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Broken Yoke Blog

  • The Real You, They’ll Never Know


    Isn’t it weird how many versions of you exist in people’s minds? You’re just one person, but depending on who’s watching, who’s listening, and what season of life they caught you in, they might swear they know exactly who you are… and still be completely wrong.

    Some people see you as the shy one. You are quiet in crowds, not big on small talk, keeping to yourself.

    Some see you as the mean one. Because maybe you were blunt, maybe they caught you on a bad day, maybe you set a boundary they didn’t like.

    Some see you as the annoying one. Maybe you are too much, too loud, too opinionated… or maybe just too different.

    Some see you as the caring one. You are the one who checked in, who stayed up late listening, who gave without expecting anything back.

    Some see you as the silly one. The one always cracking jokes, bringing light to heavy moments, making people laugh when they needed it most.

    Then there’s more:

    Some see you as the flaky one. They never knowing the full story behind why you didn’t show up.

    Some see you as the strong one. They didn’t see the breakdowns, just the way you kept going.

    Some see you as the fake one. That’s because they judged your growth as pretending.

    Some see you as the wise one. That’s because your pain taught you things you never asked to learn.

    Some see you as the background character in their story. You are just someone who helped for a moment, then disappeared.

    Some see you as the villain. All because your healing looked like cutting ties.

    Some see you as the hero. Because your presence changed everything for them.

    Some don’t see you at all. That is just their idea of you, filtered through rumors or projections.

    It’s wild, really. The version they carry of you says more about them than it ever says about you.

    And maybe that’s why you’ve got to stop shrinking or shape-shifting to fit everyone else’s story. The only version that matters is the one you live with every day. The one that’s healing, growing, praying, falling short, and getting back up again.

    Let them think what they want.
    Just make sure you know who you are.

    Philip

    4 min read

  • The Cross Didn’t Flinch


    I don’t know who needs this, but Jesus has never stopped loving you. Not once. Not for a moment. Not even when you gave up on Him.
    Not when you ran. Not when you rebelled.
    Not when you were in the middle of the sin you swore you’d never return to. Not even when you hated yourself so much you couldn’t look in the mirror.

    He still loved you. When the world turned cold, when people failed you, when everything fell apart, His love stayed.

    And not some soft, passive kind of love either. I’m talking about a love that chases you down in your darkest night. A love that steps into the dirt, into the mess, into the parts of your story you don’t even talk about. A love that doesn’t flinch at your brokenness. One that wraps you up in grace when you feel most ashamed.

    This isn’t religion. This isn’t about behavior.
    This is a Savior who laid His life down for you knowing how many times you’d mess up after saying “never again.” Knowing how many times you’d choose the world. Knowing how long it might take for you to come back.
    And still, He wanted you.

    You think you’ve gone too far? He already stretched His arms farther. You think you’re too dirty? He already washed it with His blood. You think you’ve disappointed Him? He knew everything, and still called you worth dying for.

    You might not feel lovable. But His love isn’t based on your feelings. It’s based on His faithfulness. And He is faithful even when we are not. So if you’re sitting there tonight feeling like you’ve failed too much, fallen too hard, or drifted too far, please hear me:

    He’s still waiting.
    Still calling.
    Still loving.
    Still redeeming.

    Jesus doesn’t love a future, more cleaned-up version of you. He loves you, right here, right now, in all your mess. So come back home.
    Fall into His arms. And let His love do what no one else could ever do, heal you from the inside out.

    You are still wanted. Still chosen. Still loved.
    Always have been. Always will be.

    Philip

    4 min read

  • Love Deeper


    Love deeper. Not wider. Not louder. Deeper.

    The world will tell you love is flashy. That it’s about grand gestures and picture-perfect moments and “look what I did” announcements. But real love, genuine soul-binding, heart-wrecking love is quiet. It’s steady. It doesn’t beg for attention, it just shows up… every single day.

