The Dirty Glass and the Well of Life

I’ve spent many years sitting at a table where the conversation was loud, but the nourishment was non-existent. I showed up with a heart ready to be led, taught, and discipled. I brought my history, all the miles I traveled to survive, and I brought my future, working through the nights to earn my Master Diploma in Mental Health Coaching. I was ready to grow, but instead, I found a recurring loop of ego-driven “debates and debacles” where the goal was to be seen, rather than to see the needs of the people.

While the focus was on the microphone, I decided to feed myself. I didn’t wait for permission to flourish. I dug my roots deep into the Lord, not to get a title, but to have something real to give to the world and to those who need a light to follow.

The Instruction: The Sacrifice of Prominence

True leadership in Christ is not a title; it is a posture. It is easy to perform the “natural” acts of charity, feeding the hungry or clothing the poor. That makes us feel like providers. But the radical instruction of Philippians 2:3 demands more: “value others above yourselves.”

The Key: If you are called to a prominent place in His Will, your job is to be the “floor” for someone else’s growth, not the ceiling that keeps them down. When your desire for attention supersedes someone else’s spiritual experience, you aren’t a leader; you’re a hurdle.

Radical Integrity in the Midst of Malice

Real work for Christ is supposed to change us from the inside out. Recently, I had to choose my daughter’s character over my own comfort. I didn’t hide her mistake; I called the authorities myself to ensure she was held to the standard of truth. I chose radical honesty.

I told the owner exactly where her missing item was, in her own car, and asked her to check. She refused. Later, after finding it exactly where I said it would be, a lie began to spread. I was accused of “planting” the truth I tried to help her find.

The Key: When your transparency is met with conspiracy, stand still. Truth doesn’t need a lawyer; it only needs a witness. Those who are prominent in His Will do not fight lies with more noise; they fight lies with a clean life.

The Theology of the Slippery Glass

Those who focus on the “show” are like the “dirty glass cups” mentioned in Matthew 23. They spend all their time polishing the outside, their reputation and standing, while the inside remains filthy with pride.

The Warning: When you only clean the outside, the glass gets slippery. It loses its grip on Grace. Eventually, it slips out of the Lord’s hands and it shatters. It is a tragedy to spend decades in a building only to break at the end because you never let the light reach the inside of your heart.

Establishing the Sanctuary

I want to be clear: I am not quitting. I am a member of this body and I love this people. But the Will of Christ in me will no longer be suppressed by stagnation. I am establishing a Sanctuary of Jesus Christ and His Grace the Redeemer within my own walk.

This is a spiritual position. It is where the coaching, the healing, and the protection of the vulnerable take priority over the ego of the platform. You don’t have to leave to grow, but you do have to change where you’re drinking from.

The Sanctuary Covenant: Our Standard of Integrity

For those ready to walk in this radical will, we commit to this standard:

Internal Purity: I will prioritize the “inside of my cup” over my public reputation. (Matthew 23:26)
Sacrificial Service: I will use my gifts to elevate others, not to build my own platform. (Philippians 2:3)
Radical Transparency: I will value the Truth more than my comfort, even when it is met with malice.
Being a Bridge: I will never allow my opinions or ego to become a stumbling block for another. (Matthew 18:6)
The Sanctuary Standard: I will remain a faithful member of the body while ensuring my calling is never suppressed by a stagnant environment.

Here’s the Tea: If the inside isn’t clean, the glass is eventually going to slip. But the Well of Life never runs dry. I’m taking my tea into the Sanctuary. Will you meet me there?