Sis, this year we’re focusing on our journey, goals, and what makes US happy. No need for unnecessary detours or comparing ourselves to others. Embrace your path, be true to yourself, and enjoy the ride. We’re rooting for you all along the way! ___________________________________ Watch the full “Stay In Your Lane” Sermon on the TD Jakes Ministries Youtube page. REGISTER for WE24: womanevolveconference.com Stay plugged into the Woman Evolve community: www.womanevolve.com www.womanevolve.tv download the app from any mobile device’s app store, first 7 days are FREE! Want to support this ministry? Text GIVE to (833) 611-9066 or click here FOLLOW US ON THE SOCIALS: Instagram: Women Evolve and Sarah Jakes Roberts Twitter: Woman Evolve and SJakesRoberts Facebook: Woman Evolve and Sarah Jakes RobertsWoman Evolve TV app!
my husband and I we’re a blended family
and we have six
children and the two youngest are 14 and
seven which means that for the older
four we’ve gone through this stage of
teaching them how to
drive and you know we have different my
husband and I we have different teaching
methods he’s very thorough in his
teaching and I’m and I’m more like a you
know just like let’s see what happens
kind of
girl and so I told the kids like I will
teach you how to drive but then you know
my supervisor is going to have to come
in and make sure that I checked all of
the boxes and so on one of the first
drives that I went out with one of the
children I won’t name them them name
them cuz all four of them who we’ve
talked to drive are currently in the
building but when I was out doing one of
the drivers I’m like this is just as
important for me as it is for you of
course I want you to be safe and I want
to make sure that when you’re on the
road that you are you know well aware of
all that it takes to be a good driver
but also when my supervisor comes in I
want him to know that I was so good at
teaching you to drive that I don’t have
to hear his mouth
right and then we was driving and we was
practicing and we did real good when we
were like pulling out of the
neighborhood and we did very well when
we were you know within the community we
weren’t like on the main streets then we
got on the main streets and and I
noticed things was you know we need a
little
polishing
cuz I noticed that as the cars were
coming that the driver was swerving a
little bit into the other
lane and I didn’t want to say anything
cuz I didn’t want to alarm him her him
them they us
[Music]
we next few therapy sessions going to be
on
me them I didn’t want to alarm them but
when they were driving I just asked once
we got to a stoplight I said what are
you looking at when we’re
driving he goes I’m looking at the cars
coming and I go and I understand why you
would do that because it is a lot to pay
attention to but if you’re going to stay
in your lane you’re going to have to
stay focused on your
lane because the more that you shift
your focus towards what’s happening in
another
Lane little by little you start turning
the wheel you’re not not even doing it
intentionally you just start turning the
wheel in the direction of where your
attention
is this isn’t even something that is
necessarily relegated to
driving it’s the same thing that happens
to many of us when we enter into
entrepreneurship we get so busy looking
at everyone else’s Journey that now we
don’t even believe in the very Vision
that God has given us
I am convinced that our responsibility
is to do as we do with driving it’s not
that we ignore what’s happening
completely but we have to learn to
glance at what’s happening but pull our
Focus back to what is happening within
our sphere of
influence I need to understand the
market trends I need to understand
funding I have to know what’s happening
in this space but I cannot be so
consumed that I become
discouraged it’s the same thing with
content creation or weight loss or
Ministry or whatever you have to
understand what’s happening you have to
understand what’s moving the numbers
what helps people gravitate what makes
for an easier experience you have to be
willing to look this is not us being
ignorant and blind you got to do the
research you got to understand what’s
taking place but at the same time you
have to understand when it’s time for
you to bring your focus back to the Lane
that God has given you so that you can
stay in your lane your
attention is an
investment and what we have to be
willing to ask
ourselves is what return am I getting on
this
investment you know when I sometimes
forget that I’m a gentle parent cuz I’m
still new to
it I
remember in moments where my younger
children are distracting me while I’m
working that I don’t get to just get
somewhere and sit down and move out way
I don’t I don’t do that though that’s
what’s in my
spirit because I read somewhere that it
is important that a child receives
attention so that they are positively
affirmed in their confidence their
self-image so much of who they are and
what they believe is possible has to do
with the level of attention they receive
from their primary caregiver and so
there are some moments where I say hold
on let me finish this email so that I
can give you my undivided attention
because what I want in return turn from
that attention is in an adult who
believes in their ideas their gifts and
their talents because I created an
environment at home that says what you
say matters to me how you express
yourself matters to me your creativity
is important to me so much of what’s
wrong with so many of us is that we
never had someone stop and give us
enough attention to say I believe in you
and so now we are adults trying to
figure out how do I move with confidence
and boldness not recognizing that that
could have been solved when we were
young children if somebody would have
said I see you what you’re doing is
important to me you
matter the
attention that we give to our children
that we give to our spouses we get an
investment back on that when you stop
everything and you look at your partner
as if you really care about what they’re
saying even if you have to buy some care
for what they’re
[Applause]
saying there some things I I’ll be
honest I don’t care about it but I care
about you and if this is important to
you because I’m into you I’m going to