    It’s staying when walking away would be easier. It’s listening when you’d rather speak. It’s holding someone’s broken pieces when you don’t know how to fix them, but you refuse to let them carry it alone.

    Love deeper, even when it’s not returned the way you hoped. Love anyway. Because love isn’t about being owed something. It’s about giving even when it hurts, forgiving even when it’s hard, and believing even when your heart is tired.

    Love deeper than the offense. Love deeper than the silence. Love deeper than your own understanding.

    The kind of love that mirrors Jesus doesn’t just cover the easy days. It walks with you through the storms. It meets you in your mess. It pulls you from the dirt, wipes your tears, and reminds you who you are even when you’ve forgotten.

    Some of the most powerful love you’ll ever show won’t be seen by crowds. It’ll be the quiet prayers you whisper over someone who hurt you. The grace you give to someone who may never say thank you. The patience you show when your own soul is screaming for peace.

    I want to love like that. I want to love in a way that makes hell tremble, not because I’m perfect, but because I chose to love when bitterness would’ve been easier. I want to love like Jesus did: bruised, rejected, and still willing.

    We don’t need more people chasing spotlight love. We need hearts willing to go deeper. To dig through the rubble and find the gold in people. To be the kind of love that lingers long after the feelings fade.

    So if you’re reading this and your heart’s heavy, love deeper. Not because it’s easy. But because it’s worth it. Because somebody out there is drowning in silence, and your love might be the lifeline they never expected.

    Let’s stop waiting for perfect moments to love. Let’s be the reason someone believes love still exists.

    Let’s love deeper.

    Philip

    4 min read

  • Let Them Watch, Just Keep Walking


    Walk with grace. Walk with bold confidence in who your Savior is. You don’t have to apologize for being different than them.

    We live in a world that wants to change you, label you, and pressure you into silence. It tells you to dim your light so others don’t feel convicted by it. It wants you to blend in, compromise, and keep your faith quiet.

    But you weren’t saved to fit in. You were saved to stand out. You don’t need to chase validation from crowds that didn’t bleed for you. You don’t need to impress people who didn’t carry your sin, your shame, or your sorrow to the cross. That was Jesus, and Jesus alone.

    So walk with your head high and your spirit grounded. Not in pride, but in truth. Don’t walk around with arrogance, but stand tall knowing who you belong to. You’ve been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Because of that, your past doesn’t get the final say anymore. And the approval of this world can’t sustain you.

    Grace doesn’t mean you’re soft. It means you’ve been strengthened by mercy.
    Boldness doesn’t mean you’re loud. It means you’re rooted in identity.

    You don’t have to act like them, talk like them, post like them, or go where they go just to be seen. You’re already seen by the One who made you. By the one that knows you, and yet, he still chooses you.

    Let them stare. Let them talk. Let them misunderstand your fire for arrogance, your peace for passivity, your obedience for judgment. That’s fine. But don’t you dare let them change your walk. The crowd isn’t your compass. The Shepherd is.

    And if standing for truth makes you the odd one out, then stand anyway. If walking in grace and conviction makes you too different, then walk anyway. If loving Jesus out loud makes some people uncomfortable, that’s all the more reason to keep loving Him openly and without shame.

    In the end, it’s not about who liked you. It’s about who you followed. It’s not about how well you blended in. It’s about how boldly you reflected the One who called you out.

    So walk in grace. Walk in boldness. Walk like you know who your Savior is. Because you do.

    Philip

    4 min read

  • Next Level, Next Devil


    Be Careful What You’re Asking For. Everybody wants next-level favor. Everybody wants next-level blessings. Everybody prays, God, take me higher. Use me more. Expand my territory.

    But here’s the question nobody asks:
    Are you ready for what comes with it? Because another level… always brings another devil.

