Crusade ends. The discipleship begins!

There are moments that stay with you for a lifetime. Moments where Heaven feels so close that words seem too small to describe them. Sunday evening in Bujumbura was one of those moments.

The final crusade was the culmination of months of faithful preparation by local pastors and churches, countless prayers prayed across nations, sacrificial giving, and thousands of people travelling from Bujumbura and surrounding cities with one expectation… to encounter Jesus.

And He came.Just as He promised, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20, NKJV)

Jesus between us

The presence of God was tangible. His glory rested over the field in a way that reminded us once again that Jesus still confirms His Word. The crowd stretched as far as the eye could see. Thousands upon thousands stood before the platform, but Jesus never saw a crowd… He saw individuals. Every person was known, deeply loved, and invited into an encounter with the living Christ.

Across the field people were receiving prayer, deliverance and ministry. Yet there were also countless moments where no one was laying hands on them. God Himself was ministering directly to hearts. You could see people standing with their eyes closed, tears streaming down their faces, hands lifted high, overwhelmed by His love and His presence. Others simply smiled with a joy that cannot be manufactured. The Holy Spirit knows every heart that sincerely seeks Him, and once again He revealed Himself as the God who meets people exactly where they are.

Jesus said:”But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33, NKJV)

That is exactly what happened throughout the week. People came seeking Jesus first, and He faithfully met every need according to His perfect wisdom.

One of the greatest joys of this entire mission happened after the altar calls...

Every single person who surrendered their life to Jesus over the three nights of crusades was personally connected to one of the partnering churches. Every decision was recorded. Every new believer was entrusted to pastors and leaders who will now walk alongside them, teach them, encourage them and disciple them.

This is what made this crusade so special.

Many crusades see thousands respond to the Gospel. We celebrate every one of those decisions because heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7). Yet too often there is no next step. No shepherd. No community. No one to help those new believers grow in Christ.

Not this time.

Nobody would fall through the cracks.

These were never statistics. They have names. Families. Purpose. Gifts. Callings. They matter deeply to God, and now they are planted in communities where they will be discipled and equipped to glorify Jesus and reconcile others back to Him.

That is the heart of God.

The Book of Revelation reminds us of the immense worth of every human life when it speaks of “souls of men” among the treasures of the earth (Revelation 18:13). Even in judgment, Scripture highlights the incomparable value of a human soul…

Long before we were born, God already knew us. “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written…” (Psalm 139:16, NKJV)

The fullness of go & make

We read that when Jesus saw the multitudes: “He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36, NKJV)

The Greek word translated compassion speaks of being moved from the deepest part of one’s being. It is not casual sympathy. It is a gut level response. Jesus was profoundly affected because people had no shepherd.

Souls matter.

Discipleship matters.

That is why these words have remained with us:

God’s heart beats for souls, but it breaks for discipleship.

(un)expected lessons…

One beautiful and unexpected lesson throughout this trip came through something as simple as a missing suitcase.

Philip was the only member of the team whose luggage never arrived during the entire mission. Every evening clothes were washed by hand and, by God’s grace, dried overnight in Burundi’s intense heat.

Then, just as the mission concluded, came the email saying the suitcase had finally arrived.

It immediately reminded us of Jesus’ instructions to the seventy: “Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals…” (Luke 10:4, NKJV)

None of this was planned. Yet the Lord used even delayed luggage to teach dependence, contentment and joyful obedience. God has a wonderful way of turning inconveniences into testimonies.

Together…

Today Philip begins the journey home, travelling from Burundi to Uganda, then Johannesburg, arriving shortly after 02:00 on Tuesday morning before flying on to Cape Town later that morning.

Although this mission trip has come to an end, God’s work in Burundi has only just begun.

Now comes the discipleship.

Now comes the shepherding.

Now comes the lifelong transformation.

Jesus said: “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” (Matthew 9:37, NKJV)

Every one of us can be part of those labourers.

Some go.

Some pray.

Some give.

Some share.

Together we carry the Gospel further than any one person ever could.

We are already prayerfully preparing for one or two more mission trips later this year. If the Lord lays it on your heart, we would love for you to partner with us. The Gospel is free, but taking it to the nations requires faithful people who are willing to stand together.

Live feedback session – Thirsday evening 19:00 cat

Please join us this Thursday at 19:00 CAT for a live conversation as we share testimonies, lessons learned, behind the scenes moments, what it was like unexpectedly walking out Luke 10, and what lies ahead.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” (Revelation 12:11, NKJV)

Perhaps one testimony will be exactly what you or someone else needs to hear.

Thank you to every person who prayed, encouraged, shared our updates and partnered financially. You were part of every salvation, every miracle, every act of discipleship and every life changed.

A special thank you to The Cross Ministry for leading this mission with excellence and keeping Jesus at the very centre of everything.

