Learning To Lose | How Personal Sacrifice Launched My Personal Ministry

Two days ago, on February 9, 2020, Learning To Live Devotional Blog turned 1 year old.

Two years ago, around May of 2018, I made a big personal sacrifice that would eventually lead more than 4,000 people worldwide to be touched with the love, grace, and truth of Jesus.

And today, for this blog post, I wish to share with you the story of how Learning To Live Devotional Blog Ministry began.

Little Writer

Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved writing.

I especially enjoyed writing fiction stories. In fact, one of the first stories that I wrote when I was 4 years old or so was a story about a big green monster who’d terrorize a small village every night…???

Yeah, as a young writer, my writing would literally span genres I myself wouldn’t read. I was THAT CRAZY as a writer.

Christian Writer

As I got older, however, I began to feel drawn toward fiction stories that didn’t just entertain people, but also inspire them.

I wanted to use my writing talent to uplift people’s faith. And so, as I entered my senior year in high school, I was determined to go to college and become an English major.

I had such high goals and huge ambitions to turn my little writing talent into a professional, full-time career.

I wanted to change the world with one faith-inspiring, Christian novel at a time.

A Writer Refined

But then, God stopped me.

Despite all the persistence and perseverance I poured into trying to get into college, God kept closing and locking doors.

In desperation, I cried out to God, furiously flipping through my Bible.

God, I prayed. Why can’t I get into college? Why are You allowing this to happen? Isn’t college education part of Your plan for me? Why are You allowing so many doors to close on me?

Then, with the tender loving mercy of a father, God spoke to me through a Bible verse in Zephaniah:

Therefore wait for Me,” says the Lord,
“Until the day I rise up for plunder;
My determination is to gather the nations
To My assembly of kingdoms,
To pour on them My indignation,
All My fierce anger;
All the earth shall be devoured
With the fire of My jealousy.

(Zephaniah 3:8, emphasis added)

Those words, “wait for Me,” jumped at my eyes and stabbed conviction into my heart.

I had a decision to make.

Will I stubbornly continue to cling on to what I wanted to do with my life and follow my own plans and dreams?

Or, will I sacrifice and surrender what I wanted to do with my life and simply wait on God to lead me to HIS plans and HIS dreams for me?

I chose the latter, and gave up my dreams to become a Christian novelist to God.

During that time, I was being heavily refined.

To be frank, I was EMBARRASSED by my decision to let God take full control of my future and let Him fully lead me to His plans for my life.

Why?

Because so many people didn’t really understand my decision. And their misunderstanding made my trial of waiting on God to lead me to His plans for my life even WORST.

But throughout that time of intense refining, Jesus was with me, giving me hope, comfort, and encouragement.

I still remember the promises I’d frequently go to for hope, encouragement, and comfort. Promises like:

I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.
Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

(Psalm 40:1-4)

For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

(Psalm 66:10-12)

The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.

(Exodus 14:14)

It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.

(Lamentations 3:27)

As I meditated and focused more on these promises, my personal trust in Jesus began to grow so big and so bright that my discouragements, fears, and doubts began to grow dim.

A Blogger Is Made

Nine months passed since I fully surrendered and sacrificed my ambitions, dreams, and plans to God in exchange for His plans, dreams, and ambitions for my life.

Then, one morning, in late January 2019, an idea came to my head.

An idea to start a devotional blog.

After 3 days of this devotional blog idea bouncing around my head nonstop, I seriously took it to God during my quiet time with Him.

God, I prayed. Do you want me to seriously carry out this idea? I mean, this blog idea has been running through my brain these past 3 days, and I don’t know what to do…is it Your will for me to go ahead and do it?

After I prayed that prayer, God gave me the green light and two thumbs up.

Now the rest is history.

I never would’ve imagined that after a whole 9 month trial of waiting, a missionary blogger would step out of the flames.

And that refined blogger would be me.

Learning To Live’s Impact

As of February 11, 2020, Learning To Live Devotional Blog has had a total number of 4,511 views and 1,680 visitors.

The top 5 countries that have been especially touched by Learning To Live’s online ministry are the following:

United States — 3,357

South Africa — 120

Australia — 114

The Philippines — 93

Canada — 83

The top 5 blog posts that have had a significant impact on a lot of my readers are:

1. 7 Good Lessons From 7 Bad Bible Characters [Pt. 3: Goliath]
2. 3 Bible Verses To Cure And Combat Pride
3. 7 Good Lessons From 7 Bad Bible Characters [Pt. 2: Pharaoh]
4. 7 Good Lessons From 7 Bad Bible Characters [Pt. 5: Haman]
5. 7 Good Lessons From 7 Bad Bible Characters [Pt. 4: Jezebel]

More Than I Ever Wanted…..

Looking back on this past year since this blog ministry’s inception, I never would’ve thought that my decision to deny my dreams in order to take up my cross and follow Jesus’ dreams for me alone would result in so many lives being changed around the world.

God has honestly given me not only what I wanted (using my writing talent to inspire people’s faith), but also something way more than I ever could dream.

An online ministry that touches and inspires hearts all around the world.

One blog post at a time.

And with that, I’m genuinely thankful to God for His love, His mercy, and His blessings toward me.

Especially this blessing of helping me learn to lose–
That I may help others learn to live.

To God be the Glory!

An Appeal & Prayer

Friend, perhaps you’re in similar circumstances. Maybe, like me, you’re unable to achieve the big dreams you’ve built up for your future–like college, or marriage, or having children, or having a certain career.

Or maybe, you’re struggling to fully surrender your whole life to God–past, present, and future. Perhaps you feel like you can’t really trust God to guide you to where He wants to be.

If such is the case, then I wanna appeal to you to trust God and continually surrender your plans to Him.

Believe me, when I fully surrendered my whole future to God, and learned to truly trust Him to guide me to where He wanted me to be and who He wanted me to become, I NEVER thought God would lead me to doing a ministry that would incorporate what I loved doing (writing) and SO MUCH MORE!!!

Friend, God CAN be trusted to lead you and guide you to His future plans for your life. These are His words to you today, dear reader, if you’re struggling with doubt and discouragement over where God wants you to be.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

(Jeremiah 29:11)

Would you like to genuinely and fully surrender to that future and hope God has for you? Would you like to leave behind all the fear, doubt, and discouragement and simply trust in God to lead you to that hope-filled future He has built just for your life?

Dear reader, I wanna appeal to you to pray the following prayer below, and simply surrender to God’s guiding, loving hand and trust His gentle, caring heart to take you to where He wants you to be.

I’d like to conclude this blog post with a quote that I pray will encourage you to surrender you future to God and simply trust Him to lead you wherever His big plans and beautiful will have in store for you!

Take courage, dear reader! God is for your future, not against it!

God does not guide those who want to run their own life. He only guides those who admit their need of His direction and rely on His wisdom.

–Winkie Pratney–

Amen! Maranatha!