Living and learning to gain new territory requires intentionality.
It means putting God first, walking in the Spirit, admitting my character flaws, counting my blessings, serving others, replacing bad habits with good ones, growing in faith, overcoming fear, confessing sin, forgiving everyone, and staying humble and teachable. Easier said than done! In truth, it’s impossible without the Holy Spirit guiding me every day—hour by hour, minute by minute.
Well, last Saturday was a test.
It was my first day in the field with my new manager after completing extensive training. We were working leads when it happened—I ran into someone from my past. Let's call her “Encountered One.”
I truly believed I had forgiven her long ago, but the moment I saw her, my heart sank and the old anger and bitterness came rushing back. She had been my CFO at a previous company—someone I trusted, someone who once spoke truth to me when I was surrounded by deception. She had warned me that some of my partners were misusing company funds and making unethical decisions behind closed doors.
I was naïve. I believed the money “borrowed” from our company’s line of credit would be returned. But there were no records, no transparency, and I was shut out of the meetings that mattered. Around the same time, I discovered a branch manager had embezzled over $250,000 from the company. I wanted to prosecute. My partners refused. No explanation—just “it’ll cost too much.”
"Encountered One" couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t prosecute either. She even referred to one of the partners—my loudest critic—as “the Spawn of Satan” because of his behavior. But the moment I was forced out of the company, “Encountered One” became close with him. That betrayal hurt deeply.
So now, here I was—face-to-face with her for the first time in years. I wasn’t the CEO anymore. My new role was much more humble. And it was obvious she relished the reversal. Inside, I wanted to lash out. But I knew—this was a test. A test of my heart, my forgiveness, my humility.
God used that moment to show me that I hadn’t truly let it go. Not all of it. Pride, bitterness, resentment—they were still lingering. And I needed to deal with them.
I cut the conversation short, got in the car, and left with my new boss. I kept my game face on, but inside, I was unsettled. When I got home, I told my wife what happened. Those dark memories tried to settle on her, too—but the Holy Spirit gave clarity. I felt God saying to me:
“There’s still work to be done in your heart. You must forgive ALL. Let go of your past and let Me be the Judge.”
That night, I confessed my unforgiveness, anger, pride, and ego. I prayed for “Encountered One” and again the next day before communion. It wasn’t easy—but it was necessary.
God orchestrated that encounter. And I thank Him for placing me there at the perfect moment. I want to be used by God, and that means giving up anything that holds me back. Housecleaning isn’t fun—it’s hard, and it hurts—but the cleansing brings peace. It frees up space that was once filled with junk.
And once that junk is gone, you make room for treasures:
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Gentleness. Faithfulness. Self-control.
Those are the treasures that increased my territory and prepared me for what’s next.
Adios for now.
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