We leave Burundi with grateful hearts, knowing that Jesus is being made known, His Church is stronger, and His Kingdom continues to advance.

“The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14, NKJV)

May the Gospel continue to spread like wildfire throughout Burundi, across Africa and to the ends of the earth, in Jesus’ Name.

We would love to hear from you.

What impacted you most during these daily updates? What did the Lord teach you? What stirred your faith? Share it with us in the comments. And we will see you on Thursday evening!

Jesus Jesus Jesus!

The power of Prayer

There is something about resistance that reminds you God is moving.

Before we even reached Burundi, there were obstacles. Delays. Questions. Closed doors that seemed determined to stay shut. Twice we were stopped before boarding. Even after finally making it onto the aircraft, there were more moments where it seemed like the journey could end before it had really begun.

Yet every time, Jesus made a way.

Every message that came through to our prayer team was met with immediate prayer. While I was standing at airport counters, denied entry while the rest of the team was allowed through already, others were standing before the throne of God. While officials were making decisions, the people of God were making declarations.

“Thank You Jesus… I’m in.”

Then again.

“Blocked again.”

And then once more.

“I’m in the plane. Thank You, Jesus.”

It became evident very quickly that this was more than ordinary travel challenges. There was opposition. But opposition never has the final word. Jesus does.

As one of our intercessors declared, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord raises up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19)

Every delay only strengthened our expectation that God has already gone before us. And very clearly, the enemy is afraid of what is about to happen!

After arriving in Uganda, the journey continued toward Burundi. Looking out over the sunrise from the aircraft, we were reminded that every new morning carries fresh mercy. The same God who brought us this far would finish what He started.

Finally…

Burundi. UN Troops. Security everywhere. In the natural, it is dangerous. But God’s protection is tangible and no fear is in any heart. Only faith, expectation and focus for what Jesus is about to do…

Stepping into the airport was more than crossing another border. It was stepping into purpose.

Then came another challenge…

Our luggage did not cross that border.

For many, lost luggage is simply an inconvenience. On a mission trip, it can mean essential supplies, clothing, ministry resources, and equipment are suddenly unavailable. Yet instead of panic, faith rose again.

“We trust it will come back, and we call for them to find it in Jesus’ Name.”

That became the posture of the entire team.

Our prayer family continued to surround us with Scripture.

“Do not fear, for I am with you… I will strengthen you and help you.” (Isaiah 41:10)

Then another declaration came from the prophetic team.

“I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy… nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)

What a gift it is to know we are never sent alone.

One message captured the heart of this journey beautifully:

“Taking Living Water to the thirsty.”

That is exactly why we are here.

Not simply to travel.

Not simply to preach.

But to carry Jesus. To love people. To serve. To see lives transformed by the Gospel. To make disciples who will continue carrying His Name long after we return home.

Day one reminded us that the presence of resistance is never proof that God is absent. Sometimes it is simply confirmation that the Kingdom of darkness recognises what Jesus is about to do. And we are so ready.

Please continue standing with us in prayer.

Pray for every remaining logistical detail.

Pray for our luggage to be returned quickly.

Pray for supernatural favour with every official and every meeting.

Pray that every person we encounter would experience the love, power, and salvation found only in Jesus Christ.

This is only day one.

Jesus is just getting started.

“Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying their sheaves with them.” Psalm 126:6

Thank you to everyone who is partnering by praying, sharing our journey, and still giving towards the journey. We all share alike. Jesus is glorified.

There is only One Name to remember: JESUS!

The bait you were never meant to swallow

Some things really did happen.

You were not imagining it. You did not misunderstand everything. You were hurt. Someone said what they said. Someone did what they did. Perhaps you were betrayed. Perhaps you were rejected. Perhaps you were treated unfairly, spoken about, excluded, misrepresented, overlooked, dishonoured or wounded by someone you trusted.

…And THIS is where offence becomes so dangerous. Because offence does not always begin with a lie. Sometimes, it begins with something that really happened…

Jesus never told us that we would live without opportunities to become offended. In fact, He said the opposite. In Luke 17:1, Jesus said, “It is impossible that no offences should come.” Offences will come. Opportunities to take offence will come. People will disappoint us. Words will hurt us. Relationships will change. People will misunderstand us. Sometimes people will make decisions that affect us deeply. Sometimes we will be wounded by strangers. Sometimes by friends. Sometimes by family. Sometimes by people we never expected it from.

The question is not whether you will ever have an opportunity to become offended. The question is what you will do when that opportunity comes.

You may not have chosen what happened to you, but you still have a choice about what is allowed to take root in you.

That is why Proverbs 4:23 tells us, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

Guard your heart.

Not because nothing should ever hurt you. Not because you should pretend that everything is fine. Not because what happened does not matter. But because what happens inside you after what happened to you matters more than you may realise.

Hurt and offence are not the same thing

Hurt is a wound.

