declared
our worth when He created us, and He has
promised to be with us every day since.
Have you ever thought about the moment
you were created? According to Psalm 139,
God was at work in your mother’s womb,
fashioning and forming you with His very
hands. Maybe you think, “God didn’t plan
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