    Some doors you’re asking God to open aren’t just paved with opportunity, they’re surrounded by spiritual warfare. Some blessings you’re begging for come hand-in-hand with betrayal, abandonment, heartbreak, and loneliness. Some platforms you want will expose you to wounds you never thought you’d have to feel.

    Favor looks good from a distance.
    It sounds powerful when you’re praying for it.
    But real favor, the kind that shakes the gates of hell, costs something.

    You might lose friends. You might lose family.
    You might lose the approval of the crowd you were trying so hard to fit into. You might have nights where you’re weeping on the floor, wondering why the very people you loved the most are the first ones who turned their backs when you started to rise.

    You want the blessing, but are you ready for the burden? You want the calling, but can you handle the crushing? See, everyone wants the crown, but few are willing to endure the cross.

    God will never give you favor that your character can’t carry. He’s not just blessing you, He’s building you also. He’s teaching you how to have thicker skin and carry a softer heart. He’s teaching you how to walk alone and not crumble. He’s teaching you how to stay humble when you have every reason to brag.
    He’s teaching you how to hold onto Him tighter when everything else falls apart.

    Sometimes that next-level favor you’re praying for will cost you comfort. It’ll cost you convenience. It’ll cost you approval. It might even cost you the version of yourself that wasn’t ready for it.

    So before you beg God for the next level, ask Him to build your foundation deeper. Ask Him to strengthen your spirit first. Because promotion without preparation is a setup for destruction. And favor without fortitude will break you instead of bless you.

    If you’re asking for next level favor, you better be ready for next level warfare. If you’re asking for next level blessings, you better be ready for next level loneliness. If you’re asking for next level purpose, you better be ready for next level hurt.

    If you’re ready, and if you’re willing to endure the pain for the promise, then stand tall, armor up, and walk through the fire.

    Because the same God who gives the favor will also give the strength to carry it. The same God who brings the blessing will walk you through the battle. The same God who calls you higher will never leave you lower. You were made for this. But first, be ready.

    Philip

    4 min read

  • Jesus is My Confidence


    I don’t walk with my head high because of who I am. I walk with my head high because of who He is.

    My confidence isn’t rooted in my strength, my talents, or my image, it’s rooted in a Savior who got down into the dirt with me. A King who didn’t just call from a distance, but stepped right into my mess, my failures, my broken places, and lifted me up.

    When I was too weak to climb out, He got in with me. When I was too dirty to be touched, He reached anyway. When I was too lost to find a way, He became the way.

    I don’t just bless the Lord when life feels good and the sun’s on my face. I bless Him when I’m bleeding in the valley. I shout His name when the walls are closing in. I praise Him when the mountain seems too far to even dream about. I beat my chest and It’s not for show, it’s the sound of a sinner who was spared.

    Because I’ve learned, real faith isn’t built on the mountaintop. It’s built in the valley, when you have to fight to believe. It’s forged in the moments where every feeling tells you to quit, but His Spirit says, “Keep going.”

    Jesus met me in the valley. Jesus walked with me through the storm. Jesus sat with me in the dirt, wiped the tears off my face, and gave me a reason to rise.

    So no, my confidence isn’t in the applause.
    It’s not in the approval. It’s not in my own ability. It’s not in what I can see. It’s in Him.

    Jesus didn’t wait for me to clean up before He loved me. Jesus didn’t leave me in the pit I dug with my own hands. Jesus didn’t just offer me a second chance, He offered me a new life.

    Whether I’m standing tall on the mountaintop or crawling hands and knees through a dark valley, I will bless His Name. I will shout His praise louder than my doubt, louder than my fear, louder than my pain.

    Because my confidence has scars on it. It’s been through some things. It’s not naive.
    It’s not fragile. It’s anchored in the One who overcame death itself to pull me out of the grave.

    Jesus is my hope. Jesus is my security. Jesus is my confidence. I’ll never stop shouting it in the valley and I’ll shout it just as loud in the mountain top. Glory to God, in every season, in every battle, in every breath.

    Philip

    4 min read