Offence is what can begin to grow around the wound.

You can be genuinely hurt without becoming offended. You can acknowledge that something was wrong without allowing bitterness to take root. You can establish boundaries without hatred. You can tell the truth without dishonouring someone. You can forgive without pretending that trust has automatically been restored. You can walk away from something unhealthy and still keep your heart clean before God.

But offence wants more than acknowledgement… Offence wants occupation.

It wants space in your thoughts. It wants your attention. It wants you to replay the conversation again and again. It wants you to collect evidence. It wants you to remember every detail. It wants you to interpret everything through the lens of what happened. It wants you to tell the story until the story becomes part of your identity.

Offence does not need you to be wrong about what happened. It only needs you to keep feeding on it. That is what makes it so deceptive.

You may be completely right about what happened and still be completely wrong in what you allow it to produce inside you.

Being right does not make offence okay.

The trap of offence

The Greek word often translated as “offence” in the New Testament is connected to the word skandalon. It referred to the trigger of a trap, the part where bait was placed to lure something into captivity.

• The bait looks like the issue.
• The trap is what happens after you take it.
• The betrayal may be the bait.
• The rejection may be the bait.
• The injustice may be the bait.
• The disrespect may be the bait.
• The misunderstanding may be the bait.

But the trap is bitterness. The trap is resentment. The trap is hatred. The trap is suspicion. The trap is unforgiveness. The trap is allowing one person’s actions to change the condition of your heart.

The enemy would love for you to spend so much time looking at what someone did that you never notice what it is doing to you.

That is the trap.

• You become so focused on proving that they were wrong that you stop asking Jesus what is happening in your own heart.
• You become so committed to remembering what happened that you forget to guard what is happening now.

And without even realising it, the person who hurt you begins to occupy space in your heart that they were never meant to have…

Offence can feel like protection

One of the reasons offence is so difficult to release is because it can make us feel safe.

“If I stay angry, I will not be fooled again.”

“If I keep remembering, I will not become vulnerable again.”

“If I keep the evidence close, I will not forget who they really are.”

“If I remain suspicious, nobody will catch me off guard again.”

“If I build a wall, nobody will ever get close enough to hurt me like that again.”

Offence can disguise itself as wisdom. But wisdom and offence do not produce the same fruit.

• Wisdom can establish a boundary and still love.
• Wisdom can recognise a pattern without becoming suspicious of everyone.
• Wisdom can say no without hatred.
• Wisdom can walk away without needing to destroy someone on the way out.
• Wisdom can remember the lesson without continually reliving the wound.

Offence, however, keeps the wound alive.

It tells you that replaying the pain is protecting you, when in reality it is keeping you connected to the very thing you are trying to escape. The person may no longer be in your life, but the offence still is. They left, but the conversation stayed. The moment ended, but the replay continued. The relationship changed, but the offence kept occupying space in your heart…

That is not freedom.

When the replay will not stop

Have you ever had an entire argument with someone who was not even in the room?

You remember what they said. Then you remember what you should have said. Then you imagine what they would say if you confronted them. Then you answer that. Then you defend yourself. Then you prove your point.

And the other person is not even there!!

But your body responds as though the moment is happening again… Your heart races. Your emotions rise. Your peace disappears…

That is one of the ways offence feeds itself:

Rehearsal.

Every time we continually replay the wound without bringing it into the presence of Jesus, we can deepen the pathway the offence has created.

There is a difference between processing something and rehearsing it.

• Processing moves towards healing.
• Rehearsing keeps returning to the scene.
• Processing asks, “Jesus, what do You want to heal in me?”
• Rehearsing asks, “How could they do this to me?”
• Processing allows Truth to enter.
• Rehearsing keeps presenting the same evidence to the same internal courtroom.

At some point, you have to stop retrying a case in your mind that you have already placed into the hands of God.

Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

God saw it. God heard it. God knows.

You do not have to keep the case alive to make sure He remembers.

I have to put in a disclaimer here: This is also an area the enemy abuses to make us think we have not dealt with offence when we really have… We are a spirit, we have a soul (our mind, will, and emotions), and we live in a body. Our spirit can be completely healed, walking fully in forgiveness, and offence can be something we have let go of fully by the grace of God. However, what often happens, is that when we are faced with the person tied to the offence we dealt with, we most likely can have a physical reaction to seeing them. This is our parasympathetic system, totally out of our control, reacting to something our soul notices as having hurt us before. We might become red in the face, our heart can start racing, we might even start shaking… And this is where we need to be secure in our relationship with Jesus. We need to be able to discern if the bodily reaction is just that, a biological reaction to something that happened in our past, or if offence is still present in our hearts. In these moments, take a deep breath, imagine how you are breathing in Jesus and exhaling every negative emotion and memory. You will quickly realise that your body reacted to something that has already been dealt with in your spirit. The bodily reaction does not mean that you are not healed.

