When I was a child, my speech, feelings, and thinking were like a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. – 1 Corinthians 13:11
 
I once asked my daughter why she no longer plays with a certain doll, and she responded, “that doll is for little girls.” Now, the problem isn’t that she stopped playing with the doll, because in life we outgrow and move on from things and people (at least we should). The problem is, she put that doll down and started playing with another toy – swapping one childish thing out for another.
 
As we grow, we often do the same thing. We stop playing with toys and start playing with people’s feelings. We stop being entertained by cartoons and start entertaining fearful and negative thoughts. We stop playing hide-and-seek (one of my favorite games as a child) and start hiding ourselves from God. The only way to do away with the childish behaviors in our lives is to change the way we think, speak, and act.
 
Think
The Bible frequently encourages us to guard and transform our thinking (Romans 12:2) because every good and bad thing begins with a thought. Every successful business began as a thought. Every loving relationship began as a thought. Every great book began as a thought. Every lie, theft, affair, and negative action began as a thought.
 
Both children and adults have thoughts, but childish thoughts are ideas without reason. A mature adult can reason and understand that every thought shouldn’t be spoken or acted on. We are to guard and transform our thoughts through prayer and devotion, by not allowing pervasive and destruction thoughts to take hold within us. And to do that, we are going to have to remind ourselves daily of who you are in the eyes of God. We are strong. We are loved. We are blessed. While things may not be perfect in our lives, it is important that we keep our minds on God and not the negativity around us.  
 
Speak
Our speech changes from one stage of life to the next. When we were infants and toddlers, we communicated in cries and tantrums. Though we may no longer cry and throw tantrums like a child does (well some of us), that doesn’t mean that we’ve learned how to properly communicate. Children are reckless with their words; they say things that they don’t mean or fully understand. Many of us adults do this as well. We speak negatively about ourselves and disparage our own appearance, circumstances, or we gossip and pass judgement on others. We put away childish speech by speaking positively and speaking life, prosperity, and favor over our lives. A child speaks without knowledge of consequences, as adults we are to speak knowing that our words bring gifts and curses (Proverbs 18:21) to our lives.
 
Act
Our actions are a culmination of our thoughts and words (good and bad). Putting away childish actions means first recognizing when we are acting like a child. Children pout and are shortsighted. Mature adults think before they speak and don’t act on their impulses. Mature adults are not dictated by their emotions. Mature adults admit when they are wrong and fix the harm they brought upon others. Mature adults seek spiritual and professional growth and lift others up, not tear them down. We won’t always get it right – no one is perfect, but mature adults learn to process, speak, and act in a way that shows thoughtfulness, empathy, and care.
 
To live in our full potential and receive all that God wants for us, we must grow up and put away childish things. We must commit to mature in our way of thinking, speaking, and acting by addressing those childish behaviors that we picked up as we grew.
 

And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. – Habakkuk 2:2-3 ESV
 
I can’t see. Well, that’s not completely true. I can see, but not always clearly without my corrective lenses. Because I wear glasses, my doctor recommends that I get my eyes checked once a year, and if my vision gets worse, the prescription in my glasses is changed to help improve my sight. In this same way, as we move throughout the year, our life vision changes as well. The relationship that we thought was going to last, the job we once loved, or the health that we once enjoyed may become a little blurrier by the end of the year.
 
Fixing our vision is important because without vision, we can’t see where we are going. And in life, there is no worse feeling than thinking we are living aimlessly, without a purpose or direction. God speaks to us in visions (Amos 3:7, Acts 18:9), and how we decipher these visions determines if it remains a vision or becomes a reality. To fix your vision, you are going to have to align it with God’s purpose, develop an action plan, and trust God through the process.
 
God knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). Therefore, the things (relationships, jobs, homes, etc.) we envision for ourselves must be in alignment with God’s plans for us. If not, we will find ourselves living a frustrated, unfulfilled existence. You’ll know if your vision is aligned with God’s purpose because it will bring you closer to Him. Alignment begins in relationship with God - that means prayer, seeking Him, and living in a way that honors Him.
 
At the beginning of each year, it is common for individuals to create vision boards that highlight the things they are manifesting for their life. However, a vision board without an action plan is just an arts and craft project. Essentially, your vision must be joined by action. If you envision yourself being healthier, then plan to implement actions and behaviors that focus on dieting and exercising. If you envision yourself being a homeowner, plan actions that will help you to save and budget your money. If you envision yourself being a happier, more joyful person, plan actions around doing the things that bring you the most joy. Every vision must have an action. 
 
As you align your vision with God’s purpose and create your actions, be patient. Everything does not happen on the timeline that we wish or hope for. Scripture tells us that the “vision awaits its appointed time”. That means that God knows when, so do not be discouraged if you do not receive what you have envisioned for yourself in the timeframe that you anticipated. Patience requires trust. To receive those things that God has put on your heart and mind, you are going to have to trust Him, even when it seems delayed.
 
