November 20th, 2025
Thursday, November 20th
Let’s Be Real
By: Sheila Sonon
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” — James 4:10 (NIV)
Friends — this is Reallife, and I’m going to be as real as I can.
For 23 years, I was married. This year, I wasn’t. No need for the details, but I’ll tell you this — it hit me like a ton of bricks. When the dust settled, I took a hard look around at my life and all the “things” I had gathered. Lazy Boy furniture, new carpet, freshly painted walls, name brand clothes, more than one home, and a vacation spot I could escape to every year — and did.
Did these things bring me happiness? I thought they did. I told myself they were blessings from God — but I twisted the meaning of that blessing. I thought that because I had the money, I should buy it. I convinced myself I was honoring God with nice things. But when it all fell apart, I realized I was wrong… wrong, wrong, wrong.
James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
This verse has become my anchor. God has been gently — and sometimes not so gently — showing me what humility really looks like. It’s not about thinking less of myself, but thinking of Him more. It’s about letting go of what glitters on the outside so He can shine through the inside.
Divorce has a way of stripping life down to what matters. It hurts. It humbles. But in that space, God whispers: “Now I can build you back up — not with things, but with Me.”
I’m still learning how to walk in this new life, but now my gaze is fixed on His kingdom instead of my possessions. I look back and feel a deep regret for how much I once chased after things that never truly mattered. I don’t want to live that way anymore. Today, I’m chasing after God — not stuff — and I long to live with a heart fully centered on Him, focused, filled, and fueled by His presence alone.
Let’s Be Real
By: Sheila Sonon
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” — James 4:10 (NIV)
Friends — this is Reallife, and I’m going to be as real as I can.
For 23 years, I was married. This year, I wasn’t. No need for the details, but I’ll tell you this — it hit me like a ton of bricks. When the dust settled, I took a hard look around at my life and all the “things” I had gathered. Lazy Boy furniture, new carpet, freshly painted walls, name brand clothes, more than one home, and a vacation spot I could escape to every year — and did.
Did these things bring me happiness? I thought they did. I told myself they were blessings from God — but I twisted the meaning of that blessing. I thought that because I had the money, I should buy it. I convinced myself I was honoring God with nice things. But when it all fell apart, I realized I was wrong… wrong, wrong, wrong.
James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
This verse has become my anchor. God has been gently — and sometimes not so gently — showing me what humility really looks like. It’s not about thinking less of myself, but thinking of Him more. It’s about letting go of what glitters on the outside so He can shine through the inside.
Divorce has a way of stripping life down to what matters. It hurts. It humbles. But in that space, God whispers: “Now I can build you back up — not with things, but with Me.”
I’m still learning how to walk in this new life, but now my gaze is fixed on His kingdom instead of my possessions. I look back and feel a deep regret for how much I once chased after things that never truly mattered. I don’t want to live that way anymore. Today, I’m chasing after God — not stuff — and I long to live with a heart fully centered on Him, focused, filled, and fueled by His presence alone.
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