A healed heart is able to discern that even though there was a physiological reaction, the spirit is strong, healthy, restored – and the bodily reaction does not prove offence is still present in our hearts. Ask the Lord for wisdom to discern when your body is reacting, or when you are still carrying offence in your heart.

Offence changes the way you see

One of the most dangerous things about offence is that it becomes a filter.

Once offence takes root, we stop seeing only what is happening. We begin seeing everything through what happened.

• A delayed response becomes rejection.
• A correction becomes an attack.
• A boundary becomes punishment.
• Someone else’s success feels personal.
• A conversation we were not included in becomes evidence.
• A facial expression becomes confirmation.
• Silence becomes a statement.

We begin filling in gaps with assumptions, and because our hearts are wounded, those assumptions often agree with our pain.

The picture I always see when I think of this specific aspect of the effects of offence on our lives, is one of offended people walking around with “a fence” [offence]. Imagine navigating every step you take, every conversation you have, every seat you take, every friend you visit, every meeting you attend with “a fence” that you are carrying with you.

• You will be constantly aware of the fence you are carrying.
• You will continuously try to change your positioning to just have a moment to breathe.
• Your focus on this fence will affect how you interact, perceive and feel about the people around you, where to stand, how to sit, where you can enter, where the fence won’t fit and therefore you cannot enter.
• This fence you are carrying with you, is never put down, it is even with you when you are sleeping – the fence goes to bed with you. Imagine how your sleep will be affected with a fence in the bed!!
• When you are talking to people you are either talking through the fence, or you are carrying the weight of the fence on your shoulders and the whole conversation is lost to you – a recipe for misunderstanding and further offence to be experienced.
• Offence fences us in to a point where it affects every relationship, every aspect of our lives, every activity we are participating in…the person we become.

And all we have to do to be lighter, more comfortable to be ourselves, more open to have conversations, and walk into a boardroom with confidence…is to put down “a fence.” Just lay it down.

This is why guarding your heart is so important.

A wounded heart needs healing.

An offended heart begins building a worldview around the wound, the fence that stands between that heart and everything and everyone else.

Hebrews 12:15 warns us to look diligently at our hearts “lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.”

Roots grow beneath the surface before fruit becomes visible.

• Offence can sit beneath a smile.
• Bitterness can sit beneath service.
• Resentment can sit beneath worship.

A person can continue functioning while something unhealthy is growing underneath.

And eventually, what is rooted in the heart begins to affect more than the person carrying it…

“By this many become defiled.”

Offence spreads.

Be watchful who you invite into the offence you are experiencing

When we are hurt, we naturally want someone to understand.

There is nothing wrong with seeking wise counsel. That is the Word, it is Godly. There is nothing wrong with processing pain with someone trustworthy, Jesus did the same in the Garden of Gethsemane. There is nothing wrong with asking for prayer, help or perspective, that is Biblical.

But there is a difference between seeking counsel and recruiting agreement.

Offence loves an audience. It wants someone to say, “You are right.” Then another person. Then another. And before long, what began between two people has entered the hearts of ten. I have often commented that it seems as if people who are offended carry a sign around their necks in the spiritual realm, and they just find each other! If not dealt with, I have seen groups of offended people walking together, absolutely certain that they are right to feel the way they feel…

We must be very watchful that in trying to prove what happened to us, we do not plant something unhealthy in someone else. This is something we all need to look inward for to determine… Even though I did not mean it, I have planted unhealthy seeds in people’s hearts as I was trying to explain how what happened to me was wrong.

• However, we can tell the Truth and still tell it with the wrong spirit.
• We can share facts and still be feeding offence.
• We can call it processing while repeatedly telling the story to people who cannot help bring healing, wisdom or resolution to the situation.

Here is a test you can take yourself through before you share the challenge you are facing with anyone:

• Ask yourself honestly:
  • Why am I telling this person?
  • Am I looking for wisdom?
  • Am I looking for prayer?
  • Am I looking for help?
  • Or am I looking for them to agree with the offence I am carrying?

Guarding your heart also means guarding what leaves your mouth while your heart is hurting.

Luke 6:45 tells us, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

Eventually, what is filling your heart will find your voice…

Forgiveness does not mean what happened was acceptable

Many people hold onto offence because they misunderstand forgiveness. This is one of the most important truths Christians need to understand for them to move forward and live healthy lives, becoming more and more like Jesus every day.

• Forgiveness does not say that what happened was right.
• Forgiveness does not erase accountability.
• Forgiveness does not mean there should be no consequences.
• Forgiveness does not automatically restore trust.
• Forgiveness does not always mean reconciliation is possible, although the Word encourages us to live at peace with everyone as far as it depends on us (Romans 12:18).
  • Forgiveness does not ignore, block, or gossip.
  • Forgiveness trusts God for us to have clean hands and a pure heart towards the person we have forgiven.