give you the attention connected to this
moment because I want to see you
recognize the value that I have in our
connection when you value something you
give it
attention but also your attention gives
things
value so you have to be careful not just
positively but negatively as well when
you give attention into
negativity you get a return on that as
well there are certain things that when
I give them attention they heighten my
shame they heighten my insecurity and so
we have to be willing to do the work to
ask ourselves what did I get in return
from that attention like I gave you some
attention for this drama I gave you some
attention for this thing that we’ve gone
over over and over again and now for
some reason after I gave you attention I
feel less than after I gave you
attention I feel more insecure after I
gave you attention I don’t know if I
trust God anymore there are some people
that when you give them attention there
are some situations when you give them
attention you get a value but the value
is not necessarily in the place that you
wanted now your depression has more
value now your insecurity has more value
now your trauma has more value how did
it become more valuable it’s because I
gave attention to something that fed
into something that was already living
inside of me the only time that things
really get under my skin is when there’s
already a seed that has been deposited
in my life and then someone comes along
and they water a seed that was already
there and so what I have to learn to do
is starve out the people who feed the
things that make me more insecure
because I’m moving into a season in my
life where I cannot afford to be
double-minded I got to be stable in
order to break this generational curse I
got to be stable in order to build this
business I got to be stable in order to
walk with Integrity I got to be be
stable in order to lead this church I
got to be stable in order to be in
Ministry and sometimes that means I got
to block some things out of my mind
because the only time I feel unstable is
after I have engaged with you some
people are on assignment from the enemy
and they don’t even realize it my
assignment is not even to thwart you my
assignment is to divide your attention
because if I divide your attention then
you will not have enough momentum to do
the thing God has called you to do the
enemy didn’t stuff the fruit down her
mouth all he did was divide her
attention I know you’re focused on being
fruitful and multiplying I know you’re
focused on having Dominion but did you
ever think about this fruit and now her
attention has been
divided I got
to pay
attention I’m paying attention if it
costs me something to pay
attention my attention is an
investment and there are
moments where you do need to see what’s
happening but you also need to have
enough
wisdom to know when you can’t handle it
anymore there are moments where you need
to see what God is doing in the life of
other people it blesses you it
encourages you it edifies you but then
there are moments where you need to stop
looking at what God is doing in the
lives of other people cuz when you
finish looking at what God is doing in
the lives of other people you come back
over to your life and you’re like God I
don’t even see you moving at all in my
life I see this person got married I see
this person got the finances I got to
pay attention to what’s happening in my
life and what we learn when we bring our
attention back to what God is doing in
our lives is that we serve a God who
sees
us sometimes we have these moments where
we make it seem like blessings just fell
into our
lives the blessings didn’t just fall
into our lives we serve a God who paid
attention to what we needed and gave it
to us right when we needed it if I had
about 10 seconds in about 10 old school
church folks we could have testimony
service in this room and we could talk
about those moments where God showed up
in our lives in such a way that there
was no denying that you were paying
attention to me you see God has just
blessed some people but God has done
some things in my life that helped me to
recognize that you were paying attention
to me you knew exactly what I needed in
that grief you knew exactly what I
needed when I was going through that
pain you knew exactly what I needed no
one but God could have known that I
needed that word when it came no one but
God could have known what I needed out
of that worship service but God you pay
attention to me it gives me a Psalms 3
praise where I start thinking like David
br thought in Psalms 8 in Psalms 8 David
said how is it that this God who
considers the heavens and the works of
your fingers the moons and the Stars
which you have ordained God you set the
ocean in motion you put the Sun in the
sky you place the Stars over the Galaxy
who am I that you are mindful of me that
you pay attention to what I need little
oh me God I barely paid attention to you
but you paid attention to me you knew I
wouldn’t have the father but gave me the
uncle you knew I wouldn’t have the
family but you gave me the teacher God
you didn’t just leave me with nothing to
pull from you paid attention to what I
needed he paid attention to me he paid
attention to what I needed he paid
attention to the areas where I had
Brokenness he’s already gone ahead of
you that means that I’m paying attention
before you even step into the room that
you have the right people when you get
into the room he’s paying attention
right now in this moment when you feel
lost and Forsaken and Confused God says
I’m paying attention when we talk about
him restoring what the Locust have eaten
we’re talking about a God who paid
attention to everything you lost along
the way I’m paying attention to everyone
who walked away I’m paying attention to
everyone who portrayed you because when
the time is right when you step into
restoration you’re going to see that I
didn’t leave you when you step into
restoration you’re going to see that I
understood what you needed along the way
I know your life feels random I know it
feels like you’re scattered all over the
place but God says I paid attention to
everywhere your foot treaded I paid
attention to everything they said I paid
attention to every dream I paid
