06/05/2026
WORD OF WISDOM 06 - 01 - 26:
The 99% Verdict: Why Your Biggest Enemy is in the Mirror (And How to R.A.S.E. Your Life)
Studying and observing yourself is a rigorous discipline. To truly transform, you must learn to step outside of your own emotions and become an objective judge of your own life.
To help you navigate this, I have commissioned a framework in my own life that has profoundly impacted me and countless others. It is called R.A.S.E.—which stands for Responsible, Accountable Spiritual Emotions.
1. R is for Responsibility: Own Your Next Move
Every single day, you are making moves. Some are routine and mundane; others are critical, and a choice few are epic milestones that completely reshape your future. While you might delegate tasks or involve other people, you are ultimately responsible for your next decision.
The word of God teaches us that we must suffer for the sake of our relationship with Christ. But if we are honest, what we suffer through most isn't external hardship or the actions of other people—we suffer through ourselves. We struggle against our own lusts, unfulfilled goals, and fleshly aspirations.
As the Scripture warns:
"But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." — James 1:14-15
When you buy into the lie that outside influences control you, confusion and depression set in. The truth is, your decisions act as a mirror, revealing exactly what you idolize most.
2. A.S.E. is for Accountable Spiritual Emotions: Strip Away the Mask
Once a move is made, you must stand completely accountable for the outcome. You have to own it wholeheartedly with spiritual maturity and emotional balance.
Too often, we conjure up selfish desires in our minds, push them forward with our own strength, and leave God completely out of the equation. Then, we put on a mask of piety and wholeness, using religious jargon and empty words to convince ourselves that God will just "fix it." But God is never mocked. He sees right through the theatrical smoke and mirrors. He sees the root of the idolatry.
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." — Hebrews 4:12
The only cure is to seek God with your whole heart. Let the piercing light of His Spirit break through the darkness, expose the hidden motives, and show you who you really are.
3. The 99% Rule: Full Exposure, Full Redemption
Christ is entirely willing to make you into a new creature, but that transformation requires total exposure.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." — 2 Corinthians 5:17
To step into this newness, you must stand ten toes down and admit the truth: you played a 99% role in your present state of mind and your current consequences. You did this to yourself by letting your ego and personal idols dictate your steps.
But failure is not the end. Through Christ Jesus, you have access to adoption, redemption, and a forgiveness that is infinitely more powerful than the irrational, inconsistent choices of your flesh. To walk in that victory, you must bring yourself under complete subjection to God. Be willing to receive His love, but be equally hungry for His correction, His rebuke, and His chastisement.
Stop blaming the devil or spiritual warfare for the traps you built with your own hands. God wants to break you out of the dark.
Your Next Decision
You can be responsible and accountable—spiritually and emotionally—for your very next move. The choice is entirely yours. God already made the first move at the cross. Now, it is your turn to act.
Are you ready to put down your idols? If so, let's begin.
Pastor James Sutton II