• Forgiveness does not mean giving someone the same access to you that they had before.
• You can forgive someone and still have a boundary – not “a fence,” not a wall, a healthy boundary.
• You can release someone and still recognise that the relationship cannot continue in the same way it had before.
• You can love someone and not trust them with the same things you used to, and that is okay.
• You can pray for someone and still say no when a boundary is overstepped.

Forgiveness is not pretending.

Forgiveness is releasing your right to personally collect the debt. It is placing the matter into the hands of God and refusing to let the offence become lord over your heart.

Jesus did not ask us to forgive because what happened was insignificant.

He asks us to forgive because freedom matters.

What if they never apologise?

This is where offence often digs in deeply.

• “I will forgive when they acknowledge what they did.”
• “I will release it when they apologise.”
• “I will move on when they understand how badly they hurt me.”

But what if they never do?

-What if they never understand?

-What if they remember the situation differently?

-What if they believe they were right?

-What if the apology never comes?

-Will your freedom remain dependent on their self-awareness?

That gives another person far too much authority over your heart.

Forgiveness cannot depend on the offender becoming the person you needed them to be.

Sometimes closure does not come through a conversation.

Sometimes closure comes when you decide that Jesus is enough to lead you out of the place where someone left you wounded.

• You do not need their apology to begin healing.
• You do not need their understanding to obey God.
• You do not need them to admit everything before you can release the offence.

Your freedom belongs to Jesus.

Sometimes we are the offended one

And sometimes, if we are truly honest, we are the offender. This is a tough one to admit. But it doesn’t have to be. The enemy places pride in our hearts to stop us from taking responsibility when we are the ones who placed that fence in someone’s life… The Word says that “pride comes before a fall” – Proverbs 16:18. If pride prevents us from admitting we were the source of offence in someone’s life, it won’t be long before things start falling apart.

This is where guarding our hearts requires humility.

It is easy to read a message about offence and immediately think about the person who hurt us.

• It is harder to ask, “Jesus, have I hurt someone?”
• Have I dismissed someone’s pain because I did not intend to cause it?
• Have I defended my intentions instead of listening to the impact of my actions?
• Have I used Scripture to avoid accountability?
• Have I expected grace for myself while demanding perfection from others?
• Have I spoken carelessly?
• Have I withdrawn without explanation?
• Have I made assumptions?
• Have I allowed my own wounds to wound someone else?

Sometimes the most Christlike thing we can do is say, “I was wrong. I am sorry. I should not have done that.”

No explanation. No defence of what you say or did. No “but”. No counter accusation. No attempt to make the other person equally guilty before we take responsibility for our own actions. Not the typical “I am sorry if you felt like that.” That is not taking responsibility. That is placing the responsibility on the other person because they were the one that felt offended. That is not an apology. That is fake Christianese “apologies” that are way too rampant in the Body… We need to learn how to honestly, purely, without expecting anything in return, apologise for our actions.

Just clean hands and a pure heart.

We cannot ask others to release offence while refusing to take responsibility when we have given it.

Jesus understands offence

• Jesus was betrayed by someone who sat at His table.
• Denied by someone who said he would die for Him.
• Abandoned by people who had walked closely with Him.
• Misrepresented.
• Falsely accused.
• Mocked.
• Rejected.
• Crucified.

If anyone had a legitimate reason to hold offence, it was Jesus.

Yet on the Cross, He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Jesus did not deny the evil being done.

He did not call injustice good.

He did not pretend the Cross did not hurt.

But He refused to allow the sin of people to change the nature of His heart.

THAT is our example.

The goal is not to become people who cannot be hurt. The goal is to become people whose hearts remain surrendered to Jesus even when we are.

-Tender does not mean weak.

-Forgiving does not mean foolish.

-Loving does not mean having no boundaries.

Guarding your heart does not mean becoming unreachable. It means refusing to let what happened to you decide who you become.

Living Poetry on Fire

So how do we actually guard our hearts against offence?

• We begin by being honest.
• We do not call bitterness discernment.
• We do not dub unforgiveness a boundary.
• We never call rehearsing the story processing what happened.
• We do not call suspicion wisdom.
• And we never call hatred accountability.

Ask Jesus to search your heart.

Psalm 139:23 to 24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

1. Bring the person before Jesus.
2. Bring the conversation.
3. Bring the betrayal.
4. Bring the rejection.
5. Bring the injustice.
6. Bring the thing you still replay when nobody knows you are replaying it.
7. Tell Jesus exactly where it hurts.
8. And then make a decision.
   • Not a feeling.
   • A decision:
   • “I forgive.”

You may need to make that decision again tomorrow when the memory returns. And again next week. Forgiveness is sometimes a moment. Sometimes it is a decision we continue to enforce every time the offence tries to return. Like everything else, we also forgive by faith.