God loves you, wants the best for, and wants you to be happy. Fix your vision by aligning your wants with God’s purpose, plan your actions, and remain patient. Doing so will give you a clearer vision of the prosperous future that God has for you.

I have faded from memory as if I were dead and have become like a piece of broken pottery. -Psalm 31:12 GNT
 
“Do you want to get well?” In John 5:6, Jesus proposed this question to a man who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. While the answer may seem obvious to some, for those of us who have been living in hurt, shame, or uncertainty for an extended period—the answer can be a little more complicated. It is not that we don’t want to get well, being broken has just become our way of life. After so many setbacks and disappointments, brokenness is something we’ve become accustomed to. After my arrest, I grew comfortable in my pain and became content living there. Yes, I wanted to get well, but I did not know how to.
 
So, when God started answering my prayers—I was afraid because my way of life was changing. Those feelings of fear are not uncommon for those who have been broken and now find themselves being blessed. I imagine this is how that disabled man felt after his healing: Yes, I can walk again, but how do I adjust to a new reality? How do I go from broken to blessed?
 
We serve a God who promises to be near the broken and save those who spirits are crushed (Psalm 34:18). Therefore, we are NEVER too broken for God to mend us. If we truly want to move from being broken to blessed, we are going to have to address our brokenness, adjust to our new reality, and accept God’s blessings.
 
Many times, after we experience trauma, we try to bury it instead of addressing it. When we bury hurt and pain, we water it with our tears and resentment and before long—it resurfaces, causing us to return to a place that God has delivered us from. So, address and acknowledge your past pain—that way you will be able to learn, grow, and move away from it.
 
Next, adjust. The disabled man in John 5:6 had to learn how to adjust to his new reality. He no longer had to wait for a healing, but he did have to learn how to walk again, how to function in society again, and how to live differently than what he had become accustomed to. Adjusting is frustrating, and there will be times when you stumble as you try to regain your footing but remember that God is able to keep you from falling (Jude 1:24) back into what broke you.
 
After addressing your past hurt and adjusting to your new way of life, you are going to have to accept your present blessings. Oftentimes, we feel as if we do not deserve the things God has blessed us with or that the blessings, relationship, job, etc. that we have, won’t last. God is good. And His goodness, love, and mercy are extended to all His creation—including you! So, when the Lord blesses you, live confidently in His blessings—for you are His prized possession.  

Surely, they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. – Isaiah 49:15 NKJV

Getting arrested was probably the lowest point of my life, and I became obsessed over what people were saying and thinking about me because of it. That obsession turned into anger, disappointment, and depression once I discovered some of the things that people were saying and believing about me - things that caused them to dissociate themselves from me. I allowed the actions of others to affect me negatively because we often give people outsized influence over our feelings and thoughts in an attempt to feel liked and accepted.

People have the right to leave us and form whatever opinions about us they want. However, we have the responsibility to not allow what others do and say affect our mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being. So, to quote Mya Angelou, “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.” Do not try to convince or stop someone from walking away from you. When they go, let them go. 

Let Them Go 
On two separate occasions we witness Jesus feeding his followers. In Mark 6, Jesus feeds 4,000 men (not including women and children) and at the beginning of John 6, Jesus feeds 5,000 men (not including women and children). So, we can assume that at any given time, Jesus had anywhere between 4,000 to 10,000 people (if you include women and children) following Him. But by the time we get to the end of John 6, Jesus has lost thousands of followers.

On hearing [Jesus’s teachings], many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” … From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. – John 6:60 & 66 NIV

Not even Jesus, at the height of his popularity, was immune from people leaving Him. When He was healing, performing miracles, and feeding the masses, they cheered Him on, followed Him, and spread good news about Him but when His directives became too difficult for them, they left.  

When some people think they know how your story is going to end, they leave. When some people feel as if you have nothing more to offer them, they leave. When some people can no longer manipulate or abuse you, they leave. Do not hold on to people who choose to leave. You should not only let them go, but you should also help them go by blocking, deleting, and ignoring.  

Jesus gave His followers a choice. They could leave or they could stay, and thousands decided to leave. Jesus did not run after those who chose to leave Him, and neither should you. Instead, He turned his attention to those who truly loved and supported Him.  

True Friends
Instead of stressing over who left you, learn to appreciate those who chose to stay with you.

You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” – John 6:66-68 NIV

Not everyone left Jesus, the twelve disciples, including Judas, stayed. And after four years of hurt, frustration, doubt, and unemployment not everyone left me. The ones who mean the most to me stayed and through them I experienced God’s goodness, grace, love, and mercy.

We often give too much of our time and focus to those who hurt and abandoned us, instead of to those who are currently supporting us. So, take a moment, look around, and see who stayed. Place your energy on those who want the best for you - those who uplift and care for you. Love those who love you. Pour into those who pour into you. Cherish those who cherish you. Encourage those who encourage you.