Crowder – REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES

In MY VICTORY VERSES, we will explore key Bible verses that have shaped my life recovery journey since 2005. After sharing how these verses impacted me, we will dive into their meaning and how they bring lasting victory. This column publishes on the 3rd Friday of each month in 2025.

“The Father has delivered and drawn me to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and has transferred me into the Kingdom of the Son of His love.” — Colossians 1:13 (Paraphrased)

There was a time I never thought I’d see the light again.
The darkness I was living in wasn’t just circumstantial—it was spiritual. It was emotional. It was consuming. I wasn’t just surrounded by darkness; I was under its dominion. Controlled by fear, shame, and pain, I found myself in a jail cell—a place I never expected to be. But it was there, in that very place of confinement, that I was delivered.

Delivered not just from my situation, but from the kingdom of darkness itself.

This verse—Colossians 1:13—marked the turning point of my life. It became my anchor, my confession, my declaration of hope. It spoke what I couldn’t yet fully see: that God had already made a way out. He had already rescued me, and He was drawing me into something far greater—the Kingdom of the Son of His love.

Jail didn’t save me. Jesus did.
And in that dark place, I found light.

What had once been a pit of despair became holy ground—because it was there, I cried out to the One who heard me. I was afraid, yes. But I knew there was no other way. No other hope. And the Lord met me in that desperate prayer.

That’s the miracle of deliverance.
It doesn’t wait for you to clean yourself up.
It meets you where you are—and carries you into a kingdom of love, light, and everlasting victory.

Reflection Questions:

- Have you ever felt under the control of darkness?
- What did it look like for God to draw you to Himself?
- How can you share your story of deliverance with someone who may still be in the pit?

Victory Confession:
The Father has delivered and drawn me to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and has transferred me into the Kingdom of the Son of His love. I am no longer under the power of fear or shame—I walk in the freedom of His love and light!

🎶 Grave Robber by Crowder
This song has echoed the cry of my heart from the very beginning of my recovery journey. When I say I was delivered from darkness, I mean it literally—and Grave Robber puts that miracle to music. I pray it stirs your heart with the same hope and victory it brings to mine.

⬇️ Watch below and let the truth sink in.

On the fourth Friday of each month in 2025, we’re studying The Search for Significance by Robert S. McGee. Join me as we confront the enemy’s lies of self-doubt and find our victory in the truth of who we are according to God’s Word!

We’ve uncovered some deep truths over the last several months in this study. In Chapter 5: Approval Addict, we identified the exhausting need for validation from others. This month, in Chapter 6: God’s Answer – Reconciliation, we find freedom from that need in the powerful truth that we have already been fully accepted by God through Jesus Christ.

Summary: Chapter Six – God’s Answer: Reconciliation

In this chapter, McGee explains that God’s solution to our craving for approval is reconciliation—a restored relationship with Himself through Christ. Instead of striving to gain acceptance from people (which is always conditional and unstable), we can rest in the unchanging truth that God has already accepted us completely and unconditionally. Through reconciliation, the hostility and distance caused by sin is gone, and we are invited into intimacy, peace, and security with God. Our need for human approval fades in the light of His unwavering acceptance.

“We are not working our way toward God’s love—we are already embraced by it.” – Paraphrase from Robert S. McGee

Biblical Truths

1. 2 Corinthians 5:18–19 – “All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… not counting people’s sins against them.”
  - God has restored our relationship with Him through Christ, removing all barriers of sin and shame.
2. Romans 5:10–11 – “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son… how much more… shall we be saved through His life!”
  - Even when we were far from God, He pursued us and made reconciliation possible.
3. Colossians 1:21–22 – “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies… but now He has reconciled you… to present you holy in His sight, without blemish.”
4. We are not defined by our past or our sin—we are made blameless through reconciliation.

Key Idea

You are not trying to earn your way back to God. He has already drawn you near through reconciliation in Christ. His approval is not something to be achieved—it’s already been given.

Reflection Question

Where in your life are you still striving for acceptance—from others, or even from God? What would it look like to fully embrace His reconciliation and rest in being completely accepted?

Practical Application

1. Receive the Gift – Spend 5–10 minutes each day in quiet reflection, simply thanking God that you are already accepted and reconciled through Christ. Let it soak into your soul.
2. Release Human Approval – Write down a few ways you seek acceptance from others (people-pleasing, overcommitting, fear of rejection). Then, surrender them in prayer, one by one.
3. Practice Reconciliation – Is there someone in your life you’re distant from? Ask God for the courage to take a first step toward peace—whether through prayer, a message, or simply letting go of past hurt.

My Personal Reflections

Reconciliation has been one of the most healing truths I’ve ever encountered. For years, I operated under the belief that I had to perform, prove, and please my way into being “enough”—even for God. I knew Jesus had saved me, but I still secretly felt like I had to keep Him impressed to stay in His good graces.

But the truth is, Jesus already made the way for me to be fully accepted. I don’t have to earn God’s love—it’s already mine. That realization continues to soften my heart and settle my spirit. It’s also helping me extend grace to others in my life, especially where there’s been distance or misunderstanding. Reconciliation with God opens the door to healing in all our relationships.

Friend, if you’ve been wearing yourself out trying to win love or approval—from people, or even from God—please hear this: You already have it. You are fully known, deeply loved, and completely accepted in Christ. Nothing you do can add to that. Nothing you fail to do can take it away.

Next month, we’ll explore Chapter 7: The Blame Game and uncover how guilt and shame keep us stuck—but also how God has already made a way out through His forgiveness.

Until then, remember:
Come as you are. You are reconciled. You are at peace. You are home. 💗