STOP!!

• Stop feeding the offence.
• Stop visiting conversations that keep poisoning you.
• Stop checking what they are doing if every time you do, your heart becomes disturbed.
• Stop telling the story to people who cannot help you heal.
• Stop waiting for them to suffer before you allow yourself to live.
• Bless them – in words, actions and deeds, whether they know it is you or not.
• Pray for them.
  • Not performatively. Not through gritted teeth while secretly hoping God corrects them dramatically.
  • Ask Jesus to work in their lives.
  • I remember a time God asked me to pray for people that hurt me… I would force myself to speak God’s Word over them, declare His promises and blessings over them, asking God to open doors for them, that He will give them the desires of their hearts…
    • And all along while this was coming out of my mouth, my mind was saying “Jesus, PLEASE don’t bless them, don’t open those doors…”
    • But the more diligently I prayed for them, the more I truly wanted those things for them.
    • My heart towards them had completely changed just because I chose to be a doer of the Word – to pray for them and bless them! It was supernatural!

And in this process, ask Jesus to work in your heart.

Then guard your heart.

• Not with concrete walls.
  • With Truth.
  • With forgiveness.
  • With wisdom.
  • With healthy boundaries.
  • With the Word.
  • With the presence of Jesus.

You may not be able to control whether the opportunity for offence comes.

But you can decide whether it gets to stay.

Be a Wildfire

Our world does not need more offended Christians. There are way too many already…and most of them do not want to be honest enough to ask the Lord if there is offence in their hearts… Don’t be that type of Christian. Be a doer. DO the Word.

The worlds also does not need more believers using public platforms to settle private wounds.

It does not need more people carrying the Name of Jesus while carrying bitterness towards one another. Does it even make sense to try and carry both of those together? That is not how a true doer of the Word lives their life, it is impossible to, for the same heart cannot carry bitterness and the presence of God, and represent Him well…

The world needs people who demonstrate another way.

• People who can be hurt and still heal.
• People who can be wronged and still walk in integrity.
• People who can establish boundaries without becoming cruel.
• People who can tell the truth without destroying people.
• People who can forgive without becoming foolish.
• People who can apologise without defending themselves.
• People who can disagree without dishonour.
• People whose hearts remain tender in a world that constantly gives us reasons to become hard.

That is a wildfire.

Not a fire that destroys everything in its path.

A fire that carries the presence of Jesus wherever it goes.

Offence will come.

Jesus told us that.

But offence does not have to stay.

The enemy may have had no control over what they did to you, but he would love to use what they did to gain access to what happens inside you.

Do not give him the second victory.

What happened may have hurt you. It does NOT get to own you.

What they said may have wounded you. It does NOT get to define you.

What they did may have changed the relationship. It does NOT get to change the nature of your heart.

Guard your heart.

Release the offence.

Keep your hands clean.

Keep your heart tender.

And keep burning for Jesus.

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV)

Hello, Poetry on Fire Wildfires.

As we continue our journey of guarding our hearts, I want to spend some time on a wound that is often overlooked because it does not always arrive with the same obvious signs as betrayal or rejection. We know when we have been betrayed. We know when we have been rejected. We know when we have been hurt.

But there is another kind of wound that can subtly settle into the heart and influence us more than we realise if we do not bring it before Jesus…

It is the pain of being misunderstood.

I am not talking about someone misunderstanding a fact, a conversation, or a situation. I am talking about those moments when people misunderstand your heart. They misunderstand your motives, your intentions, your decisions, or the season you are walking through. Sometimes these misunderstandings come from people who barely know us. Those moments can be frustrating, but they are usually easier to release. The deeper pain often comes when the misunderstanding comes from people who have walked closely with us for years…

These are the people who have shared life with us. They have sat around our tables. They have prayed with us, laughed with us, cried with us, celebrated victories with us, and walked through difficult seasons with us. They know parts of our story. They have witnessed our faithfulness. They have seen our sacrifices.

Then something changes...

A difficult season arrives. A transition takes place. A decision is made. Someone else’s voice becomes louder than relationship. Assumptions begin filling spaces where conversations should have happened. Before long, you find yourself standing in a place you never expected to be. People who once seemed to know your heart no longer appear to recognise it.

That kind of pain reaches deeper than most of us realise.

I think one of the reasons it hurts so much is because every one of us carries a God-given desire to be known. We want to be seen for who we really are. We want to be understood. We want people to see beyond our mistakes, beyond our weaknesses, beyond a difficult season, and recognise the heart beneath it all. This is what Love is in 1 Corinthians 13 – Love always believes the best.

People judge others by their actions, but they want to be judged by their intentions.

There is nothing wrong with the desire to be known. God created us for relationship. He created us to know and be known. The problem comes when we begin expecting people to fulfil something that only God can fully provide.