attention to every hope I paid attention
to every desire I paid attention to
[Music]
you oh
God who am I that you would be mindful
of me
God knows how to stay in his Lane and
your lane
too that’s what that verse shows me in
Psalms
8 that I know how to stay in my
Lane I can still run the
Galaxy I can still sit high and lift it
up but I also know how to get down into
what bothers you that’s the whole thing
with me being omnipresent I know how to
be everywhere all at the same time I can
be in your lane and my Lane I can be in
her Lane and your lane just because I’m
doing it in her life it doesn’t mean
that I’m not doing it in your life too I
know how to be in everybody’s Lane at
the same
time and I’m paying attention to what
you need and I’m paying attention to
what hurts you and I’m paying attention
to what’s still doring inside of
you we serve a God who pays
attention
we pay
attention God pays attention because he
recognizes that I’m trying to keep
you in your
lane and sometimes in order to keep you
in your lane he does have to go ahead of
us and make our crooked path straight in
order to keep us in our lane he does
have to do some things that help us to
recognize that only God could do this
but what I love the most about God is
even when we swerve out of our lane he
shows up there
too
[Applause]
David said again in Psalm if I make my
bed in hell you’ll be
there which means that he’s not just God
when you’re doing everything right and
he’s not just showing up just because
you showed up in all of your
righteousness and Holiness but when we
look back over our lives I bet a few of
us see sometimes where I swerved out of
my Lane but God was still there in the
midst of it all that God said I know you
don’t have no business being over over
here at this hour of the night I know
you don’t have no business talking this
person at all that’s why I’m going to
flicker the lights to let you know that
I’m over in this Lane too I wish I had
some people in here who tried to live
wrong like I gave it my best shot like I
was the best at doing bad but God
wouldn’t let me get out of my Lane God
kept calling me God I wanted to turn
this sermon off I didn’t want your
presence to reach me I swerved out of
your lane because I’ve got too much
shame and I got too much guilt but for
some reason God came and chased me down
goodness and mercy kept following me so
much so that I had to turn around and
finally say God what is it that you want
from me you know I’m not good enough you
know I’m not smart enough you know all
of the things I’ve done in my past but
every time I swerve out of my Lane you
keep pulling me back to where I’m
supposed to be you keep calling my name
in spite of what I’ve gone
[Music]
through what kind of God do we serve
who won’t even allow us to get out of
line and treat us the way we treat
people when they get out of line I’ll
leave the 99 to come get the one because
I’m so committed to who you can be that
I don’t care who you used to be I’m so
committed to what’s in you that I can’t
give up on what came out of you I’m so
committed to what I placed inside of you
that I won’t just let you get tossed up
and any your environment in any your
circumstances he’s coming to get
somebody
he’s coming and get
us and what we learn in this
text the reason why I believe God
highlighted this for
me is that we see in the children of
Israel the reality of what
happens when we serve a God who doesn’t
mind swerving in and out
of these Lanes with
us we think I
thought that God was trying to keep us
in the
lane because that’s just where we’re
supposed to
be what I know now is that the reason
why God Is So committed to us staying in
our lane is because he created this Lane
for
us and in the context of this Lane there
are promises that only manifest when you
stay in your
lane we always talk about no weapon
formed against meil prosper and it’s a
beautiful scripture but if you read the
full scripture it says this is the
inheritance of the Servants of the Lord
this is for a select group of people who
learn to stay in their
Lane when you stay in your lane the
weapons form but they don’t Prosper when
you stay in your lane there’s protection
when you stay in your lane there is
covering there are some people in in
this room who you are right they should
not be on the path that they are on I
should not be looking at generational
wealth I should not be looking at
generational wholeness but because some
kind of way I stayed in my Lane now the
promise that God spoke over my family is
a reality I don’t know who needs to hear
this but 2024 is going to be the year of
a deal breaker it’s going to be the year
where the deals that you made with the
Enemy the deals that you made with your
shame the deals that you made with your
insecurity are broken because you stay
in your lane and because you stay in
your lane you make some commitments to
God God I don’t know why you place me
here God I don’t know what you’re seeing
me but I’m going to stay in my Lane the
old folks will say I think I’m going to
run on and see what the end’s going to
be I’m going to stay in this lane cuz
there are some promises connected to
this Lane I’m going to stay in this Lane
because there are some weapons that I
see forming and everything in me wants
to step out of my Lane to move out of
Dodge to get out of Target but I’m going
to stay in My Lan and trust that the
promises of the Lord are yes and amen I
see the weapons forming but I see myself
running I see the weapons coming for me
but I also see goodness and mercy
following me you don’t think I see you I
see you baby but what I see more than
that is the path that God has for me I
think I’m going to run on and see what
the end’s going to be I think I’m going
to run on and see how all things work
together for the good of those who stay
in that lane I think I’m going to run
on though he slay me yes shall I trust
in them I’m going to stay in my Lane
though the weapons are formed I’m going
to stay in my Lane though they talk
about me I’m going to stay in my Lane
baby this is my Lane he created this
Lane for me can’t nobody do my Lane the
way I do my lande I can’t give up on my
lane cuz if I give up on my Lane a
generation may not be saved so I’m going
stay flat footed in the lame God gave me