When people misunderstand us, something is exposed within us. We begin to see how much weight we have placed on the opinions of others. We discover how deeply we long for vindication. We realise how much we want people to understand our side of the story.

If we are honest, most of us have had moments where we wanted to say, “If you only knew the whole story. If you only knew the prayers I prayed. If you only knew the tears I cried. If you only knew the sacrifices I made. If you only knew what really happened.”

There is a part of us that believes understanding will bring peace.

Yet peace does not come from being understood by everyone.

Peace comes from being known by God.

That is a difficult lesson to learn because everything within us wants the story corrected. We want people to see what they missed. We want them to remember what they once knew. We want them to understand our hearts.

Yet there comes a point where we have to accept that not everyone will understand us. Not everyone will agree with us. Not everyone will interpret our actions correctly. Not everyone will remember years of faithfulness when trying to make sense of a difficult season.

If our peace depends on being understood by people, we will spend our lives exhausted. We will constantly defend ourselves, explain ourselves, replay conversations, and attempt to manage perceptions that were never ours to manage.

The truth is that misunderstanding often reveals a deeper issue than we first realise.

It reveals our desire for vindication.

Most of us do not simply want people to know the truth. We want them to acknowledge it. We want them to realise they were wrong. We want them to see our motives accurately. We want them to understand our hearts. We want them to remember the years that came before the difficult season. We want the story set right.

There is something deeply human about that desire.

When people form conclusions about us that are not true, everything within us wants to defend itself. We want to explain. We want to provide context. We want to tell our side. We want to correct assumptions and challenge narratives. It can be become consuming.

Sometimes those conversations are necessary. Sometimes wisdom requires us to address something directly. Scripture never calls us to avoid healthy conversations or Godly reconciliation.

But what happens when you have already had the conversation?

What happens when you have already explained yourself?

What happens when you have searched your own heart before God, humbled yourself, opened the door for restoration, and people still choose to believe something else?

What happens when misunderstanding remains?

This is where guarding the heart becomes more than a teaching. This is where it becomes discipleship.

Because eventually we come face to face with a question every believer must answer:

Do I trust God enough to be my Defender?

Many of us trust God with provision. We trust Him with opportunities. We trust Him with open doors and closed doors. We trust Him with finances, relationships, and direction.

Yet trusting God with our reputation can feel far more costly.

Perhaps it is because reputation touches identity. It touches how people see us. It touches our desire to be known, understood, and remembered accurately.

When our reputation feels threatened, our instinct is often to take control. We want to defend ourselves. We want to make sure everyone knows the truth. We want to ensure the narrative is corrected.

Yet when we look at Jesus, we see something remarkable.

Few people were more misunderstood than Jesus.

The religious leaders questioned His motives, twisted His words, and accused Him of things that were completely untrue. The crowds misunderstood Him. Even His disciples struggled at times to understand what He was doing. Those closest to Him did not always understand the journey He was on.

Jesus healed people and was accused of operating by demonic power. He fed multitudes and people still questioned Him. He loved perfectly and was called a deceiver. He raised the dead and people still sought reasons to reject Him. He carried no sin and was treated like a criminal.

If Perfect Love was misunderstood, why are we surprised when our imperfect efforts are misunderstood too?

If the Son of God was falsely accused, why do we believe faithfulness should somehow exempt us from being misrepresented? Think about it for a moment…?

What stands out to me is that Jesus never fought for His identity because His identity was secure. He knew who He was because He knew whose He was.

Again and again, we see Jesus entrusting Himself to the Father. Not because the accusations were true. Not because the misunderstanding did not matter. Not because He had nothing to say. He entrusted Himself to the One who knew Him completely.

Perhaps the deepest question we need to ask ourselves is not who misunderstood us. Perhaps the question is whether we trust God enough to be our Defender?

That question takes us to a place many of us would rather avoid. It takes us to surrender.

There came a time where I was surrounded by a group of people accusing me of things that weren’t true. The fruit and success of what God had accomplished was evident. However, personal attacks and personality traits were placed upon me that confused me… I knew that was not who I was. I remember the deep need to want to defend myself in the moment. It is difficult to sit in a meeting, completely outpowered and blindsided, and everyone sticks with the lie about you. If it was not for the presence of the Holy Spirit that came upon me in that moment, I don’t want to know how that meeting would have ended… I decided, by God’s grace, to not give them my tears. I decide what I feel, and I choose the fruit of joy in the midst of the storm. I heard God’s voice audibly, in the middle of the conversation: “Marilé, why do you want to defend yourself if you always say I am your Defender?”

I think that moment must have been similar to Goliath being hit in the head with a little pebble… Nothing made sense, but in that exact moment, it made FAITH! I could sense I was supernaturally strengthened as God’s grace filled me more and more. I listened to every accusation, I did not defend, I did not offer up the reality of what happened… I just listened. Once they were done, I gently, by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, heard the following words being released through my mouth, carrying a supernatural anointing with it: “I would like to thank you for the opportunity I had to organise this event. From the feedback, it was a life-changing event, even called world-class by accomplished business-people, and everyone under the Word was forever transformed. Although things did not go exactly as you would have liked based on this feedback, I still want to thank you for the opportunity to be part of such a powerful conference. I believe God was glorified.”

That response was enough to end the meeting. I left the meeting, thankful to Jesus who held me together. Then I cried on my bathroom floor for two days. God met me there. On the bathroom floor. Like my very own Garden of Gethsemane moment with Him…

Surrender is one of those words that sounds beautiful until it costs us something. We love it when it means laying down fear and receiving peace. We love it when it means exchanging our plans for God’s plans. Yet there are moments in life when surrender requires something far more personal. It requires us to place our reputation, our desire for vindication, and our need to be understood on the altar before God.

I think this is where many believers wrestle. We know God sees the Truth. We know He knows our hearts. We know He understands the full story. Yet something within us still longs for others to understand too. We want them to know what really happened. We want them to see what we see. We want them to remember the years of faithfulness that came before the difficult season…

There is nothing unusual about that desire. It is deeply human. The challenge comes when our peace becomes dependent on it.

As long as we need everyone to understand us, we place our peace in the hands of people.

As long as we need vindication in order to move forward, we remain connected to the very thing that wounded us. As long as we are waiting for someone else to finally see our heart correctly, we will struggle to rest in the fact that God already does.

True surrender begins when we trust God’s knowledge of us more than we trust people’s opinions of us. It begins when we stop carrying the exhausting responsibility of managing perceptions and start resting in the knowledge that our lives are fully visible before Him.

• He sees every hidden act of obedience.
• He sees every sacrifice that went unnoticed.
• He sees every prayer that nobody heard.
• He sees every moment we chose integrity when compromise would have been easier.
• Nothing is hidden from Him.
• Nothing is forgotten by Him.
• Nothing is wasted in His hands.

What makes surrender difficult is that it does not always come with immediate resolution. Sometimes people do understand eventually. Sometimes relationships are restored. Sometimes misunderstandings are corrected and truth comes into the light.

But sometimes they are not.

Sometimes people continue believing what they have chosen to believe. Sometimes they carry a version of our story that is incomplete. Sometimes they never fully understand our heart.

• Can we still trust God then?
• Can we still worship then?
• Can we still remain faithful then?
• Can we still guard our hearts then?

That is where surrender becomes real. Not when people finally understand. Not when the narrative changes. Not when vindication arrives…

But when our hearts find rest in God regardless.

Jesus surrendered Himself to the Father long before the resurrection vindicated Him. He trusted His Father long before people understood who He truly was.

Sometimes we want resurrection before surrender.

Sometimes we want vindication before trust.

Sometimes we want understanding before obedience.

Jesus shows us another way.

He surrendered FIRST.

Perhaps guarding your heart is not about ensuring everyone understands your story.

Perhaps guarding your heart is not about ensuring everyone understands your story.
Perhaps is it about trusting the Author of the story.

Marilé Strauss

Living Poetry on Fire

This week, spend time with Jesus and allow Him to search your heart honestly.

Ask Him whether there are people whose opinions still carry more weight than they should. Ask Him whether there are conversations you are still replaying, narratives you are still trying to correct, or misunderstandings you are still carrying.

Ask Him whether you have truly surrendered your reputation to Him.

Healing follows where honesty begins.

As you sit with Him, resist the temptation to rehearse your defence. Instead, allow Him to remind you that your identity is not found in someone else’s interpretation of your story. Your identity is found in Christ alone.

Take time to thank Him for being the One who knows you completely. He knows the motives nobody else sees. He knows the prayers nobody else heard. He knows the battles nobody else understands.

Let His opinion become greater than every other opinion.

Let His voice become louder than every other voice.

Let His peace become stronger than your need to be understood.

Be a Wildfire

Most of us know what it feels like to be misunderstood.

Far fewer of us have considered how often we may misunderstand others.

The very wound that hurt us can become a wound we inflict if we are not awake.

The next time you are tempted to assume someone’s motives, remember how painful it felt when others assumed yours. The next time you hear a story, remember that there is often more beneath the surface than you can see. The next time someone walks through a difficult season, choose to remember years of faithfulness instead of defining them by one chapter.

Be someone who seeks understanding before judgment.

Be someone who chooses conversation over assumption.

Be someone who extends grace where others rush to conclusions.

Be someone who protects the hearts of others as faithfully as you want your own heart protected.

The world has enough critics. The world has enough judges. The world has enough people drawing conclusions from a distance.

Let us be different.

Let us reflect the heart of Jesus.

Guard your heart, Wildfires.

And as you do, help protect the hearts of others too.

Be a wildfire. 🔥